England Top 10

Since I've been home, people have been asking me about my trip: How was it? What was the best?

I seem unable to answer the first question with anything but superlatives: amazing, wonderful, spectacular, life-changing.

The other thing I am unable to do is answer the second question the same way twice. Every day it seems, I remember something different as the best. There are so many great stories from this trip, so I might be blogging a few of them, but I thought I'd start with a top 10 list. I'm working on some projects that will get my fun photos on display in places I can enjoy them every day. One such project requires that I pick my favorite 18 images. Every time I try to narrow it down, I can't do it! So I thought I'd make an attempt at a top 10 list from my trip.

1. Wicked. Truly spectacular! I don't go to the theater often, and other than London or New York, I'm not sure it would make my travel wish list. I. Loved. Every. Minute. Note. Costume. Character. I LOVED The Wizard of Oz film when I was a kid, watching it over and over and over, so to see Wicked was something I will remember for a long, long time. And I will never, ever see the original again without seeing it completely differently. Oh, Elphaba! If only I had known. Loved, loved, loved it.

2. The London Eye. The Eye hadn't been built when I was in London before, so it was a must on my list. Never  have 30 minutes gone so quickly! The day I went up, I had already seen snow twice, so I felt especially lucky to go up during an interval in the day with plenty of sun. I loved seeing the London skyline from above, and I was completely fascinated by watching the wheel in action and seeing how it worked.

3. Evensong at Westminster Abbey. This was pure loveliness, and I loved it so much I went twice. (I also went to Evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral, but I enjoyed it more at Westminster Abbey.) In a building as majestic as this, it is hard to not think of God's greatness; I think this was the point of such giant churches. I loved the beautiful choir, the reading of Psalms, and time to sit in this beautiful place, hearing God's beautiful words and reflecting on my life.

4. Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers at The National Gallery. When The National Gallery went on the list of things I must do, I confess: it was because of Claude Monet's Waterlilies. When I was in London before, the famous Monet was off display for cleaning or on loan or something - I forget! But it was the Sunflowers that captivated me more. Not that I overlooked Canaletto, Renoir, Pissarro or Degas, the temporary exhibit of Frederic Edwin Church, and dozens more amazing paintings.

5. The Underground. I'm pretty sure it was living in London before when I fell in love with public transportation, and I've been enamored of it every since. It's a crazy thing for a girl to love, but that colorful map is so cool, and this idea that you can just hop on and hop off and get anywhere you need to go without a car. On this trip, I also traveled by train and bus quite often, and enjoyed them all, along with the all-important advice to "Mind the Gap!"

6. Windsor Castle. What's not to love about wandering around a real castle, especially one where the Queen herself lives sometimes? As a added bonus, I got my picture taken with a royal guard.

7. The Tower of London. So much history like "this is where Anne Boleyn was beheaded!" and interesting fun facts, like learning the reason a pound is called a pound. The Crown Jewels were spectacular. I went to the Tower before when I was in London, and I confess, it was the Crown Jewels that lured me back! But as we walked around the Tower of London, we just kept saying "this is SO cool!" The icing on the cake was that although it was rainy when we got there (of COURSE it was!), the sun came out later, and we enjoyed brilliant views of Tower Bridge.

8. The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour. I know, I know. Go to England with all it's culture and history, and visit the Harry Potter tour? Absolutely! As a fan of the series, it was so  much fun to see how the stories were brought to life in the movies through sets, costumes, art, design, and more. Like so many of my favorite things about this trip, it was a chance to see beautiful things. I spent hours soaking up the details. On the other hand, I spent mere minutes enjoying my Butterbeer as it was literally freezing outside!

9. The Three Horseshoes. One Sunday, the biggest adventure of the day was a walk to the local pub, a favorite of my friends, for dinner and a pint. I'm 1000% positive that beer tastes better after a long walk on a brisk day, because I have not enjoyed a beer that much in a long, long time. I also enjoyed the very tasty fish and chips, the lovely walk home along the local canal, and the fact that the pub has been around since 1535.

