tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80175020213026283212024-02-18T19:57:18.744-08:00Angie & RobbieLife is an AdventureAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-21788243179164296232016-08-15T12:13:00.002-07:002016-08-17T18:27:32.620-07:00Missionary Week<div>
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Robbie and I both work with the youth in our ward and it is basically the</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">best job in the world</span>. </div>
We have awesome kids to work with and great leaders that work together to put fun stuff together. It's a dream! One thing that makes it a lot easier though is all the resources we've found. Truth be told, I get a lot of ideas for our Sunday lessons and Wednesday night activities from other people's blogs. We wanted to do a missionary-based activity and found a great starting idea <a href="http://courtneyaitken.blogspot.com/2013/04/mutual-activity-ideacalled-to-serve.html" target="_blank">here</a> and decided to add to it to make a whole week-long Missionary Activity. It went SO well so I figured I'd share the love. </div>
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<b><u>MISSIONARY WEEK</u></b><br />
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We passed out these adorbs invitations to the kids the week before the activity to psych them up and get them jazzed (Thank heavens for crafty friends).<br />
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<u><b>Activity #1 - Intro</b></u></div>
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We opened up on a Wednesday night. We started by talking to the kids about the value of missionary work and how it can change people's hearts, including the missionaries. Then we gave the kids their mission calls. Each kid got a big white envelope with all of the following inside (click links to download files):</div>
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<li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/hcitrk3d4br311x/Mission%20Calls.docx?dl=0" target="_blank">Mission call</a> (a one-week mission to one of the following places):</li>
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<li>Japan, Tokyo Mission (<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/210baks5yhiai3j/Language%20Study%20Japanese.docx?dl=0" target="_blank">Japanese</a>)</li>
<li>Spain, Barcelona Mission (<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/spzmkvur4y0cg41/Language%20Study%20Spanish.docx?dl=0" target="_blank">Spanish</a>)</li>
<li>Thailand, Bangkok Mission (<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/c2g8wi78l52vlwm/Language%20Study%20Thai.docx?dl=0" target="_blank">Thai</a>)</li>
<li>Germany, Frankfurt Mission (<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/gc222r2t1d04hm7/Language%20Study%20German.docx?dl=0" target="_blank">German</a>)</li>
<li>New York, New York North Mission (<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/spzmkvur4y0cg41/Language%20Study%20Spanish.docx?dl=0" target="_blank">Spanish</a>)</li>
<li>Russia, Moscow Mission (<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/8yw9xhktgyb4t5z/Language%20Study%20Russian.docx?dl=0" target="_blank">Russian</a>)</li>
<li>New Zealand, Auckland Mission (English)</li>
<li>Peru, Lima Mission (<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/spzmkvur4y0cg41/Language%20Study%20Spanish.docx?dl=0" target="_blank">Spanish</a>)</li>
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<li><a href="https://www.lds.org/callings/missionary/mission-maps?lang=eng" target="_blank">Map</a> of their mission </li>
<li>Missionary Planner</li>
<li>7 days' worth of <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/9bkw503l14xk9zt/Daily%20Scripture%20Study.docx?dl=0" target="_blank">Scripture Study</a> (with topics and scriptures pulled from Preach My Gospel) </li>
<li>7 days' worth of Language Study (if they are speaking a language). Links above.</li>
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We handed them all out and took turns having the kids read their call one by one (just the first two paragraphs). They got SO into it! It was awesome. There was clapping and hollering after each call was read. It felt almost like a real mission call! Each of the kids had a companion called to the same mission.<br />
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Then they needed some training so our next stop was the Missionary Training Center. We headed to the gym where the kids got their black name tags and then each companionship was put into a district (team). Part 1 of their training was learning practical skills missionaries need. The districts competed against each other in a relay race, covering a lot of the basic skills a missionary needs. Each team member was assigned to a specific task but they couldn't start until they were tagged. The tasks were narrowed down to:</div>
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<li>Iron a collared shirt</li>
<li>Sew on a button</li>
<li>Look up a scripture reference and read it out loud</li>
<li>Make and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich</li>
<li>Tie a tie</li>
<li>Write out and say the name of the church in their mission language (using the board for reference)</li>
<li>Run a lap around the gym (to get in shape for running to catch a bus, of course)</li>
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It was chaos but the best kind of chaos. They killed it! And we miraculously didn't have any injuries, so that's a win. Part 2 of their MTC training was getting comfortable sharing their testimonies. We gave each of them a Book of Mormon. The plan was to give them 5-10 minutes to write their testimony on the inside cover of their Book of Mormon. However, we were running out of time so we asked them to take it home and try to write their testimony in it that night. After they finished all their training, we went back to the small room and talked about the 3 big challenges they were given for the following week of their "mission."</div>
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<b>Challenge #1 - Try to follow the missionary schedule as closely as you can. </b></div>
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Their mission call included our version of their missionary schedule (including wake up times, bed times, and suggestions for study times). The bulk of the day was to be spent serving people, spending quality time with friends and family, and sharing the gospel. They were not banned from watching TV, movies, etc. but were asked to try to focus their time on more positive things when possible. We explained that trying out the schedule would be fun, but the most important parts were doing their daily scripture study and sharing the gospel whenever possible. </div>
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<b>Challenge #2 - Give out one pass along card every day and one Book of Mormon for the week.</b></div>
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The goal of this week is to share the gospel. We talked about giving pass along cards to anyone: grocery cashiers, mailmen, fast food workers, neighbors, friends, etc. The Book of Mormon should be the one they wrote their testimony in and might take a little more thought and planning. </div>
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<b>Challenge #3 - Go out teaching with the full-time missionaries at least once during the week</b></div>
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We had sign-ups for the kids to choose a night to go out with the missionaries (coordinated with the missionaries beforehand). </div>
