photo credit

“Im heading to Haiti for my second time! We’re going to be doing vacation bible school for hundreds of Haiti kiddos, we will be visiting 3 different orphanages of children who lost their parents in earthquakes. We will also be doing several building projects and work projects for different people and groups there. I am thrilled to be going back because there really is true joy in serving people who are less fortunate and just serving people in general. I cannot wait to get back and be humbled by the joy the people have there, they have nothing, but they are full of joy and service for others. I love the people there and the country in general. We will be gone from Friday June 7th to Saturday the 15th! Thank you so much for the encouraging words of support!!!”

We are so proud and excited for Jessie as she heads to Haiti today! We wish her safe travels and cannot wait to hear more about her adventure and the great work she will be doing when she returns!

Everything I could ask for in a best friend, he has. He understands my sense of humor and will listen to me for hours when I have a problem. He always gives the best advice and there is never a dull moment between us. We always say if he were straight we’ be married already. Probably with a few kids by now… But I am at least grateful to always have him by my side. I cant wait till we’re next door neighbors and throw mini cocktail parties every night. That’ll be the life:)

But 5 years later here we are, still just as close as ever.

I LOVE YOU BRUNO!!!

Visit Bruno’s blog HERE <333

We had a full day to explore Vientiane, but, unfortunately, that day was a Monday. The famous Pha That Luang (Great Stupa) was closed. So instead we stayed in the center of town and visited Wat Si Saket, the oldest temple in the city. I could have spent hours here looking at all of the small Buddhas.

The French descended on Laos in the 19th century and their legacy is still present:

Vientiane even has its own Arc de Triomphe. Patuxai, or the Victory Monument, was built in 1969 and Lonely Planet had this interesting description that it was built “with cement donated by the USA intended for the construction of a new airport; hence expats refer to it as the ‘vertical runway.’”

View from inside the Arc:

Victor and I had a giggle when we saw this sign: That Dam Wat!

We also paid a visit to Haw Pha Kaew, a royal temple known for its Buddhas as well.

Electric feel:

Want to get to Thailand? Just swim over:

I could have probably spent another day in Vientiane. It was a pleasant and super slow-paced capital city where strolling, stopping at cafes and eating well are on the menu. But Luang Prabang awaited us, so just as soon as we’d settled in, we were back on the road.

Where to Stay: Ansara Hotel, a bit of a splurge, but it was a nice hotel and the breakfast was delicious.

P.S. I just jumped on the Instagram bandwagon recently. If you’d like to see more photos, follow me @lydiatomkiw.

“Want to do something adventurous?” He asked ever so curiously.

“Sure..” I hesitated.

“I got two VIP tickets to Beyond Wonderland tonight, want to-”

“YES!!!!”

This would be my second, or third, rave. And it was awesome.

***DISCLAIMER*** No drugs were used by us at this event. You know me better than that!

Crowd Shot.

Classic photobomb

A girl in front of me reached back any passed me her bunny ears. So generous.

They had a long light tunnel where you were supposed to walk through with 3D glasses. They also had people in costumes touch your arms and body as you walk through.

He took us up to the hills, saw some celebrity houses, some classic film spots (i.e. the field Forest Gump ran across), recording studios, film studios, biked up Hollywood Boulevard. I learned so  much. It was a great experience.

THE Batcave (manmade)

And celebrated at Kitchen 24 after. Yes!

]]> http://kimandkylestravels.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/cycling-wyoming-part-iii/ Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:05:01 +0000 Wandering Vines http://kimandkylestravels.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/cycling-wyoming-part-iii/ http://ellathesolotraveler.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/a-few-good-reasons-why-you-should-start-traveling-young-a-pic-of-me-as-a-geisha/ Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:51:16 +0000 ellasinjapanblog http://ellathesolotraveler.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/a-few-good-reasons-why-you-should-start-traveling-young-a-pic-of-me-as-a-geisha/ I’ve had many conversations with people and it usually ends up with what they would like to do during the year.

“Yeah, but…”

Never were more fatal words spoken…

Yeah, but… what about debt?
Yeah, but… what about my job?
Yeah, but… what about my boyfriend (or dog or car or family or whatever)?

“Yeah, but…” is pernicious. Because it makes it sound like we have the best of intentions when really we are just too scared to do what we should.

So many of my older family members and older people I’ve met have waited to travel the world never did. My mum is 50 this year and has only been overseas, to Bali once. I think it’s really sad. I cannot picture living such a lifestyle, maybe traveling is not as important to them as it is to me. But I think I want to live a lifestyle where I work 6 months on, 6 months off, repeat, repeat, repeat if that makes sense!?!