10. Days of Rest. I knew when I planned this trip that most of all, it was rest I most needed. Yes, I wanted to revisit London for the first time after living there. Yes, I wanted to see amazing sights, and have new experiences. Yes, I wanted to take a bazillion pictures. But mostly, I wanted a VACATION. I wanted to do all those other things, and not come home needing a vacation from my vacation. There was plenty of down time on this trip. I read a book. I printed pictures of my vacation before I got home. I watched movies. I wrote in a journal about my trip. I enjoyed time with friends. It was soooooo good.

Speaking of friends, I can't say enough good things about  my hosts Nathaniel & Dean. I met Nathaniel almost two years ago when I started a new job, and started working with him. He moved to England exactly 3 days after we met, but we work together a lot and over time have become really good friends. Not only did he invite me over to England to visit, but he and Dean took such good care of me while I was there, making me feel welcome well before I arrived, and at home the minute I arrived. Friends, thank you - again and again and again - for your hospitality, because that made everything on this list possible. I'm so glad we're friends, and your kindness and hospitality will never be forgotten.

30 days of blogging, day 8: A place I've traveled to

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park, January 2007.

This was place I most enjoyed when I visited Hawaii, because it was so peaceful.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 10 | Home Stretch (and one more National Park)

First thing this morning - well, after a yummy hometown breakfast! - we drive through Zion National Park. Again, every turn was just amazing! One of the most interesting things at this park is a very long tunnel through the rock walls of the canyon. This photo was taken at a roadside turnout just below the tunnel. The "window" in the rock is a vent for the tunnel. 

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 9 | 3 National Parks

I've driven through Southern Utah before, but only on the interstate, and had never seen the National Parks in the area. Today was one of those days when literally every bend in the highway revealed a new panorama of beauty. It was another 100+ picture day, these are just a small sample.

Arches National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

We pulled into Bryce Canyon as the sun was setting, and had just a few moments to snap photos before it was too dark. For all the stops, really, I was left wanting to see more of the stunning landscape.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 8 | Time to Head Home

The reunion ended this morning, and so began the trip home, which turned out to be an adventure in itself, for all the right reasons. The drive started with another trip through the park over Trail Ridge road, and then south and west heading into Grand Junction, CO. At the top of the ridge, there is one stop where you can hike up on the tundra, and climb on a few rocks, from which there is a 360-degree view of the Rockies that is completely breathtaking. This photo was taken at what felt like the top of the world. At the left of the photo is Trail Ridge Summit, and on the right in the distant background is Long's Peak.

One other car from the family was also headed west, and as it turned out we all stayed in Grand Junction, so we got to enjoy one more evening together. We ate dinner at Famous Dave's and played a round of Ticket to Ride.


-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 7 | Cousin Time

There were 8 of 9 cousins present from my generation at this reunion, and one of them, David, wrote a song for each of his 5 cousins at the reunion (2 others that were present are his siblings.) On the the last night, we cousins surprised him in return with our own tribute to David. I hope to get the lyrics to each of the songs at some point so I can post those, too. Here we are serenading David, from left: Danny, Gene, me, Gene's wife Barb, Jane, Jane's husband Zach with Kai on his shoulders, Ray and Ray's wife Genevieve.

Just after the week's last serenade, all 8 of the cousins in the next generation were lined up on the couch for a photo. From left to right, oldest to youngest, is: Mark (5), Lily (3), Julia (2), Jaelyn (2), Charlie (19 months), Kai (14 months), Cordae (10 months) and Samuel (5 months): 

Also on this day, 12 of us tackled what was probably the most adventurous activity: white-water rafting. No photos of that yet, those were taken on a waterproof film camera, and aren't developed yet!