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The full-time missionaries gave a great spiritual thought encouraging the kids to share the gospel. Then we ended the night with one of our leaders who was a teenage convert sharing her conversion story. It was the perfect ending because she emphasized what a crucial role her peers played in helping her learn about and embrace the gospel when she was a teenager. </div>
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At the very end of the night, we had all the kids there take the classic map picture. Then they went on their way! Watch out for Florence's Army of Helaman!<br />
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<u><b>Activity #2 - Follow-Up</b></u></div>
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Throughout the week we had checked in with the kids and reminded them of their night with the missionaries, etc. We also let them know that we wanted to hear about their experiences the following Wednesday at our activity. </div>
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For the second activity, the kids were asked to dress in missionary attire and wear the name tags that they were given the previous week. After a loud and proud opening song ("Called to Serve"), we opened up the floor and gave them the opportunity to share any experience from the week. They could share anything they wanted (something they learned from their scripture study, vocab they learned in their mission language, an experience giving away a pass along card or Book of Mormon, or anything from their night with the full-time missionaries). We didn't really know how it would go, but it turned out awesome! Some stories were funny, some were serious, but all were meaningful. The kids may not have stuck to the missionary schedule the whole week, but they all made an effort to share the gospel, which was the purpose of the whole activity. We loved sitting and hearing from these hilarious, amazing teens and their experiences and testimonies. </div>
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We ended the night by having two members of the ward share their mission experiences. One sister served in Japan and shared pictures and stories. The kids loved it (especially the two boys that were "called" to Japan). They asked tons of questions and loved hearing her stories. Our second speaker was my sweet. Robbie shared pictures and stories of his mission experiences in Romania. I've got to admit, I was feeling all kinds of nostalgia hearing him talk about Romanian life, food, culture and the hilarious and spiritual experiences that every missionary there gets to experience (for those that don't know, we both served in Romania). Plus, how could I not love getting to see my handsome guy sharing his testimony and sweet memories of his mission? He is just the best. </div>
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At the end of the night, we even gave the kids an actual taste of Romania. Robbie slaved in the kitchen all day and made some delicious sarmale! (authentic Romanian food: meat and rice-filled cabbage rolls). The ones that were brave enough to try it actually ended up loving it!</div>
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This activity was so great! We are lucky to work with some incredible leaders that did so much to help the kids get really into it. We loved it and the kids seemed to love doing missionary work. Many had never been out with the missionaries before and talked so much about the experiences they had. This activity was really meaningful for everyone and hopefully one the youth will remember for a long time!</div>
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*HUGE thanks to the other leaders and the friends and family that helped us do all the translations.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-91581914368637348492016-06-02T01:19:00.001-07:002016-06-02T01:19:44.532-07:00Day 11: Everywhere, Bali<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Tuesday, May 31, 2016</span></div><div><br></div><div>Today's Highlights:</div><div>-Saying goodbye to the Bali beaches</div><div>-More Bali temples</div><div>-Kecak fire dance</div><div><br></div><div>Robbie here, and this is our LAST day. Kind of unbelievable that it's over already. Today we had to leave our paradise that is Nusa Lembongan. We enjoyed one more sunrise on our own little stretch of beach thanks to our hog--and as you can see it was another beaut.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38N0xfb2W48DZ7ERhjqQZXVhcMh7yNffl1Q8dYRM1aQyZ6VVgRymUDN70Wzlowluj7EfiPDjn6cAlTzZNH6dOhqsRXU7sqxlylcrRTG9uA31njJ4A4dxDF64LUf6KzQUhmVm2LQap04Q/s640/blogger-image-1865634624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38N0xfb2W48DZ7ERhjqQZXVhcMh7yNffl1Q8dYRM1aQyZ6VVgRymUDN70Wzlowluj7EfiPDjn6cAlTzZNH6dOhqsRXU7sqxlylcrRTG9uA31njJ4A4dxDF64LUf6KzQUhmVm2LQap04Q/s640/blogger-image-1865634624.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We took the ferry to a village of the main island named Padang Bai. Here's our captain:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryrbhwhrlZd_j5QiCRooRdeWvR0WKqtS31BaUyl6bam4g8BLZWZG1T-MlvI_YUiDUU_LbdyADRIK_JFI0uNi9p6FJFJLA8Hh3_wm-4Vpz5VIT6rrF5r5R5sdc_wKWE-cjs6F6ynU7zsE/s640/blogger-image--597612259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryrbhwhrlZd_j5QiCRooRdeWvR0WKqtS31BaUyl6bam4g8BLZWZG1T-MlvI_YUiDUU_LbdyADRIK_JFI0uNi9p6FJFJLA8Hh3_wm-4Vpz5VIT6rrF5r5R5sdc_wKWE-cjs6F6ynU7zsE/s640/blogger-image--597612259.jpg"></a></div>-<i>Ok, not our real captain, but the first mate. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So Padang Bai is a small fishing and harbor town with beautiful beaches. We had an hour to kill before we hired our driver, so we took a dip. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1DtEefqWxXlnEZZzLO6uXVg49wok7ZOu93xh93_GfeIfX6Jvj0z3Sj3RXUSQqvSX1jhpiE_QAR0wWv1XUh5oGTldLmp-8dIKVWGpF0cw0bGEXIDlFF-8JpYRFeh2iaMsyJ3Wiw-ysFA/s640/blogger-image-1584451651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1DtEefqWxXlnEZZzLO6uXVg49wok7ZOu93xh93_GfeIfX6Jvj0z3Sj3RXUSQqvSX1jhpiE_QAR0wWv1XUh5oGTldLmp-8dIKVWGpF0cw0bGEXIDlFF-8JpYRFeh2iaMsyJ3Wiw-ysFA/s640/blogger-image-1584451651.jpg"></a></div><i>-No, that's not a filter, we (mostly me) are still white. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Lining the main road right off the harbor were over 20 drivers for hire. We felt like famous superstars, you guys. Everyone wanted to be our driver. After soaking up that ego-boost, we chose our driver and we were off. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Our first stop was to the location of Batman's origin story--bat temple. What is bat temple, you ask? Well feast your eyes on this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOQkvgVuj-BFwXoMPhKgL0EkE0AcNQ4zO1bzgyhcRTatB4t_loMMXE3PaA0zCoULssIeEANCCKGqN0qt73naGSU27EDwLv-GRlrjJJBbLFYGVpdHfJC7294O0ld6Vww8iQfmQ_9_EcPg/s640/blogger-image-1750797065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOQkvgVuj-BFwXoMPhKgL0EkE0AcNQ4zO1bzgyhcRTatB4t_loMMXE3PaA0zCoULssIeEANCCKGqN0qt73naGSU27EDwLv-GRlrjJJBbLFYGVpdHfJC7294O0ld6Vww8iQfmQ_9_EcPg/s640/blogger-image-1750797065.jpg"></a></div></i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-<i>Yup every square inch of the roof of that cave is plastered in bats</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_Jsc2Q1zH11c8CB_D8xq_dQq8KTLUMhLVvI5DnJmZYOPMCqpycc-AF03U9A7HpXLkUU5CxKQQj_DjQy2fk3B2PE7JQqQDCRJmhXoJE_HuiCzaFr6cZn2oHggzJOevSN_P12kwPb5Do4/s640/blogger-image--330907601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_Jsc2Q1zH11c8CB_D8xq_dQq8KTLUMhLVvI5DnJmZYOPMCqpycc-AF03U9A7HpXLkUU5CxKQQj_DjQy2fk3B2PE7JQqQDCRJmhXoJE_HuiCzaFr6cZn2oHggzJOevSN_P12kwPb5Do4/s640/blogger-image--330907601.jpg"></a></div><br></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The mouth of this cave let sunlight in, so it was cool to see all the bats crammed together trying to get some sleep in during the day. After peacing out there, we went to an awesome (but kind of pricy) place for our last Balinese meal, Lereng Agung. This place not only was a Balinese buffet, but had the most incredible table-side view.