Conversely, plenty of people who waited for uni to be over or a steady job and traveled still did those things — eventually.

Be careful of the yeah-but. The yeah-but will kill your dreams.

The life you’ve always wanted

When you get older, life seems to just magicially sort of happen to you. Your youth is a time of total empowerment.

You get to do what you want. As you mature and gain new responsibilities (if you choose that path, which a very, very large portion do) you have to be very intentional about making sure you don’t lose sight of what’s important to you.

So if you still have a reasonable amount of control over your circumstances, you should do what really matters to you. Because life won’t always be just about you.

So, young person, travel.

Travel wide and far.
Travel boldly.
Travel with full abandon.

You will regret few risks you take, when it comes to this. I promise you.

I wish everyone the bliss of stopping to enjoy the final beautiful moments of 2012.  And, if I may, that we can greet 2013 with the only real thing… love….seasoned, if you will, with a bit hope and goodwill.  Happy New Year!

And Dr. E… may you have a very very Happy Birthday!  You are dearly loved and appreciated by all who have grown to know you.

Sprinkles & Sparkles

Virginia

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Girdwood, AK aerial photo

We stayed in a small vacation rental cottage labeled Snowbird Chalet #3 provided by Alyeska Accommodations which was a cozy little cabin situated smack dab on the bottom of the ski mountain, at the end of the parking lot. We could not have stayed at a better location…period. It was equipped with 2 bedrooms, a loft, a couch, kitchen, flatscreen, fireplace, washer/dryer, and kick-ass view of the mountain lit up at night for night skiing, and my personal favorite-the 6 man hot tub on the back deck. We were able to sit in the hot tub, have a few drinks, and literally watch skiers trace their way down the mountain. How cool is that?!  We were also impressed with how spacious the cabin was since we had invited additional relatives to join us at the last minute and would be sneaking them in last minute to avoid additional charges. Upon arrival, we realized that the cabin was large enough to sleep 9 people, comfortably. Check out their business link is as follows: http://www.alyeskaaccommodations.com/ . What’s amazing is that we were able to get a place. Alyeska Accommodations is so popular (as is the whole resort area) that they usually book their places between 2 months to a year in advances and we got lucky when some other folks canceled. In any case, it was awesome and we are totally going to stay there again in the future.

Our Ski Cabin - Alyeska Accommodations Snowbird Chalet#3

Inside ski cabin

Kitchen/Bar

Hot tub, with view of ski mountain (if you can imagine it literally in your face)

The small town of Girdwood, AK captures the essence of a little hippy ski town. It is situated at the base of Mt. Alyeska in the Chugach Mountain Range, bordering the Cook Inlet on one side, and a glacier and cruise port town of Whitter not far in the opposite direction. Being just a 1 hour drive outside Alaska’s largest city of Anchorage gives Girdwood easy accessibility to both locals and tourists. The resorts itself offers the best skiing in the state, paired with luxury hotels, and restaurants/lodges on site. (For more information on wither winter skiing or summer hiking/events at Alyeska Ski Resort follow this link: http://www.alyeskaresort.com/ .)

Night skiing lights, Mt. Alyeska-Our view from the hot tub

Having be raised in Anchorage, Ak, this was not my first trip to the mountain. I actually learned to ski here with my parents back in 1991. Actually, I have several daunting memories of skiing on Mt. Alyeska. The first terrifying memory was when my parents actually tried to teach my twin sister and I how to ski here at age 5. (I say “tried” because they did not succeed in teaching us…) My parents had that “push them in the water to teach them how to swim” philosophy, and decided to take us kindergardeners to summit of the mountain on our first run. Being a parent now, I can honestly say that they were not thinking clearly at all-and they paid the price for bad judgment. That “price” for dragging us up to the top of the mountain was spending 4 1/2 hours dragging my 5 year old sister and I down the mountain between their legs. Needless to say, we didn’t return to ski slope for quite some time. Our next experience at Alyeska was at about age 8 when my sister lost control and while fleeing down the mountain, nearly broke her nose crashing into a woman’s posterior!

At age 14 my mother signed my twin sister and I up for a weekend snowboarding camp. We packed sack lunches, got, up early, and rode the bus out to the mountain and home every morning. It was very fun since we were all learning together and no one was passing judgement og eachothers performance. Where things went south so-to-speak was when I attempted to show off for some cute guys on the mountain by hauling ass down the hill. I embarrassingly turned into a human snowball as my twin sister pretended to not know me and left me there alone in shame (some sister huh? lol). Humility was the lesson there.