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 6 | Family Day

Today was a more mellow day. Nearly everyone spent some time in town shopping, and our family had lunch together at Poppy's, where we enjoyed the exact same gourmet pizza choice. Like many of the mornings, we enjoyed a big breakfast together, today, I cooked almond french toast - one of our family favorites.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 5 | Bicycle Beer Tour

Yes, that's exactly what you think it is: ride a bicycle to a local brewery, sample the beer, repeat! It was about 95 degrees in Fort Collins on Tuesday, so that cold beer was REALLY good. We had lunch at our first stop at Coopersmith's, then on to New Belgium, home of Fat Tire beer. Most of the group went on to a third stop, but I'd had enough, and figured I better not drink any more before riding the 5 miles back to my cousin's house. She and her husband borrowed enough bikes for all 13 of us to ride, including two tandem bicycles. that's my cousin Dan at the right of the photo. His shirt says "Made in California" - but he wasn't.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 4 | Family Pictures and Rocky Mountain National Park

Today's post requires two photos! All the family present in CO went to Lily Lake for family pictures, all wearing matching t-shirts: 2010 Ligtenberg Family Reunion Colorado. Notice David on the far left is out of uniform - he forgot to pack his khaki shorts. Baby Samuel, the youngest family member, missed out on this photo op as it was naptime.

After Lily Lake, my family took a drive up into Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous road in the U.S. This is just one of the amazing sights, a herd of elk. I took a couple hundred photos today, most of them featuring the gorgeous mountains and perfect blue sky. Swoon.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 3 | Stanley Hotel

We took a walk today around the grounds of the Stanley hotel.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 2 | Arriving in Estes Park

Started the day with doughnuts at Lamar's in Fort Collins, then headed up into the mountains, arriving at Estes Park which will be home base for the next week. We had lunch in town and did a little shopping before checking in. This is the view arriving into Estes Park, and the first of many, many photos I took of the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Colorado Vacation Day 1 | Charlie's first plane ride

Here begins a series of photo-a-day posts of my recent vacation to Colorado. Day 1 was travel to Denver by plane with my brother, sister-in-law and my nephew Charlie. It was his first flight, and he liked the takeoff! About 5-10 minutes after this, he fell asleep for about half the flight.

My parents picked me up at Denver, and we headed to Costco to stock up on food for the week, then to Fort Collins where we met my cousins for an ice cream dessert.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

Penny wise, pound foolish is one of my pet peeves. Drives me crazy when other people do it. This week, I drove myself crazy with this folly.

Last week while on vacation, my cell phone sustained some damage. Let's just say it's very, very clean. Because it went through the clothes washer. And dryer. That's how I learned it had gone through the washer, actually, when my friends and I determined that "funny noise" coming from the dryer was actually my cell phone. You can imagine the exclamation that went through my head at this point.

Sadly, my first thought was that I was never, ever going to live this down, since this is actually the second time I've drowned a phone on vacation. Last time it was snorkeling in Hawaii. Seriously, as I was leaving for vacation, one of my friends reminded me to check my pockets before going swimming. Remarkably, although salt water completely fried the last phone, this laundered phone was actually working the next morning.

After another day or two, it became clear that the phone was going to be just fine but the battery was toast. Well, that's livable, right? Sure it is. As long as it's convenient to always be within 5 feet of an outlet when you want to talk on the phone. Or if you want to spend more on a replacement battery than you did on the phone to start with.

Here's where I got crabby. My phone was free, but prices to replace the battery started at $40 from the cell phone company. Online, I could find a relative bargain price of $6-13, plus shipping. The highest price was $50, and that salesperson recommended I contact my provider to see if I was eligible for upgrade. So I stopped by the nearest giant electronics store and found a $20 battery.

Here's the foolish part: I didn't buy it on the spot. I agonized over parting with $20. Big time. I failed to see that the cost of not spending $20 was significant inconvenience. I was irritated by the crazy pricing and marketing in our culture that means this is not the only situation where it's cheap to make an initial purchase but any small necessities later are astronomically priced to make up for it.