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1QF1K6QDAzFum5yzbt1_9gXo0tgT4_7nzx_KtdGjblsLipuZykuava0t6blO3ROIXpgamFwI6_puK0TyAVLV-FlSiqgwJBuEyyhuJ6jII-IsDj3Chyphenhyphen7l0VswkU493uTqxVVZl12P53E/s640/blogger-image-1208257899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1QF1K6QDAzFum5yzbt1_9gXo0tgT4_7nzx_KtdGjblsLipuZykuava0t6blO3ROIXpgamFwI6_puK0TyAVLV-FlSiqgwJBuEyyhuJ6jII-IsDj3Chyphenhyphen7l0VswkU493uTqxVVZl12P53E/s640/blogger-image-1208257899.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Unreal food and amazing view. Because it's cloudy you can't tell, but Bali's biggest mountain/volcano is straight ahead. Couldn't ask for more for our last meal in Bali. After rolling out of the buffet we made it to Pura Besakih, Bali's first and most important Hindu temple. It was pretty amazing. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS5eyGsimRZFBvZXFbD9OEoBqA51eQ-f-mdfa91IiwCexFfEKD3wJMNyJCfuoGlSJrVeHjIhp57iVFifUHe-jUIBAYCoKs-ko1aBaTenMGv8Hz73nZY81zvLoeumZQy1GOvizmu0kP4s/s640/blogger-image-941723029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS5eyGsimRZFBvZXFbD9OEoBqA51eQ-f-mdfa91IiwCexFfEKD3wJMNyJCfuoGlSJrVeHjIhp57iVFifUHe-jUIBAYCoKs-ko1aBaTenMGv8Hz73nZY81zvLoeumZQy1GOvizmu0kP4s/s640/blogger-image-941723029.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-<i>The entrance to the main courtyard of the temple</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xY5exnXDEEOgxOV8DSRK_3s5tAQFvRFzWHpy5dzGbIfnIkyEc_QUICaN6G4uRBIK_OJ3hyrxnEiu2m2c6AYWumURsio3zCmEJVu5yGYHMh1IAQBykghpBMe523DF1xhPT9KPPqAZdQQ/s640/blogger-image-238540569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xY5exnXDEEOgxOV8DSRK_3s5tAQFvRFzWHpy5dzGbIfnIkyEc_QUICaN6G4uRBIK_OJ3hyrxnEiu2m2c6AYWumURsio3zCmEJVu5yGYHMh1IAQBykghpBMe523DF1xhPT9KPPqAZdQQ/s640/blogger-image-238540569.jpg"></a></div><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnDwVj8Xz0SJoKrzs7YcJxGay4WBXyBcOzQB29kuiA7rMaDVos76ofF-22-kT-vYza72jbVrWaGUAcIra-ekF5LrHbBERB4tks1TxF6Qw7rAlQSFpVshlo9sLmy3krJ7I_FaO5TsCfL4/s640/blogger-image-700066599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnDwVj8Xz0SJoKrzs7YcJxGay4WBXyBcOzQB29kuiA7rMaDVos76ofF-22-kT-vYza72jbVrWaGUAcIra-ekF5LrHbBERB4tks1TxF6Qw7rAlQSFpVshlo9sLmy3krJ7I_FaO5TsCfL4/s640/blogger-image-700066599.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrgI355TobmsMUhDzOJ_c72-mYL34psrD3KY6YMotA1IlRdXtAdrClvZc-aYMOGjFRE7cXx2pPKs2JNs8BzGNB4IdcffWkGLihiDXmO8OT0d9StBpiOn6-sA0nWPUUvXDtRtQ0EUJInc/s640/blogger-image--40848897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrgI355TobmsMUhDzOJ_c72-mYL34psrD3KY6YMotA1IlRdXtAdrClvZc-aYMOGjFRE7cXx2pPKs2JNs8BzGNB4IdcffWkGLihiDXmO8OT0d9StBpiOn6-sA0nWPUUvXDtRtQ0EUJInc/s640/blogger-image--40848897.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">This temple was huge. There were at least 30 buildings/towers in around 7 different courtyards, some of which we couldn't go in because we were not local Hindus. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Here's the bummer about Pura Besakih--it's such a famous and beautiful temple that it has become a huge tourist spot. That by itself isn't a bad thing, but there were a ton of people trying to make a profit off of this spiritual place. We were swarmed by people trying to sell us trinkets, offerings, and souvenirs. Also, everyone gets pressured into hiring a local guide/guardian even though the ticket should get you into most places in the temple. So, trying to ignore all of that noise and bustle, we did our best to soak it all in. Still, a beautiful place that we will never forget.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Our last activity was to see the Kecak fire dance. This performance blew our minds. It's a dance/chant show that tells the story of the Ramayana. If you ever saw A Little Princess (looking at you Linds), that's a really basic version of the story. For those who haven't, it's an ancient Hindu legend where the guy, Rama, rescues his wife, Sita, from an evil demon who kidnapped her. There are white monkey kings, dragons, golden deer and other awesome characters. It's a cool story. Two of the coolest parts of this show were one, the music/chanting provided by 50 men sitting in a circle around the stage, and two, the actual Fire dance at the end of the performance. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">This show was over an hour long, and these 50 dudes chanted and sang the entire time! This isn't wussy and soft music. We are talking primal, percussion-like rhythm, booms, and singing. It was so cool to watch. These photos won't do it justice. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbeyJTMBO0tCzgVjO_GV8kbjwLIaJnN9hnx7vRyweebiWGqcJOkzINtL7sjCx4goKwkFt8p259Wyux4FH2S4bRBEdSUxZ8Rvrb73GhQHEfpErJ7srOQGrxQviTSUoCAQn4e4dnXKOJO8/s640/blogger-image--2058092391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbeyJTMBO0tCzgVjO_GV8kbjwLIaJnN9hnx7vRyweebiWGqcJOkzINtL7sjCx4goKwkFt8p259Wyux4FH2S4bRBEdSUxZ8Rvrb73GhQHEfpErJ7srOQGrxQviTSUoCAQn4e4dnXKOJO8/s640/blogger-image--2058092391.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-<i>These chanting dudes would get in different formations, too. So they weren't just chillin. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Then came the fire dance. First a dude with around 100 coconut husks comes in and drops them in a mound right in the middle of the stage, lights a match and boom, instant bonfire. Then, in walks a twitchy dude that looks like he could snap at any minute and starts dancing in the coconut fire! Not only would he dance barefoot, he would sometimes just sit in the fire (quickly) or EAT the burning coconut and spit it out like fireballs around the stage. What?!? This dude is crazy. But hey, we get to watch his entertaining crazy. We couldn't believe it. Also, we got horrible photos because we were too enthralled to be bothered by the camera. So these will have to do. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83gSCUkEKgRxx8QjeDXNIxI-WPVqGSAhp_HSXBQ6sHRHFyTZV7HXSd2D1NKjTXAWSKOBbztvvbRR0XNcqTqhk9EbwXO1tplBvMPUeGArJSl32j4Zz_HVX5BkVVWQT2hSgMvk2xm6vgEk/s640/blogger-image--804498341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83gSCUkEKgRxx8QjeDXNIxI-WPVqGSAhp_HSXBQ6sHRHFyTZV7HXSd2D1NKjTXAWSKOBbztvvbRR0XNcqTqhk9EbwXO1tplBvMPUeGArJSl32j4Zz_HVX5BkVVWQT2hSgMvk2xm6vgEk/s640/blogger-image--804498341.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPD5NC5pkCzGMW-Pel2R8TRfhWCAmJUt7ZuiLY44xDR1OsRw-3u5NRfEQpwHK5LM7CDTgUaUaTvUXS0-zfzgE_EqSKvhLcSGBCxSUSCfQQKzTmejxuwfMS3yLwosYU2jXpqRMvvNSOK0/s640/blogger-image-1307450265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPD5NC5pkCzGMW-Pel2R8TRfhWCAmJUt7ZuiLY44xDR1OsRw-3u5NRfEQpwHK5LM7CDTgUaUaTvUXS0-zfzgE_EqSKvhLcSGBCxSUSCfQQKzTmejxuwfMS3yLwosYU2jXpqRMvvNSOK0/s640/blogger-image-1307450265.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjok86UYnJFwXkTe9y7o_pKYTkcRZQkwJ0kCn-1vQi3yRBcmSdl1Zr82OAyXFVxb6eOGBns9KVegPnd6c1YcUJrhrMWtE_ZotcNC9ZxbWsuQ93dl8RgocxMzCQ2Fr1U77NAbtKf9Sf88Ys/s640/blogger-image--1134568560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjok86UYnJFwXkTe9y7o_pKYTkcRZQkwJ0kCn-1vQi3yRBcmSdl1Zr82OAyXFVxb6eOGBns9KVegPnd6c1YcUJrhrMWtE_ZotcNC9ZxbWsuQ93dl8RgocxMzCQ2Fr1U77NAbtKf9Sf88Ys/s640/blogger-image--1134568560.jpg"></a></div><i>-Us with the fire dancer over the remaining embers. Even this photo made our feet burn.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6J4p4TuVOXDoYgH4d4c71V_fLjHB58Vof8lLPFmBntfa9U1YBjpNRcFqCZS4X5S2WwjIU_0eDMgvvTBx3-wJ9xbbQiEwYA14WLk0J3FsWvAQ9sfks8MNW-LrerQspzfzawTn92GXLR4/s640/blogger-image-2065741537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6J4p4TuVOXDoYgH4d4c71V_fLjHB58Vof8lLPFmBntfa9U1YBjpNRcFqCZS4X5S2WwjIU_0eDMgvvTBx3-wJ9xbbQiEwYA14WLk0J3FsWvAQ9sfks8MNW-LrerQspzfzawTn92GXLR4/s640/blogger-image-2065741537.