And then, Arlington.

"The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission."


Not to jump on the whole "Cemetery are cool!" bandwagon (no emo here!) but like wow, Arlington surpasses cool by a lot! Partly because I was with fabulous friends (shout out to the bb's uptop!) but also because when you see the massive amount of graves, and visualize the people buried there, the sacrifice people have made for our nation (for you! for me!) becomes so undeniably amazing. Freedom is a very costly thing.

"We will always remember,

We will always be proud,

We will always be prepared, 

so that We may always be free."

ON BEING A MAKER

Some number of years ago (like, maybe one) I was reading a blog (how rare!) and it wasn't anything special. Then the words flew of the screen and hit me soundly and it was like I was finally able to vocalize something that I always knew existed, but couldn't find the words for.

In other words, I'm dramatic.

It was something along the lines of....

I AM NOT A MUSICIAN, BUT I MAKE MUSIC.

I AM NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER, BUT I TAKE PHOTOS

I AM NOT AN ARTIST, BUT I DRAW AND PAINT.

I AM NOT A WRITER, BUT I WRITE ALL THE SAME.

And to me, that is so perfect and so so true. I am a maker through and through. I make messes. I make people laugh. I make jokes (some epic, some equally not.) I make cakes and cookies and paper flowers and strum lame versions of over the rainbow.

I am a maker.

That alone changed my perspective on art and photography and napkin origami, everything! Because I realized that a perfectly honed skill isn't my goal. It's creating and getting messy and all that wonderful jazz.

So then, my art! You wonder where that puts me. Let me inform you, I'm somewhere in between happily dysfunctional / two year old let loose with crayons. Does that make any sense?

Here's to creating our best work, Whether you be an artist, a maker or a dedicated selfie taker.

"I found that I could say things with color 

and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - 

things I had no words for."

Me and my Rachie

To Rachie, who doesn't even know my blog exists (and probably never will!) (thus, I can be as sappy as I want!) To Rachie, my complete opposite. To Rachie, my instructor in all things hugging and snuggling (hashtag, huggling!). To Rachie, for making me laugh always and putting up with thousands of photos (a sign of true friend, I say!)

To Rachie: I LOVE YOU.

Amen!

THE IRRESISTIBLE SALTWATER SUMMER OF MY SOUL

It's not even summer, and I'm already having the most glorious summer of my life!

How's that for great logic?!?

A few months ago I finally donned my first pair of Saltwater Sandals! Needless to say, I could go on and on with pinterest love quotes about these babies. And so I wore them in Italy. I wore them at NC. I wore them in DC. And now, finally home, I'm wearing them in the good old Sunshine State.

People keep noticing (and if they don't, I'm sure to point them out!) my incredible saltwater tan lines. Which on the one hand, I worked on, but on the other hand, they came so fast! And the deeper the lines get, the more drastic the contrast, the more I realize what fun I'm having. Since we're all into metaphors these days (thanks tfios!) let's just say that last year, or any other year, I wouldn't have any saltwater tan lines. (Partly because uh, I didn't own Saltwaters! But mostly because, for the first time in forever, I'm really living!) And let me just say, it feels fabulous to be alive.

So here's to the irresistible saltwater summer of my soul! Fingers crossed that the tan lines intensify due to an increase in sweet, sweet summertime pleasures.

PS: I wasn't kidding....

HEY, MR. LINCOLN

On probably the best day of the trip, I forgot my camera! Typical Kryn fashion. Actually, that's really unusual Kryn fashion, because a camera (in my opinion) is always to be had. So there's a bucket load of iPhone photos to make up for the fact. We toured the monuments and walked forever, but what else is DC for?

(▲▲ selfie in action! there should be a hashtag for that!!!)

Probably our best day in DC! The weather was great, the friends were just right and we got to walk A WHOLE LOT. Which was fine by me, but my feet weren't so thrilled the next day!

TRAVEL MAKETH THOU MODEST

After a mad dash to the bathroom post landing on one of our latest flights, I was stuck in the back of the plane with an older woman and a flight attendant. The older woman began picking her finger nails, and the flight attendant and I struck up a conversation. About Italian pepperoni, the flight time to New Zeland and my obsession with Pinterest.

After talking a bit he asked (more like guessed) if I was a senior! To which I hastily said no and informed him that while technically a sophomore, I am still mentally 8. (Okay, so maybe I left out the last part. We are learning digression in 2nd grade!) He was surprised I was so young. Really? He probed. But you seem so mature! You must have traveled a lot.

And the thing about it is that that silly Delta flight attendant with the French wife and the childhood spent in Bahrain has it right. Because if it's one thing I've learned, travel does make you modest and mature (double m word! don't tell my mommy!). It shows you how small you are in this crazy big world. How insignificant you really are. And while I, OF COURSE, believe everyone is special, it's always good to see that you ain't the only special person on the earth.

As our year of nonstop travels comes to a close, I'm so so so so so (and so on) grateful for the opportunity I have been given. To see the world, take it in, and realize how small I am. My experiences (and by that I mean travels!) have shaped me, and I'm all the better for it. For now though, it's time to settle down and appreciate the beautiful place I live (and love.)

But like he said, travel makes you modest.

When in DC, cupcakes!

Going to cupcake shops is my thang I guess. I say thang instead of thing because I've been running on very little sleep and occasionally even the girliest of girls needs to go gangster, even if it just involves switching an i to an a.

It's the little things in life!

Anyway on our free day, Mary and Shelbie (and I! Of course!) went to Georgetown cupcake! Which in all honesty, has been on my want-to-do-in-DC list for ages. But I'm glad I waited till I had friends because it was so much more fun. I've also decided that Red Velvet is indeed another one of my thangs, because no matter where we go, it's always my first choice!

Red Velvet lovers ahoy! ALSO, props to Mary for being amazing and posing casually amidst the busy buzz of a major cupcake empire!

PS: And for nostalgia sake, the cupcake tag will do wonders for you. And by you I mean, your hips.