Sheepishly, I returned to the store the next day and bought the $20 battery. I wrestled open the package with my car key and installed the battery into my phone. Much better.

Our family is about to upgrade to new phones, so I hated to spend $20 to keep mine functioning for another week or two, but since it does function... at least I have a backup phone for the next time - heaven forbid - something happens to my phone.

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Vacation: Michigan

The vacation continues with a week in Michigan. This week, I spent my time meeting friends for a meal, or just hanging out in real time to catch up life. There weren't really any huge events or landmarks visited, just simple pleasures shared with good friends.

This is the kind of post that I write just so I can remember everything... feel free to come along for the ride!

MONDAY

Rain today in MI, like in IL yesterday. I kind of forgot that it rains in the midwest in the summer. Ooops!! Oh, well, I won't melt (as my mother was fond of saying when I was a kid.) When the weather cleared in the afternoon, my friend Sarah and I loaded up her kids and headed over to Calvin College for a walk around campus. It was amazing how strong the memories returned as I walked among and through those familiar buildings! Other Calvin-ites will recognize this spot:

After our walk around the familiar campus, Sarah took me to the Grand Traverse Pie Company, a new addition to 28th Street, for pie and cherry coffee. Yumm!!

TUESDAY

Enjoyed a leisurely lunch and wander through Meijer Gardens this afternoon with my friend Ruth, a former co-worker. The Gardens have become a favorite, it seems that every time I'm in town, I meet her there!

Later, I met friends Dave, Beth and their almost 1-year-old Jonah for dinner. Sadly, I completely forgot to take a picture (how did that happen??) but I really enjoyed meeting Jonah for the first time and the tour of their first vegetable garden. I really enjoyed the fresh zucchini for dinner!

WEDNESDAY

This is where things got a little busy trying to squeeze in as much as possible! And, it would seem, when I forgot to use my camera. A friend from Florida, Jon, happened to be in town also, and we managed to meet for breakfast, an unexpected surprise!

Later, I drove out to Ada to meet other former co-workers Phyllis and Twila for lunch, then wandered around at Baker Publishing to say hi to many, many others and see what's changed since I left 6 years ago. I'm sure I will forget somebody in this list, but it was great to talk with Sara, Debbie, Nathan, Dan, Pat, Kristin, Kara, BJ and Steve.

In the evening, I went to Holland Tunnel Park with Sarah, Kevin and kiddos and met Beth & Joe there also. And of course, what trip to the beach is complete without a stop at:


THURSDAY

... started early with a walk and breakfast with Tracie, then an afternoon with Kathy & Jeff and kiddos. Again, no pictures, but a relaxing day just catching up with friends!! After dinner, I headed out to Grand Haven to Rob & Joanna's to spend the next two nights.

FRIDAY

On Wednesday at the beach, the lake was calm and still and made for perfect swimming conditions for the kids in the group. Today, strong winds were blowing in, creating surf and waves bigger than I think I've ever seen on the lake! The waves were crashing over the Grand Haven pier and sometimes splashed as high as the lighthouse out at the end. Joanna and I braved the wind for a walk out to the beach to take a look. Joanna took this photo for me, one of my favorites from the whole trip!


After getting completely windblown, I met my friend Heather for lunch. Heather and I used to work together, and we were roommates for a year. She picked the Kirby Grill, where we mutually agreed to indulge in the Goat Cheese Fondue.

In the evening, we enjoyed a Grand Haven tradition - Pronto Pups (kind of like a corn dog) - and an ice cream social. Unfortunately, an error in the local paper meant that Joanna and I missed the Musical Fountain, and an lapse of brain cells on my part means that although I had my camera with me a lot, I forgot to get a photo of Joanna or her family, which is a big bummer. Hopefully they will still send me a Christmas card, and then I'll have one!