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;">-And us with the main cast of the Ramayana</div><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Well that wraps it up! I hate to type those words because that means our Bali trip is ending. We had an amazing time. We got to see and experience so much in this beautiful country, and with the most kind and giving people. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Whenever we travel we try to experience the culture and emulate the good that we see there. Being more kind and connecting with nature more often are our big take aways from Bali. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Unforgettable experience. </div></div></div></span></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-31489013828878860092016-05-31T08:23:00.001-07:002016-05-31T18:25:06.455-07:00Day 10: Nusa LembonganMonday, May 30, 2016<div><br></div><div><u>Today's Highlights:</u></div><div>-Rainstorm/Accidental Spa Trip</div><div>-Beach Hunting</div><div>-Pool honey time</div><div>-Explored the island s'more</div><div><br></div><div>Today was a dream, one that startles you awake thinking you're supposed to be somewhere and then you realize THERE IS LITERALLY NOWHERE YOU HAVE TO BE. No one is expecting you or waiting on you. You can do whatever the heck you want!</div><div><br></div><div>What I'm getting at here is that we LOVED getting to sleep in and have a lazy morning. We ate brekkie, opened the windows and let the glorious sun shine in...dream stuff, right? Welp, by the time we finally got our booties out the door to go exploring it had become overcast and in the time it took us to sit on our scooter and drive a half a block, a torrential downpour had started. However, there CONVENIENTLY happened to be a another spa just another block down the road. You know what that means....</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbtKbvguhvBmDRaVoDqMvWkJd_74ARYUiFWDHGLnTb2jYkTeNDuti2Csz5gobb3bsbvBOV4etKZmYCv3pp7Rj7uDN1ea6vZY9DWWz9eR7i91ilaiQkqh_Dn2nXMt5fibqiefqzKNDHMA/s640/blogger-image--95107461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbtKbvguhvBmDRaVoDqMvWkJd_74ARYUiFWDHGLnTb2jYkTeNDuti2Csz5gobb3bsbvBOV4etKZmYCv3pp7Rj7uDN1ea6vZY9DWWz9eR7i91ilaiQkqh_Dn2nXMt5fibqiefqzKNDHMA/s640/blogger-image--95107461.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>A quick turn of the handlebars landed us at our <i>second </i>full-body massage in three days. We had to wait out the storm somewhere! It might as well be in the hands of a Balinese magician. </div><div><br></div><div>We emerged an hour later in that confused, disoriented, frizzy-haired state that only comes after total relaxation. And then they gave us chocolate cookies and my focus zoned right back in. I feel like bi-weekly massages should be a thing in real life, not just vacation life. </div><div><br></div><div>Anyhoo, our plan had worked! The sun was shining again and we set off to find the best beach these two islands had to offer. We were in the mood for some swim!</div><div><br></div><div>Welp, turns out we went beach hunting on "the best surfing day of the year." Meaning that the waves were monstrous enough to wreck any noob that dared take them on. We personally watched this Asian couple wipe out numerous times in ankle deep water. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusxzxyXZIuh-CUAAgM9AcVGsXoD3rnxF-UeicY9FR3exFIk7KlSa8MSVFViZjU96A-dDC5W47RpiRdvSLo71Q8U1WuWr7cQTKFLYMoDxDVHgJ3fhgy68ZTPW3XsmShQefyAgUTID_TFE/s640/blogger-image-1642177016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusxzxyXZIuh-CUAAgM9AcVGsXoD3rnxF-UeicY9FR3exFIk7KlSa8MSVFViZjU96A-dDC5W47RpiRdvSLo71Q8U1WuWr7cQTKFLYMoDxDVHgJ3fhgy68ZTPW3XsmShQefyAgUTID_TFE/s640/blogger-image-1642177016.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Those looked scary and we are wimps. Bad combo. So, after trying all the beaches we were told might be "swimmable," and then getting really hot and trying to sneak into a few resort pools close by, and then getting publicly shamed and kicked out of said resort pools for not having wristbands, we finally decided what this day needed was just some good ol' fashioned chill time at our own pool. Out of those next blessed 2 hours came the creation of water-couples-yogamnastics. Really wish I had some documentation of how amazing we were at balancing on each other's legs and "crow"-ing off the pool edge into front flips, but alas, those gems exist only in my memory. Suffice it to say, I'm super glad I married this goober. </div><div><br></div><div>After some nice R&R, we hopped back on our hog and tried to suck every last bit of the day out, cruising to every corner of the island we hadn't yet explored. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDsu6VvpLCeRVrPFjEHpS5NlDToaayCuhjartgMagBA_Nlp91kbE6lnzldu_IJGrLh83F_ClDfhzvpwkdBDQaPRT8ybehFYyexCio62smHEawTNnUavKcZ4vkN7El77ZtjygZ9uB0A2o/s640/blogger-image--2007947975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDsu6VvpLCeRVrPFjEHpS5NlDToaayCuhjartgMagBA_Nlp91kbE6lnzldu_IJGrLh83F_ClDfhzvpwkdBDQaPRT8ybehFYyexCio62smHEawTNnUavKcZ4vkN7El77ZtjygZ9uB0A2o/s640/blogger-image--2007947975.jpg"></a></div><i>Don't pretend like you haven't noticed that I'm wearing this shirt almost every day. It ended up being my coolest one (as in airy, not radical. But it's also radical). Also, laundering multiple shirts is hard. </i></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQnW9-C_iVG1ZHbw6fNtVVjevREAe-x2VV5EFUOXZ82NZuX3jYrRpRAvhj4LW6TUBHsfeMWal5N4CquGzA1y73GZ-2x7FVQFjlO8QztrOa3m-MrT8S1HbDMj5SNQLjSJOcSpf0mxq4Ag/s640/blogger-image-501355328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQnW9-C_iVG1ZHbw6fNtVVjevREAe-x2VV5EFUOXZ82NZuX3jYrRpRAvhj4LW6TUBHsfeMWal5N4CquGzA1y73GZ-2x7FVQFjlO8QztrOa3m-MrT8S1HbDMj5SNQLjSJOcSpf0mxq4Ag/s640/blogger-image-501355328.jpg"></a></div><i>Stairway to heaven. Also another site from The Amazing Race. Remember Sheri and Cole and how Cole had to jump off this and was freaking out? We didn't even realize what it was until we were there.</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYubAPKyqoqSVRd9yDN-iR0tlQZCnJOM43hhLaY5G4ZCgmnJQbTysc8-_Vn4XmQUr_5x_nWJxwFfrWOzPRj-o4WBXHLt5VFJNIfoV9m6ksfGosedNQ8Ls9TLkt9xRxjjWErpkST-heVBw/s640/blogger-image--1703431970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYubAPKyqoqSVRd9yDN-iR0tlQZCnJOM43hhLaY5G4ZCgmnJQbTysc8-_Vn4XmQUr_5x_nWJxwFfrWOzPRj-o4WBXHLt5VFJNIfoV9m6ksfGosedNQ8Ls9TLkt9xRxjjWErpkST-heVBw/s640/blogger-image--1703431970.jpg"></a></div>Just another beaut </i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4_oZlSXSrV58eVTRrTEzW0gI6nyVgDQc9CtB9uKvMRQltWQ-wm2wUCQYjOHYePpb4ZEqbXL-uoSAjjoZ1oW0w28ksD7NMT7w0_YDjpmn0vVgIJE0-038-D1KbLzGFVcQjFliFiafuck/s640/blogger-image-2059135993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4_oZlSXSrV58eVTRrTEzW0gI6nyVgDQc9CtB9uKvMRQltWQ-wm2wUCQYjOHYePpb4ZEqbXL-uoSAjjoZ1oW0w28ksD7NMT7w0_YDjpmn0vVgIJE0-038-D1KbLzGFVcQjFliFiafuck/s640/blogger-image-2059135993.jpg"></a></div></div><div><i>Ended the night at Mahana Point for din and crazy wave watching. It's a little cafe built on the edge of a cliff and all the monster waves break right in front of you and even splash all the way up to these tables. So fun! But scootering home across sketchy yellow bridge in the dark, not so fun...</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Last thing I just gotta say. Indonesian people are seriously the best. As we waited in line to cross the bridge (because it is too narrow for two directions of scooter traffic), these cute kids about age 12-13 I would guess just started chatting with us. Asking us genuine questions about ourselves and telling us about them and wishing us a safe journey. They initiated the whole conversation and were so sweet and kind-hearted. I mean, I love 12-year olds (I chose to surround myself with 30 of them at a time) but I did not expect that. What is this place?!