And there I was again, over 11 years since my last visit to Mt. Alyeska, soaking in the outdoor hot tub of our wondeful vacation rental, staring at the mountain that haunts me with both good and bad memories. I started doubting my abilities to ski not to mention teach my kids how to ski. Should I stay in the cabin all weekend with the kids and let t he guys have all the fun? No, no no, I did not drive 7 hours to chicken out and hold my kids away from a new experience. The next moring, we were going to conquer that mountain!

Next morning…

The plan was to wake up early (which didn’t happen-blame it on the rum) and get our breakfast at the famous Bake Shop before heading over to the ski rental office. Apparently everyone in Girdwood had the same brilliant idea. We struggled to find parking at the bakery, waiting for ages for our food, then waited another 2 hours for our ski rentals. you live you learn right? So learn from my mistakes–

When skiing at a resort do the following morning routine:

1.) Wake up early.

2.) Grab ski rentals FIRST

3.) Breakfast SECOND

4.) Free to either take a nap (as my kids were ready for) or push on.

Nonetheless, our breakfast at the Bake Shop was delicious. The Bake Shop is a cute little hippy bakery located just behind the ski lodge at the base of the mountain. It is actually connected to a larger building housing many other popular restaurants including the infamous Sitzmark Bar. The Bake Shop served up some of the best heart warming-omelettes, potatoes au-gratin, Artisan’s bread, and Espresso that I have ever had. They are also famous for their giant butterilk cinnamon rolls. Its atmosphere and food has a very organic, home-grown feel to it that is both comforting and wholesome. I Can’t think of a better way to start/end a long day skiing than at the Bake Shop.

Breakfast at The Bake Shop

After eating breakfast and finally receiving our skies, we headed up the mountain. The guys took off towards the top of the mountain as both kids and I headed for the bunny hill. The bunny hill had a cool conveyor belt built into the ground that allowed skiers to simply step onto it and be taken to the top. It was then that I remembered when my twin sister busted her tail-bone after falling off the wooden/plastic lift line on the old bunny hill. Incidences such as that probably prompted management to improve their lift equipment-and so they did. After the three of us figured out how walk straight in skiis, we needed to figure out how we were going to get down the hill together. I did not want my 4 year old plummeting down the hill terrified as I was at his age. I placed Gigi between my legs wight our poles bundled in front of our hips serving as a handle for both her and Bradleywho was on my immediate right. They learned the importance of making a “pizza shape” and shifting weight on either leg to turn directions. They had a blast and all of the other moms on the hill gave me props for teaching not only one kid, but TWO KIDS SIMULTANEOUSLY how to ski. It was so much fun and after a handful of trips, both kiddos were ready to pass out. This meant that we would beat the guys to having lunch and beers at the Sitzmark. Yayy!!

Giana passed out on restaurant chairs

The Sitzmark Ski Lodge/Bar was packed so it took awhile to get a table and collect enough empty chairs for everyone in our group. Two very popular items on the appetizer menu of the Sitzmark are the Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip served with warm bread and the Nachos. They are both decently priced and generously proportioned. Four people can easily eat off of just two orders just under $25.00. We recognized 4 people from our hometown and mingled for awhile. There were a couple of pin-ball machines for kids to play with and a stage set up for the rock/acoustic concert playing later that evening for a small cover charge of $5.00. What a fun atmosphere.

Sitzmark Ski Lodge/Bar

Sitzmark stage for regular concerts

After downing some “liquid courage”, I accepted the invitation to join the guys towards the top of the mountain. I was a little shaky after nearly being shoved off a cliff by a girl who had lost control and slid down the mountain at full speed. After a coupld runs, it became fun again and my 4 year old asked to go up in the “ride” too (referring to the chair lift). We said yes and waited for him to start panicking but he didn’t. We didn’t take him to the top of the mountain. At the first run, I placed him between my legs as we had practiced on the bunny hill and had him hand on tight to the ski poles/hand bar in front of him. He loved it and started yelling “Wahoo, Wahoo, I love this mommy!” Three runs later, it was Bradley and I that grabbed the Last Chair of the Day, meaning we were the last two people to ride the chair lift up the mountain. Next, we headed back to our little ski cabin, ordered some pizzas from Dominos down the road, and took a nice long soak in the hot tub. What a relaxing way to finish the day. I had succeeded in conquering my fear of the mountain, teaching our kids a new skill, and having a good time.