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

Saturday morning I left GH for Holland, and spent the weekend hanging out with Beth & Jeff and Beth's family. I had lunch with her and her sisters, then we did some shopping and later her parents hosted dinner for everyone. I spent a lot of time with Beth's family during college, and it's always so fun to see them all!

Sunday we went to church at Mars Hill and then had lunch at Culver's with Jeff's brothers and some friends. The food was super-yummy despite me not getting to have my favorite Cheese Curds, they were unavailable due to a recall. In the evening, I was able to connect with Sarah & Joel, who I met when they lived in CA for several years and now live in Holland, just a 15 minute walk from Beth's house!

Beth and I haven't spent so much time together since we were last roommates in 2003, so I'm afraid that we were pretty silly at times, and her husband could do nothing but roll his eyes and laugh at us. We had a great time, though, and even squeezed in a late-night trip to Me*jer.

Here's a fun photo of our goofy selves... right before this was taken, we were exchanging rapid-fire instant messages with each other and therefore laughing a LOT. Jeff just kept looking across at us like we were crazy, and then became convinced when he found out that we were having an electronic conversation while sitting in the same room.


And a last snapshot on Monday before I got on the train to head back to Chicago. I hate goodbyes. But you know you have a good friend when they get up at 0'dark-thirty to bring you to the train station. :)

--
Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Vacation: Girls Weekend!

For most of the last 10 years - as in all the years since college - a group of my girlfriends has been talking about planning a girls getaway together. Finally, we did it. Not perfectly, since there were a couple faces missing we would have loved to see, but it was a good start.

For me, this weekend kicked off a long vacation between my summer job and my fall classes. It was wonderful to enjoy many hours of girl talk, some shopping, great food (including my favorite Gino's East pizza!) and some of the sights in downtown Chicago.

I love getting to see the famous Cloud Gate sculpture (AKA "the bean") in downtown's Milleniumm Park.

My friend Sarah took this photo of me with the cityscape in the background.

And here's all of us, after enjoying a yummy dinner & dessert at Claim Jumper. From left: Sarah, me, Sarah, Annie, and... Sarah. Yes, really, 3 of the 5 girls are named Sarah!!

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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

How are you? No, WHO are you?

You might think from the title that this post was about someone who called the wrong number in the middle of the night. But it's not.

Or maybe it was a random call from one of those poor souls who feed their families by working as telemarketers.... Nope. Not that either.

Instead, I talked by phone this week with a friend from high school that I'm pretty sure I haven't even seen since we walked down the aisle to Pomp & Circumstance in our blue gowns and mortarboards. The title words were hers and they were exactly right: after this many years, we don't really know each other anymore. But we're about to find out, because I'm going to meet up with her in a couple weeks when I happen to be in her city.

Her question has really made me think these last few days. Who am I really? What's different about me since high school...? Since college...? Since I moved to California 6 years ago? What's different about me since last week?

I am not good at answers to these kinds of questions on the spot. This is why I fear interviews. I can always think of good answers to questions with time, so if I can anticipate the questions, all is well. Out of the blue? I come up with the perfect answer approximately the next Wednesday. But the good questions do percolate in my mind.

This one's been fun to think about. I may have a few things to say about the answers ... when I get around to figuring out what they are.

-- Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

HOW far?

I just got home from a fabulous weekend in the Bay Area. I'm exhausted, but it was so worth it. I got to play in the park and go out for yogurt with Luke & Lucy. I visited San Francisco. I went boating on a lake with some of the greatest friends a girl could ask to grow up with. My good friend was the guest speaker at church on Sunday. I had a delightful and indulgent dinner with my cousin at The Cheesecake Factory. It was a jam-packed, so it's no wonder I can't seem to keep my eyes open!

I even managed to bring home a souvenir that also managed to fill a hole in my wardrobe. You see, for literally MONTHS I've been trying to find a basic zip-up hoodie sweatshirt. For months before that, I kept telling myself I would eventually want a San Diego State hoodie badly enough to fork over $60. (Yes, $60. Ridiculous.)