</div><div><br></div><div>Great last full day! Tomorrow we head back to Bali and will take advantage of every second we have until we get on our plane tomorrow night and head back to real life!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-35453825695578407792016-05-30T13:39:00.001-07:002016-05-30T13:39:21.459-07:00Day 9: Ubud, Bali to Nusa LembonganSunday, May 29, 2016<div><br></div><div>Today's Highlights:</div><div>-Church in Kuta</div><div>-Tasting Babi Guling 👎</div><div>-Ferry to Nusa Lembongan island </div><div>-Exploring Nusa Lembongan scooter-style!👍</div><div><br></div><div>Today had some really high highs and some really low lows. (Please see thumbs above). The high was absolutely our new location. We got a tip from our friends the Hathaways that we should visit the small island Nusa Lembongan (off the coast of Bali). BEST ADVICE EVER. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5o2bTh-6eiwEyfYY0B6Bzzd3IItHc-ln0aElye2rve34nASWpQUtMk2bJQNJ5NK5DXPicghBdRO2D8XWNA9S9_r8UILa6zf5U3Z1b54KxfgEQShORISFlk7lw-yLju3DUw4xVPLtHbQ/s640/blogger-image-955015388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5o2bTh-6eiwEyfYY0B6Bzzd3IItHc-ln0aElye2rve34nASWpQUtMk2bJQNJ5NK5DXPicghBdRO2D8XWNA9S9_r8UILa6zf5U3Z1b54KxfgEQShORISFlk7lw-yLju3DUw4xVPLtHbQ/s640/blogger-image-955015388.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Do you see this?! It is amazing! But I'm getting ahead of myself here. </div><div><br></div><div>After ELEVEN HOURS of sleep (due to my nasty-awful-can't-breathe-cold) we packed up and said a sad goodbye to Ubud. We really loved this place!</div><div><br></div><div>We caught a taksi to Kuta (about an hour away) to catch the only Sacrament Meeting in all of Bali. Of course we got lost and couldn't find it and I still can't believe we asked the one man in Kuta who happened to know where it was. We walked in and got headsets right as they were starting. It was so fun to be with other Balinese Branch members and even got to hear a young girl give her farewell talk, which is crazy awesome considering there are only about 12 members that live there (and no missionaries serving there). There were a bunch of others that were visitors like us, mostly from Australia and New Zealand. So fun! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUVP-oIuK4yjwdHaJIdZAEiSHW7Hzn90bA0jHHjDGBGAnlH9hAS-Nf_mMvMwm6DyCPUxxACfQOjzu9bXFNTQNVgvJwkw6tqy8chAvjSrOmMwDTpppfGP1lVfzbqX2VIJENwTeiNNFjho/s640/blogger-image-372196060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUVP-oIuK4yjwdHaJIdZAEiSHW7Hzn90bA0jHHjDGBGAnlH9hAS-Nf_mMvMwm6DyCPUxxACfQOjzu9bXFNTQNVgvJwkw6tqy8chAvjSrOmMwDTpppfGP1lVfzbqX2VIJENwTeiNNFjho/s640/blogger-image-372196060.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Next came the Babi Guling....😳</div><div><br></div><div>Ever since we arrived, we have asked Balinese people their favorite food and multiple times have been told Babi Guling. It means "suckling pig." We like pig! Bacon, pork chops, ham, bring it on! Well, we needed lunch so our driver after church said he'd take us to get some good Babi Guling. We went to a little Warung and were served a whole lot of stuff I couldn't identify. The one thing I definitely DID identify was hair. Coming out of pig skin. </div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmE34srpTKU5ge_6gNfytnAnMqRm-y60IUaXGErMnXk1FcKyUW-8Jh9q1lL4EMf8g_CTZIttZjvKjfWMyJrZb0ANMsXxWmbhjNNjoE0WWn6AIW_CCrk4WscDwCrqifSNncALVnRO86weE/s640/blogger-image-257458945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmE34srpTKU5ge_6gNfytnAnMqRm-y60IUaXGErMnXk1FcKyUW-8Jh9q1lL4EMf8g_CTZIttZjvKjfWMyJrZb0ANMsXxWmbhjNNjoE0WWn6AIW_CCrk4WscDwCrqifSNncALVnRO86weE/s640/blogger-image-257458945.jpg"></a></div> </span></div><div>Nope. Nope. Nope. Not happening. I'm all for trying new things and we have eaten strictly Indonesian this entire trip (and really liked it), but there is a line and I draw it here! Plus, I already got my fill of fresh pig skin in Romania. I'm good for the foreseeable ever. Robbie, however, ate one. He said it tasted like a super thick, greasy potato chip. Mmmmmm...</div><div><br></div><div>Rob ate most of his plate and I took at least a bite of <i>almost </i>everything (most of which was crazy spicy) and then we paid and jetted, quickly before they could realize my plate was still full. Never again, Babi Guling, never again.</div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div>In happier news, we then set off to our new island. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We will spend most of our last two days here and there is really no better way I could imagine ending our trip. </span></div><div><br></div><div>Funny story: we arrived at busy Sanur Beach to catch a ferry boat out to the island but were told that none of them were leaving for another 3 hours or so. In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the beach visitors, this mysterious old man came up to us and asked what we needed. We told him and he just looked out toward the beach at all the dozens of boats, pointed at one and said, "You pay me and take that one!" Haha, what? This guy didn't seem to have any authority but gave us a cheaper price and said they were leaving now. So we did it! We jumped on a cargo boat taking a bunch of drywall out to the island and it was cheaper and faster than any other option. Plus, we got to witness a bunch of older Balinese men in speedos laughing as they ran a section of drywall up the beach. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2mf5MrTv7jAHF-5-OyrecMzB5KUJFKtufwvd1D4nFOcaXCBC159gQpliFaUCFeYfxaQGo6o_vcj1iv5Mt2xAweM7diCi8T-43-MUUq7es7pBiE9f6Y2lyHiHccCEBo_XlXH9j7DmMH4/s640/blogger-image--263180800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2mf5MrTv7jAHF-5-OyrecMzB5KUJFKtufwvd1D4nFOcaXCBC159gQpliFaUCFeYfxaQGo6o_vcj1iv5Mt2xAweM7diCi8T-43-MUUq7es7pBiE9f6Y2lyHiHccCEBo_XlXH9j7DmMH4/s640/blogger-image--263180800.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Since we ended up on some beautiful but random beach (and not an official boat dock), we had no idea where we were or where to go, which made it amazing when we stumbled onto the main road and found ourselves basically right in front of our new hotel, Tigerlilly's. Win win!</div><div><br></div><div>This place is amazing! It feels like we are living in a fancy treehouse. And get this, we have an outdoor bathroom!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigt35rWckUi6LD6YhSQ5qRXYBemNdDORllM4ye36oVEtJGNfX-vzB7zcqrHmkF5vRUlGvGsXimKEtdiGt8PIId4sEm2FUP6BIEjxGJNfwqz6k_l14mSlgoiWZY_c7V6L6kWVN_vSKTpDg/s640/blogger-image--720210791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigt35rWckUi6LD6YhSQ5qRXYBemNdDORllM4ye36oVEtJGNfX-vzB7zcqrHmkF5vRUlGvGsXimKEtdiGt8PIId4sEm2FUP6BIEjxGJNfwqz6k_l14mSlgoiWZY_c7V6L6kWVN_vSKTpDg/s640/blogger-image--720210791.jpg"></a></div><i>We can creep on all the swimming peeps from our bungalow window</i></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5jeuVV-15qfw6VeCcPwxu7ywW0RBTWMMSabHsqQFQFwm1QnEaFBNsWaCQDxBmaq3AtDRkk8rdxjr2fGmhAbm4RZNdmN6AizxS4_HGq7qtczL9u0LQxGmhvr5xjoLx65Ak_2XOiYcA5k/s640/blogger-image--1981968036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5jeuVV-15qfw6VeCcPwxu7ywW0RBTWMMSabHsqQFQFwm1QnEaFBNsWaCQDxBmaq3AtDRkk8rdxjr2fGmhAbm4RZNdmN6AizxS4_HGq7qtczL9u0LQxGmhvr5xjoLx65Ak_2XOiYcA5k/s640/blogger-image--1981968036.jpg"></a></div><i>We make twin beds and mosquito nets suuuuuuuuuuper romantic.