Family on ski lift-Bradley's first time

We had such a great time that we plan on heading back up to Alyeska Resort with the rest of our family again this Spring. I’ll keep you posted. In retrospect, there are:

A Few Suggestions for Skiing with Little Kids:

1.) Make the kids take bathroom breaks-Bradley told us he didn’t have to go and later peed in his snow pants.

2.) Dress in thin layers and bring extra gloves-It’s easy to get overheated when physically exerting, and the first thing to get wet/cold is your face and hands…Also, kids may benefit from bibbed snow pants that don’t allow snow to get up inside of the jacket.

3.) Bring a sled/toboggan to haul the kids and equipment from the rental office to the chair lift. It’s exhausting dragging them and the equipment up the hill. You can easily leave your cheap sled/toboggan outside the Sitzmark Bar/Lodge where everyone else leaves their belongings.

4.) Bring a short knotted rope that the kids can hold onto. This way, once you get them set up on the skis, you can easily navigate them to the lift/conveyor belt.

5.) Don’t feel crazy for wanting to teach your kids how to ski at a young age. Some hard-core skiers and Olympic Champions have demonstrated that children can learn how to ski as soon as they can walk. Also, there’s a lot of ski equipment available online designed to help make skiing easier for kids. Products such as leashes and ski tip connectors ($15) help kids maintain the perfect V-shape with their skis.

More Pictures….

shot of ski lifts

shot of powder

Tomorrow I will attend the memorial service of my Great-Aunt Theresa, my maternal grandmother’s oldest sister. Theresa was born in 1907… she would have been 104 next month. One hundred four years old. That boggles my mind! The things that she has seen in her lifetime must have boggled her mind at times… a mind, by the way, that was sharp until shortly before she passed. I did not know my Great-Aunt well, but the times we spent together were always good. I was always in awe of her… not in a frightened way, but in a fascinated way.

The year Aunt Theresa was born, UPS was founded in Seattle, WA, it cost 2 cents to mail a letter, and Hershey’s Kisses were invented. She was born before WWI, and was probably old enough to have memories of the news of it.

I was talking to a 20-something girl the other day, and she was sounding all kinds of impressive that she could remember when we didn’t have texting. I told her I could remember when cell phones were the size of bricks, when we didn’t have cell phones, and even when we didn’t have cordless phones–so to take a phone call, we actually had to stand right next to the phone. As young mothers, my friends and I were grateful when we could get really long cords so we could talk on the phone and still check on our kids and do the dishes and other chores. That girl I was telling all this to was amazed! lol. But Aunt Theresa saw the progression from most homes not having a phone to most people keeping a phone in their pocket.

She saw the progression from computers not even being a glimmer in any scientist’s eye to computers in the home to computers in most homes to many people have a computer on that phone in their pocket. When she was a child, it took several days for a letter to cross the country. Now, when someone writes a letter, it arrives in a couple days. Most of us, however, do our written communication by email, which can be instant when both parties are at their computer. My daughter talks to her friends on Skype.

In the early 1900’s women stayed home to take care of their husbands and children. Couples didn’t question whether they would choose to have a child. No mother would choose to feed her baby from a bottle. There was no instant way to “throw something together” for dinner. Meals were made purposefully, and meal gatherings were an expression of love. Bread was made by hand. Many homes had a garden–families ate fresh food in the summer, and they put up food for the winter months.

I don’t know if my great grandparents had a radio in their home when Great-Aunt Theresa was a girl, but I’m listening to streaming radio on my computer as I write this. When I go for a run, I’ll listen to music on my iPod.

A couple weeks ago, I was explaining to my daughter that it’s only been recently that we would just drive up to the curb to pick someone up or drop someone off at the airport. When I was a girl, and even through my teen years, airport drop-off and pick-ups were a family affair… a real event. The entire family would go. We would park in parking lot, we would all walk into the airport together, and then we would all wait at the gate… whether it was to see our loved one to the plane and wait until the plane would pull away, or it was to wait with joyful anticipation for the plane to land and our loved one to walk through that doorway. And no one would wear jeans on a plane; it was a dress-up affair. Also, plane tickets cost more when I was in high school than they do now. She thought it was pretty strange. However, we can hop on a plane whenever we choose. Just 4 years before Aunt Theresa was born, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their historic flight.

In many ways, the world was a much safer place. When I was a kid, we’d go outside to play and not come in till it was dark and mothers were flashing to porch lights to call us in. I’m sure it was the same when Aunt Theresa was a girl. Kids always walked wherever they needed to go, and no one worried about whether they would make it safely to school, the neighbors’ house, the store, or wherever they were heading.