Well, guess what. Despite the fact that even in California, sweatshirts are necessity year-round, I haven't been able to find one. But this I know: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" is a reputation gained honestly. For uninitiated tourists, the shops of Fisherman's Wharf are happy to help you out with a modestly priced sweatshirt, fleece or windbreaker. No sarcasm, either. For a $17.99 plus tax, I went home with a warm & fuzzy sweatshirt that I will probably wear until it falls apart. I didn't really fly 500 miles just for a sweatshirt, but as desperate as I was getting... it wasn't entirely out of the question.

As for the reputation of the city being cold in the summer, it was doing its best to change it's image the day we were there: sunny with a nice breeze. I even got a little sunburned. It was wonderful.























This is the only photo I have of the weekend, which my friend Sara took with her iPhone. She also - and this is proof of her friendship - served as my fashion consultant while keeping two kids occupied in the touristy store that was decidedly not kid-friendly. Thanks, Sara! Loved our day, and our weekend, together.

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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

The longest day of the year

Monday was the first day of summer and the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Yesterday, the sun went behind the hills a few minutes before 8:00 pm here in San Diego. As I looked out the window and enjoyed the view for a moment, I was remember the longest day of the year during a summer that I think was 10 years ago. Maybe 11.*

I lived in Michigan then, and it was my second summer there. I still consider it a great injustice that I survived five very cold, snowy and long Winters followed by five still-cold, mushy, gray Springs in Michigan before I experienced my first glorious, green, amazing Summer there. Ah, summer. But back to the real story.

One of the glorious things about summer is that daylight just lasts forever. Seriously. Sunsets around 9:30 pm were something I had never before experienced, and it was just awesome. I guess it's a perk received as you go farther north, that one gets more daylight hours in summer in trade for a shorter warm season. Did I mention the five long, cold winters?

So that summer, I decided that the only suitable way to mark the official start of summer and the longest day of the year was to drive out to the beach, put my toes in the sand and watch the sunset. With friends. And wine. Really, it was wonderful. So wonderful that I imagined I would make it a tradition and do it every year.

Somehow, it did not become a tradition. If I did it again once or twice, I don't at all remember it. I live about the same distance from a beach now as I did then, and I haven't done this once since relocating to California six years ago. Maybe the magic is lessened by six years of nearly perpetual summer and no snow, but I think it's just forgetfulness because I still think that sunsets are the greatest show on earth.

So magical, that I often fail to notice them, despite the view from the beautiful place I call home. Here's a little piece of magic from tonight.


* Correction: the official scrapbook has been checked, and this was actually only 8 years ago, in 2001.
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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Frequent Flyer

Recently I realized that it's been more than a year since I've been on an airplane. This is rather unusual for me. I love traveling and usually find myself compelled to get out of town at least a couple times a year. I guess I've been sort of distracted by a little thing called grad school.

However, that being the case, I have some flexibility this summer and I blocked out two full weeks for a vacation in August. In January, I plan to be back to work full-time, so for at least a short while after that, I will have less flexibility (read: vacation time) and I therefore decided there's no time like the present.

So I bought plane tickets.

And then I panicked.

What on earth am I doing spending hundreds of dollars on plane tickets on my budget? Am I crazy?

In a conversation with a friend, I told her I was having buyer's remorse over my non-refundable purchase. Being the good friend she is, she talked me out of it. The regret, that is. I had already explained to her that my plans included traveling to three states to visit family and good friends. She pointed out that by choosing to spend my money to invest in people and relationships, I was investing in something good.

With that... a weight lifted, and the vacation planning fun begins. :)
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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Zoo!

I never do this much exploring in my own back yard, so I'm exhausted! But I sure had fun wandering around the zoo looking at the animals.

This little guy is such a sweetie, and we had a great time together during his family's visit. Aaron, I enjoyed every minute of our precious time together, and I dread thinking about how much bigger you are going to get before I get to hold and cuddle you again!














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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/