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Eat. Pray. Bali.

So, there wasn’t much about Chuck’s and my 6th wedding anniversary trip to Bali that resembled Eat, Pray, Love, but who couldn’t associate the beautiful island with Liz Gilbert’s bestseller, at this point?

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Getting my Pray on at Uluwatu Temple

Bali was a sparkling jewel of an island. If it hadn’t been for some unfortunate happenstance courtesy of China Eastern Airlines – both on the way there and on the way back – it would easily be one of my favorite trips. That said, we had a lovely time and I would surely go again if I had the opportunity… just with a different airline 😉 Continue reading →

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Happy 2017!

This year, I am excited to make my blog more dynamic again. It used to serve as an outlet for any number of different topics or issues on which I could pontificate and ruminate. Since moving to Okinawa, it’s been largely a travelogue.

Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course! I have lots of travel posts to catch up on, in fact. I’ve had many international adventures since Singapore, and will soon share my experiences in Bali, Paris, London, and New Zealand. But, I do miss writing about other things, too – however interesting or mundane. And I don’t like that my writing has gotten rusty.

Now that I have completed my Master’s degree (woohoo!), I should have more time to write again. To reflect. To read for pleasure. To explore new things. To prepare for our next big move, as our time in Okinawa draws to a close…

I am looking forward to sharing what 2017 has to offer, especially since I have no idea what to expect in this transitional time. I am a little nervous, but I also can’t wait  ❤

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Girls Trip to Singapore

IMG_2981When it comes to leisure travel, this year has been remarkably slow. Chuck’s schedule is itinerant, and we haven’t been able to lock anything down. One night, after imbibing a few spirits, I spoke with girl friends about taking a short getaway trip of our own – somewhere the guys wouldn’t miss. Singapore, perhaps? I knew Chuck wasn’t interested in Singapore, but it would offer all the essentials for a cosmopolitan girls trip – food, shopping, dancing, and shining lights! It would provide a glitzy adventure to balance our laid back lives in Okinawa…

My friend Sally agreed to book the trip with me, and we set out on our long weekend adventure full of energy, laughter, and hope. Never mind that we ended it hungover and exhausted, despite our best intentions to avoid such a scenario… but I guess there are some lessons we will just never learn! Continue reading →

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Annie, I need you…

Annie Bean was the cat that everyone liked, even if they typically didn’t like cats. And when I say everyone, I mean that fairly literally. Many people close to me passed through Annie’s life at one point or another, making note of any number of various traits: her laid back demeanor, her pleasantly plump figure, or her sassy self-assuredness, juxtaposed with her surprisingly social and tolerant approach to strangers.  The fact that Annie was so known, liked, and even loved has made her memory that much stronger and the comfort that much greater in her untimely passing.

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An Easter Update

It’s hard to believe that Chuck and I will hit our 2-year mark in Okinawa in just a couple of weeks.  One year left sounds like both a lot of time, and no time at all. Much has been done, and yet there is still so much to do!

I didn’t mean for this blog to turn into a travelogue, in which I only update when I go somewhere exciting. Even if no one ever reads it, I want to look back on it myself and remember all the adventures I had, big and small. So, here’s a quick re-cap of what we’ve been up to since our Thai Holiday, in reverse chronological order.

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Thai Holiday: Phuket

Originally, I had planned for Phuket to be the relaxing part of our vacation. I was thinking a resort with its own beach and everything on-site so that we wouldn’t have to leave if we didn’t want to. The only thing I would schedule was a boat tour of the Phi Phi Islands, which had been on my bucket list for years…

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