When Great-Aunt Theresa was a girl, there were some very scary diseases that killed many. No one under the age of 60 has seen a case of smallpox, most people under the age of 40 don’t have the smallpox vaccination scar on their upper arm, and a case has not been seen on the planet since at least 1980. Helen Keller was left blind and deaf as a result of scarlet fever. Started in the 1940’s, the Centers for Disease Control have worked to cure and prevent many diseases.

As I sit and write this on my computer, I can easily go back and correct mistakes. I will (hopefully) not post this until I have caught and corrected any mistakes… and everything I write is saved on “the cloud” forever, as far as we know. If Great-Aunt Theresa kept a journal, is was with a pencil or pen in a bound book.

What about you? What have you seen in your lifetime that fascinates you? What was common in your childhood that is unknown or amazing to children today? Is there someone in your life who has lived a long, blessed life? I encourage you to spend time with that person, record some of their stories, enjoy the richness that comes from a life well lived.

Thank you for joining me today. I appreciate the gift of your time.

http://cristianocaffieri.com

Besides the classes I enjoyed, I also enjoyed meeting people. I did not walk away with as many new relationships as I anticipated. I did make some new friends, though. One new friend is a friend of my sister’s from the tax world. We walked up and down the strip a couple nights. Especially the first night, I was such a tourist. I walked most of the way with my mouth open and looking up at all the tall buildings and the bright lights. Because I wasn’t watching the path before me, I stumbled into a few people, but no one seemed to mind or even notice. We saw a couple of outdoor (free) shows. I really enjoyed getting to walk in the warm outdoors after the long days of sitting in the cold (air-conditioned) conference rooms… and I really enjoyed the company.

Almost every restaurant I went into was wonderful about my soy intolerance. The staff was willing to talk to the chefs in detail about what I could and could not eat. They were even willing to make substitutions when necessary. I was able to eat good, healthy food all week (I was happy to find, the morning after I arrived home, that I hadn’t gained an ounce). We stayed at Caesar’s Palace (the site of the conference), and so we ate most of our meals there. I freely recommend Munchbar (http://www.munchgroup.com/vegas/) and Payard (
http://www.payard.com/
).

This leads to the point of the title of my post today. Payard sells a Flourless Chocolate Cookie that is absolutely amazing… and completely soy free!! I cannot begin to express my joy at this. I ate a cookie every day I was in Vegas, and I brought a dozen home with me. Having found their website, I will most likely have them delivered to my home on a regular basis.

I believe that many things that happen in Vegas really should stay in Vegas. However, I just had to bring a bit of it home with me.

I would like think I’ve lived my life in that way (or at least am starting to). I’ve told myself to embrace change rather than fight it, not matter how terrified I truly may be. There are moments I actually thrive on it. I even found that God has a tendency to bring a masterpiece out of those moments.

A dear friend and mentor from back “home” told me the following shortly my most recent move to Minneapolis: “I knew few people with as much courage as you posess…” It’s such a blessing to have friends who live out God’s Word (Ephesians 4:29, for example) and are able to touch lives, miles away.

In my first week here, I’m still amazed by the difference between true followers of Christ, those who claim to be Christian and yet don’t live the life and non-believers. People have asked why I moved here (probably wondering why with the winter Minneapolis just experienced) as if I had never experienced snow before. I answer them with the real answer. I’m not here for just a job…God has called me to so much more than that. True followers think it’s great. Others…not so much and seem to think I’ll judge them based on their actions and shove religion down their throats.

I’ve only been in the Twin Cities area a little over a week now and have seen/experienced all of these responses. The hurt and pain I’ve seen make me ache for them. Jesus doesn’t call His people to scrutinize and judge those around them. I grew up with that — I know what it is to be judged the moment you walk in the door…whether it be by your appearance or the different way one chooses to live their life…until the moment you leave. I know…I’ve been there.

And it’s one way I refuse to live. Following Christ is not another religion on the list of world religions. It’s a relationship. One that liberates us from the world we live in…the bondage of sin…and offers the peace, strength and joy needed to live out our daily lives and the boldness to spread the gospel of His word…His Story.

I refuse to be reduced to our culture’s stereotype of what a Christian is and will choose to walk in love; to live in such a way that makes others stand up and take notice…and ask why.

Who am I to judge? Who is anyone for that matter?

I see this entire opportunity as one “daring adventure.” And I am so glad that I’m not traveling this road alone.

Related text: Galatians 5

Guess I’ll see you on the flipside. I’ll make sure to bring home lots of snapshots and slices of life.