</i></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VWAuJAeU2dvADZ4UiNTZoP-8RimnttXOx0B5IuZbzJG_Aul-BWm3Tqi2nUFQ7sucXsl-LjVaNd-o6iJBhq7ONydU8M-kWyQ8KbdGyYW6p90TcprGyynxKRs7GkRRtRTXcMu0UpglAlo/s640/blogger-image--609263833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VWAuJAeU2dvADZ4UiNTZoP-8RimnttXOx0B5IuZbzJG_Aul-BWm3Tqi2nUFQ7sucXsl-LjVaNd-o6iJBhq7ONydU8M-kWyQ8KbdGyYW6p90TcprGyynxKRs7GkRRtRTXcMu0UpglAlo/s640/blogger-image--609263833.jpg"></a></div><i>Enjoy a nice breeze and maybe a butterfly during toilet time</i></div><div><br></div><div>So great! We dropped off our stuff and took off to explore! It only costs $5/day to rent a scooter so you better believe we will be scooterin all up in her' over the next two days!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4Xoifj_UsCSZgzG4Bbg_XeOSeKAZLO-EFbhwl3chTsEduBb2rwhxsoEBLA5de-y2sl5up40FKRNtwFIT-OMcrWAFBAwkKE1eg9a1-LDINob7NUU-7SxSJpaZOlYbClqWfT9eyOyRaOk/s640/blogger-image-158346224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4Xoifj_UsCSZgzG4Bbg_XeOSeKAZLO-EFbhwl3chTsEduBb2rwhxsoEBLA5de-y2sl5up40FKRNtwFIT-OMcrWAFBAwkKE1eg9a1-LDINob7NUU-7SxSJpaZOlYbClqWfT9eyOyRaOk/s640/blogger-image-158346224.jpg"></a></div><i>I really think we are the only people on the whole island wearing helmets, but considering how sketch driving here is, we will continue to nerd it up!</i></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBR5QspHPmjgN7UAMOJcqzYaTZ1LdtpAz2NMcSKY-q-wnJnz08rROTG7Xu9PANYppbtTsmZobk5-AAEYNf8no9dvvYjGU-gojF0QnYQ_AW3pvFbCIXjZ5hrnEsSn4Z_PbGlN7UKeUE8U/s640/blogger-image--795435911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBR5QspHPmjgN7UAMOJcqzYaTZ1LdtpAz2NMcSKY-q-wnJnz08rROTG7Xu9PANYppbtTsmZobk5-AAEYNf8no9dvvYjGU-gojF0QnYQ_AW3pvFbCIXjZ5hrnEsSn4Z_PbGlN7UKeUE8U/s640/blogger-image--795435911.jpg"></a></div><i>Rickety bridge to another smaller island, Nusa Ceningan. Juuuuuuuuust barely wide enough for a scooter. I was hyperventilating, squeezing my eyes shut on the back (after I documented it, of course)</i></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1eTnivITRvKkIBxUZe9XqH5ZuZvXyv8W11P2BDimXwzRWn3cj2iNPObVD6xX5wts76d7KKeby_qhLj1NggZxGVmd7qljU3lrakwj9vGZ7y0RfeZOfsU3g0Eunh7lXwz-n3S5yQQr-n8/s640/blogger-image-265590313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1eTnivITRvKkIBxUZe9XqH5ZuZvXyv8W11P2BDimXwzRWn3cj2iNPObVD6xX5wts76d7KKeby_qhLj1NggZxGVmd7qljU3lrakwj9vGZ7y0RfeZOfsU3g0Eunh7lXwz-n3S5yQQr-n8/s640/blogger-image-265590313.jpg"></a></div><i><div><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Sweet Balinese woman we saw on the edge of a cliff scooping up seaweed. I think she lived in the tiny shack on that cliff</i></div></i></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRDyRVGNvJ1-nipj1bjDkCzBsicN82fuuX6jlMtn3xZbTTdPIkYlRGqUt55l8_5yRKWf3qJJ1a72E-NFLva20qIydPEy6eWTLKMf7qRVjys_asT7m8TpVreBQqWZxLZeGvRVeHWCDnpI/s640/blogger-image-1828019993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRDyRVGNvJ1-nipj1bjDkCzBsicN82fuuX6jlMtn3xZbTTdPIkYlRGqUt55l8_5yRKWf3qJJ1a72E-NFLva20qIydPEy6eWTLKMf7qRVjys_asT7m8TpVreBQqWZxLZeGvRVeHWCDnpI/s640/blogger-image-1828019993.jpg"></i></a></div><i>Teeny scooter road leading down to fancy resorts and amazing views!</i></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s4EzYgNWpzwhXA-GSxb_ZiIKy3MVIywfx7q4jWl7Um67RXVzi2Hj17LMBN1WFYbJE-BYc13PbE3F5alPJp9txI7v5NjO6gtmFFg-J4DoiLX_L3C4VJbmsVRCeTdHUQHSgrN_j0K5ODk/s640/blogger-image--2059743578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s4EzYgNWpzwhXA-GSxb_ZiIKy3MVIywfx7q4jWl7Um67RXVzi2Hj17LMBN1WFYbJE-BYc13PbE3F5alPJp9txI7v5NjO6gtmFFg-J4DoiLX_L3C4VJbmsVRCeTdHUQHSgrN_j0K5ODk/s640/blogger-image--2059743578.jpg"></a></div><i>Sometimes Rob felt the need for speed on our tiny scooter. That combined with the fact that they drive on the left here makes me pretty surprised that we survived. (Though I do have to give him kudos for driving over huge rocks and potholes like a champ while I just got to squeeze him around the middle and sightsee on the back)</i></div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vcMcyfF4s7Vnvv88VzfB-d1IPHxExJ_LM0xudMnCrzANy2rbTupUtdPLYIirI97-4m-r0JPZKXpfLi4SjvcJrTg2JoOw08PK3Ryglf05dcRBQ5iK-iAuyVT50EKAMIWRg7O7i6UysA/s640/blogger-image-287459431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6vcMcyfF4s7Vnvv88VzfB-d1IPHxExJ_LM0xudMnCrzANy2rbTupUtdPLYIirI97-4m-r0JPZKXpfLi4SjvcJrTg2JoOw08PK3Ryglf05dcRBQ5iK-iAuyVT50EKAMIWRg7O7i6UysA/s640/blogger-image-287459431.jpg"></a></div><i>Snuck into a resort on the edge of the island to swim in their infinity pool and watch the sun go down. They caught us and made us buy a drink 😒. Still worth it. </i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlR7PL_KgmDqDrcLMax3dklmAPwAfM8dwWbLuLJqGNCYTIqTcaSWJxXxN3wvkEFfZFNTZj0UJn_VaX5Fr0LB5kL2M7MM1d_WHITXrr3FeX0j11qwEqUJqOGJgjoXyoWnPIv94tdSMPIY/s640/blogger-image--1091041626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlR7PL_KgmDqDrcLMax3dklmAPwAfM8dwWbLuLJqGNCYTIqTcaSWJxXxN3wvkEFfZFNTZj0UJn_VaX5Fr0LB5kL2M7MM1d_WHITXrr3FeX0j11qwEqUJqOGJgjoXyoWnPIv94tdSMPIY/s640/blogger-image--1091041626.jpg"></a></div>Gah! This place! Called "The Blue Lagoon." Haha, it's kind of a joke how beautiful everything is.</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>We ended the night eating fresh fish (caught just barely) at a beach front Warung and downing chocolate milkshakes like it was our job. What an awesome day!</div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-39385695458093640752016-05-29T18:20:00.001-07:002016-05-29T20:23:44.876-07:00Day 8: Ubud, Bali<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Saturday, May 28, 2016</span></div><div><br></div><div><u>Today's Highlights:</u></div><div>-Volcano hike</div><div>-Spa life</div><div><br></div><div>Robbie here again! Well today saw us get up in the morning at 2:00... Did you even know there was a 2:00 in the morning? Well it's very real. We woke up, hopped into a van, snacked on some fried banana, shuttled to the base of Mt Batur--the same volcano that we biked around yesterday--but this time we chose to hike up this doozy, while half asleep. </div><div><br></div><div><font color="#000000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4jrYZHlPnbo4D1URaCD5vwr7R5do47CKQmGrF5zkVBeV9vlK3wNJ8lS8fxRrzNyaH_dCX9bhLYhrqCA298TcsKkS30V536PLvTm9B3Do1t46rXX7V6JckJgpU1N4KKd_Ffjw2_MJfg0/s640/blogger-image-299683138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4jrYZHlPnbo4D1URaCD5vwr7R5do47CKQmGrF5zkVBeV9vlK3wNJ8lS8fxRrzNyaH_dCX9bhLYhrqCA298TcsKkS30V536PLvTm9B3Do1t46rXX7V6JckJgpU1N4KKd_Ffjw2_MJfg0/s640/blogger-image-299683138.jpg"></a></font></div><div><i>-This is actually on our way down the volcano, since photos of us hiking up would just be a black rectangle. </i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Hiking up this thing in the dark was no easy task. I felt like a nerd because I wore my glasses on this excursion and the more I sweated the foggier my glasses got, so I'd take them off but then I couldn't see a dang thing! There were a couple times where I'd slam right into the back of Angie because I was trying to see where my next step was rather than look up at what was in front of me. </div><div><br></div><div>After 2 hours of hiking in the dark, we finally made it to the summit. We were soaking wet with sweat. And when I say soaking, I mean it. We couldn't find a dry spot on our shirts--I tried wiping off my glasses but I couldn't clean them because it would just leave streaks of sweat on them. Woof. And now that we were sitting still at the top we instantly got super cold and had to sneakily get our soaking wet shirts off and our jackets on. PLUS, we got to pack in a breakfast with, you guessed it, more banana. We really can't get enough of them so no complaints here. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9oAt47wbWjME-ws-AJ_-F7-JOl6Ze-fdU6L6UldZAYridPNQV0WpF88QVPSUpzl91Kf7Z9bdFijqYrqq8b6afHmlH6_zR2Ukt1G4sAj-uOeISA0cbRiPzs2XT_7qNYz-MBI5-zXUHeE/s640/blogger-image-1746011608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9oAt47wbWjME-ws-AJ_-F7-JOl6Ze-fdU6L6UldZAYridPNQV0WpF88QVPSUpzl91Kf7Z9bdFijqYrqq8b6afHmlH6_zR2Ukt1G4sAj-uOeISA0cbRiPzs2XT_7qNYz-MBI5-zXUHeE/s640/blogger-image-1746011608.jpg"></a></div><i>-Breakfast at the peak. We also had hard boiled eggs that, legend says, were cooked in the volcano's steam geysers </i></div><div><br></div><div>Before getting there Angie and I assumed we would be a handful of people hiking up the volcano. Boy were we wrong. </div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28aapCHOC4ahdbLHI9mDnTJanspWvBVkCHObz3UlgqjNdqPIC2cFFPOl_k73QNZwF1MdhBXUcj4n7e7BgWBJdeexa8587XBdz2XuEF-VDtX1hWCgYbVfn7qBg6n7Xz-2jofOsLKqaZbM/s640/blogger-image-735110605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28aapCHOC4ahdbLHI9mDnTJanspWvBVkCHObz3UlgqjNdqPIC2cFFPOl_k73QNZwF1MdhBXUcj4n7e7BgWBJdeexa8587XBdz2XuEF-VDtX1hWCgYbVfn7qBg6n7Xz-2jofOsLKqaZbM/s640/blogger-image-735110605.jpg"></a></div></div><div><div><i>-Probably 10% of the hikers on Mt Batur. Our guide guessed there were about 500 hikers on a daily basis. </i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>There were a steady stream of hikers the entire way up the volcano. It was actually kinda neat seeing the string of head lamps zig zag all the way to the top. It made the volcano look like a Christmas tree. </div><div><br></div><div>Anyway, the sun finally rose but due to cloud cover there was no colorful sunrise. That was a small bummer but the views were still breath taking.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IJ7hRUNUNLVcY9nZVbz83zKrntMaG7QT_sdbAMVNDk1QyxMfVBFZB_qZR2KCDE0FXxAtPU7JCtYBsyeU5PYeZM1zfjPyJt3pOqXxmLBD8CzxHUCdVjltEkQXVw1jfrg7MbBA-qAmzhM/s640/blogger-image-167973753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IJ7hRUNUNLVcY9nZVbz83zKrntMaG7QT_sdbAMVNDk1QyxMfVBFZB_qZR2KCDE0FXxAtPU7JCtYBsyeU5PYeZM1zfjPyJt3pOqXxmLBD8CzxHUCdVjltEkQXVw1jfrg7MbBA-qAmzhM/s640/blogger-image-167973753.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18diilPWlw6MaK_9w-An7Y-0Sf5HG6nADVe59boUfAJKhM1Ro3O4tyB5VjSFEyicGL1BifffKSwUWQXhAFgZiCeSeFv5GiuCSz5SZuSdDZRATeHNVahOAO0_KDSPjSImOtSnlTT_l6G4/s640/blogger-image--2063292321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18diilPWlw6MaK_9w-An7Y-0Sf5HG6nADVe59boUfAJKhM1Ro3O4tyB5VjSFEyicGL1BifffKSwUWQXhAFgZiCeSeFv5GiuCSz5SZuSdDZRATeHNVahOAO0_KDSPjSImOtSnlTT_l6G4/s640/blogger-image--2063292321.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiG-LufyXUSC-OrwDBCp4TjlD6JiaxpvStZY0MNqrI6Y5KJktvutthmLHKuuI3romicB9n6119cxvEe1xCgiKMjEr0nWTrOiyejBydq0ckE-ml5U6LaoUpLqwne6bWW1nEWJ3bAz9hGN4/s640/blogger-image--2038828824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiG-LufyXUSC-OrwDBCp4TjlD6JiaxpvStZY0MNqrI6Y5KJktvutthmLHKuuI3romicB9n6119cxvEe1xCgiKMjEr0nWTrOiyejBydq0ckE-ml5U6LaoUpLqwne6bWW1nEWJ3bAz9hGN4/s640/blogger-image--2038828824.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We hiked back down and got to our hotel--all before 11 am! We showered and instantly booked a Balinese full body massage at a spa close by. It. Was. Awesome. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">They greeted us with moist towels, cool drinks, a foot scrub and wash, then ushered us into a couples massage room. I am having a hard time describing this experience without it sounding inappropriate. Nothing sketchy went down, but dang, it felt so relaxing and amazing. It was so amazing it made me regret all the times we turned down all the offers for spa treatment we have gotten walking down the street up to this point. We should've cancelled all other activities and just had 10 days of spa. Anyway... It was sweet. We were in such a state of euphoria that we forgot to take any photos. Hah! So... I'll just paste this picture of a stray dog sleeping on the sidewalk instead. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7QFkDFeL_PuYY4fZyz0kJ_5ndovmECS_ciUSmGPw5o-wF7k75jiUtFzrPXBLkRjBry-h6RH-O4cQPp6UxJ_GBbR_NHbwdxQBb4w5Pn-NwVKz0rHnfqUxapUBlnRZxy-2PlhpDMIS8xs/s640/blogger-image--72123247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7QFkDFeL_PuYY4fZyz0kJ_5ndovmECS_ciUSmGPw5o-wF7k75jiUtFzrPXBLkRjBry-h6RH-O4cQPp6UxJ_GBbR_NHbwdxQBb4w5Pn-NwVKz0rHnfqUxapUBlnRZxy-2PlhpDMIS8xs/s640/blogger-image--72123247.jpg"></a></div><i>-After our massages we could've easily slept on the sidewalk like this pooch.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Once we got to our hotel Angie's cold (that's been coming on for a few days now) hit full force, so while we were deciding whether we should take it easy or go out for our last night in Ubud, we fell asleep. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Well we woke up 3 hours later, cursed our comfortable bed, planned the next day and then went to sleep at 8 pm. </div><br></div><div><br></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-50055592845196675882016-05-28T14:50:00.001-07:002016-05-28T23:33:47.833-07:00Day 7: Ubud, Bali<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Friday, May 28, 2016</span></div><div><br></div><div><u>Today's Highlights:</u></div><div>-Rice paddies bike ride</div><div>-Mama's cooking class</div><div><br></div><div>This is Robbie again! Today's am-venture was pretty sweet! We biked 28 km through villages and rice paddies, stopping to learn more about the Balinese way of life, culture, and Hindu religion. </div><div><br></div><div>We started near the top of a volcano, Mt Batur, and rode mostly downhill, which was awesome because we were exhausted from the last couple days of walking everywhere. The bikes were awful, but that didn't matter much since most of the time all we needed were wheels and brakes. Only my front brakes worked though, so I had to ease into them each time or I would've flipped over my bars. Angie's gears wouldn't shift and made the loudest clanking noise as she peddled. So after the first couple minutes of learning the quirks of our bikes we were able to enjoy the scenery. We saw the most amazing stretches of tiered rice paddies, dotted with workers carrying sickles harvesting bunches of rice. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QfVEejnCOZJI-gj0-HxVShgADrdG8lXdzzxKhvf_ZLbgdsbY2LznF5UaFGse9-py7deZ45BvUJWhNrCGqXvrM5UjHNY4NCEdXV87tALP-m_86p30puMzwKb4h-pys_yOMNKjzKHQLfY/s640/blogger-image-506305079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QfVEejnCOZJI-gj0-HxVShgADrdG8lXdzzxKhvf_ZLbgdsbY2LznF5UaFGse9-py7deZ45BvUJWhNrCGqXvrM5UjHNY4NCEdXV87tALP-m_86p30puMzwKb4h-pys_yOMNKjzKHQLfY/s640/blogger-image-506305079.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDt2xfaujES6XYW6yhV83K22PYqGJW3BUedxqyJ3oGqYGfe1kbyrqmhFcjDRCUt-Hg0p11Fjt84zjZV6abCS_R3OGXKPG65ut6xNqLXm0TCY-eRXypaHs7O-Sm7A3zlyLej0bkIadcrhc/s640/blogger-image--169107475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDt2xfaujES6XYW6yhV83K22PYqGJW3BUedxqyJ3oGqYGfe1kbyrqmhFcjDRCUt-Hg0p11Fjt84zjZV6abCS_R3OGXKPG65ut6xNqLXm0TCY-eRXypaHs7O-Sm7A3zlyLej0bkIadcrhc/s640/blogger-image--169107475.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRK0i06sLiVEQ2VSrKVquVsxOmkwG7KIObcOT1Nstk54zV3eiA43lS-R5D-Otih9c1p6Imog4x-X5H9sRWo6gBW5kJp9iRxdyR06D7QTVWKTaW3hIQibaPE9YzJ6rH86iL00Vwc6Ii-lw/s640/blogger-image--31803849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRK0i06sLiVEQ2VSrKVquVsxOmkwG7KIObcOT1Nstk54zV3eiA43lS-R5D-Otih9c1p6Imog4x-X5H9sRWo6gBW5kJp9iRxdyR06D7QTVWKTaW3hIQibaPE9YzJ6rH86iL00Vwc6Ii-lw/s640/blogger-image--31803849.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So the bike riding was awesome. Definitely a welcome change from walking everywhere. While we were riding through the villages, kids would materialize out of nowhere and either wave at us or stick out their hands to give us high fives as we rode past. Dang adorable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Speaking of villages, we made a couple stops along our biking to experience Balinese life. The first stop was at a village which grew, harvested, and processed cocoa and coffee beans. It was cool to see the cocoa stages from growing on the trees to harvesting and finally to roasting. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggW-D30YdO-K0rKuacKh7qX7FA135UMkD6ToOj8nGLqAHpdQqigWruJiOOdq58AY6Jq0ljZV7OnBi1yoG4pbsozAoWzo_0WGv5i_qnoRiVEWZhiVOyH4Dmr0aFca02tyoetwzsjl8MUlA/s640/blogger-image-792419659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggW-D30YdO-K0rKuacKh7qX7FA135UMkD6ToOj8nGLqAHpdQqigWruJiOOdq58AY6Jq0ljZV7OnBi1yoG4pbsozAoWzo_0WGv5i_qnoRiVEWZhiVOyH4Dmr0aFca02tyoetwzsjl8MUlA/s640/blogger-image-792419659.jpg"></a></div><i>-These pods hold hundreds of cocoa beans</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We were able to sample roasted cocoa beans and, dang they were bitter! While the cocoa part was cool, the coffee section blew our minds. Have any of you heard of Luwak coffee? Well, we hadn't. Luwak coffee is made possible by this furry animal, the Luwak, or Civet Cat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7oK6kkxwnF_DaBBN3KL4MytZIm5o9y18UhC-0ZlIpmHcgHqoROTAyQY2Hr9i5FKEZm2TDCQR-wTgrTAC9nX6f6kp-aUTpe2KVCgq1elqgQERoLYmHwwrQQbdRaG6SXWBqvr9upeRkFo/s640/blogger-image-815088775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7oK6kkxwnF_DaBBN3KL4MytZIm5o9y18UhC-0ZlIpmHcgHqoROTAyQY2Hr9i5FKEZm2TDCQR-wTgrTAC9nX6f6kp-aUTpe2KVCgq1elqgQERoLYmHwwrQQbdRaG6SXWBqvr9upeRkFo/s640/blogger-image-815088775.jpg"></a></div><br></div>-<i>The Luwak, the animal coffee sweetener</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So the Luwak eats the best coffee beans right off the tree, digests them (the digestive enzymes give more sweetness to the beans), and poops them out in bunches. Those poo-bunches are gathered, washed, roasted, and ground into the world's most expensive and sought after coffee... What the what?!?!? Anyway, they lovingly call their Luwak coffee "cat-poo-ccino." Waaa waaaah.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVf7bwNVtTEH2hEFsSYolnyuLkpHaWdgcRo_f4CPLNF2VmxUcatgs-Kdxj4fD0prPgT9wAqIovlMBUFZFs67WuXZBcLnUoioB06TavxRPEPO8ckhrJm6JUtPGdFB0NIzynz456ycoY98/s640/blogger-image--2069406478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVf7bwNVtTEH2hEFsSYolnyuLkpHaWdgcRo_f4CPLNF2VmxUcatgs-Kdxj4fD0prPgT9wAqIovlMBUFZFs67WuXZBcLnUoioB06TavxRPEPO8ckhrJm6JUtPGdFB0NIzynz456ycoY98/s640/blogger-image--2069406478.jpg"></a></div>-Our guide, Dewa, holding the poo-bunches. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8uJhNKixttGHAtqiHkQ4MevP5QPU6xizPILYbBEbwBMPkJQv6UQul3K1bEbQA6y_UN4tVY__wl99_uvjElWheROzwkAyCtO4LM5745_tCAizbAON5rDvXuAtX6EIsK81niM6Mm7e8t4/s640/blogger-image-653626001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8uJhNKixttGHAtqiHkQ4MevP5QPU6xizPILYbBEbwBMPkJQv6UQul3K1bEbQA6y_UN4tVY__wl99_uvjElWheROzwkAyCtO4LM5745_tCAizbAON5rDvXuAtX6EIsK81niM6Mm7e8t4/s640/blogger-image-653626001.jpg"></a></div>-<i>Roasting and grinding the poo-coffee</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Because of the tedious processes involved in each step of creating the Luwak coffee (they just scrounge the forest grounds for the poop, the Lewaks are not in captivity nor are they potty trained) it is the most expensive coffee in the world. How crazy is that? The only people daring enough to try it (and pay for it) were two Dutch people in our group, who we became good friends with, they're awesome. Anyway, they said it was good but not worth the money! Insane.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The next stop we made was in a village where we were able to see the traditional Balinese Hindu family compound and temple. Every Balinese family compound consists of 3 sections: a family temple in one corner where daily offerings are made to the three main gods and then any other specific god they have a connection to (like a farmer would give a separate daily offering to the god over rain and crops), a birth, marriage, and death ceremonial building where important rituals are performed for the big events in life, and then the actual homes + separate kitchens. Multiple generations live in one compound, so the oldest living family gets the nicest home, then the rest get the smaller, more standard homes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHAW4P3RrYQXZb1UfU80OigxEKWUzOKJ84N7PzAHzwLeh2ZHcuQ2wU2L1WyRlcvvBqsvYMlvKZL3v3tmzxsNWg6XqLVqATeKgwqN1sb3QWSqZs89NsvJE_VvgmYEppZHtNYz8ZjF4vKA/s640/blogger-image--817456327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHAW4P3RrYQXZb1UfU80OigxEKWUzOKJ84N7PzAHzwLeh2ZHcuQ2wU2L1WyRlcvvBqsvYMlvKZL3v3tmzxsNWg6XqLVqATeKgwqN1sb3QWSqZs89NsvJE_VvgmYEppZHtNYz8ZjF4vKA/s640/blogger-image--817456327.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-<i>Family temple</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbDg26l2RBVbhrFnE3e2JfyIKniFQzq2-ULX_zSgCHSK6AdaBk59R79U_m4gkEo2JkdA1Am9Rkj36EL7-hnChJ0LxbveafWqQtBbEfiQopJ1uTZN3wlSB9ubTo_wST3h12a3JC1ptO_w/s640/blogger-image-1561239347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbDg26l2RBVbhrFnE3e2JfyIKniFQzq2-ULX_zSgCHSK6AdaBk59R79U_m4gkEo2JkdA1Am9Rkj36EL7-hnChJ0LxbveafWqQtBbEfiQopJ1uTZN3wlSB9ubTo_wST3h12a3JC1ptO_w/s640/blogger-image-1561239347.jpg"></a></div>-<i>Ceremony building</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5w3nWGKgFvRBHX9t1L8xwcEDOASL_hcY19FEGQmsMFdWBHJ7XzfMz1UkLti3exI5xNXuXqS4pOhElH-vFDiordck2lUUN1Yqtac3T2VpUqGRqkKNKbO3jJ6_IyWkyDuQ3HFwLug8xvLY/s640/blogger-image-1007301440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5w3nWGKgFvRBHX9t1L8xwcEDOASL_hcY19FEGQmsMFdWBHJ7XzfMz1UkLti3exI5xNXuXqS4pOhElH-vFDiordck2lUUN1Yqtac3T2VpUqGRqkKNKbO3jJ6_IyWkyDuQ3HFwLug8xvLY/s640/blogger-image-1007301440.jpg"></a></div></i></div><i>-Oldest family home</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">After seeing the compound we rode to one of the village temples (each family has a temple, each village has at least 3 temples, and then there are big ones all around Bali that serve the whole island), and it was so inspiring. Each temple is very much connected with nature around it. That's what is so cool about the Balinese Hindu faith, its strong ties to nature. The offerings they give every day are banana leaves with flowers, rice, cakes--things they grow and make--and their food is so clean and fresh... It makes me think about how removed I am from nature most of the time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ts8kksl1Z7PRdCI3LPSppCWevHgHosIuxkepcGFlkHowyPc6oDNh1ejaLNTqKtdMK41-w7dJgeKGVFA1fOPbMfcapyXJRVYAEim0ldo75nMcOZgLjn0L-6FD_lVp7JJPAFPUloFkGJ4/s640/blogger-image--1924310936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ts8kksl1Z7PRdCI3LPSppCWevHgHosIuxkepcGFlkHowyPc6oDNh1ejaLNTqKtdMK41-w7dJgeKGVFA1fOPbMfcapyXJRVYAEim0ldo75nMcOZgLjn0L-6FD_lVp7JJPAFPUloFkGJ4/s640/blogger-image--1924310936.jpg"></font></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-<i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This temple was dedicated to Ganesh, the remover of obstacles.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Another cool thing we learned was about the offerings themselves. Most offerings are made in the temples, but we have seen offerings on the front stoops of stores and even in the middle of street intersections! People put them there and offer them to the devil to please him so that he won't disturb them or the customers. They are in the intersections because they believe that even the directions (north, south, east, and west) represent some of the main gods, so by placing them in the middle of the intersections they are covering all the bases. Pretty neat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0gBaFT7T5cEix2V9C646T_TuYUkefDzFQ4R3iE_xGbCpjiPBEkBjxXe9khTy9-sD5vJ2erTUIGHIwLLKyvdQ9LfnHF590npvFJP0fVFhZvA-oQZ3sVCAwhE47ZdOzfbAeRFXKUnVGyk/s640/blogger-image--335179166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0gBaFT7T5cEix2V9C646T_TuYUkefDzFQ4R3iE_xGbCpjiPBEkBjxXe9khTy9-sD5vJ2erTUIGHIwLLKyvdQ9LfnHF590npvFJP0fVFhZvA-oQZ3sVCAwhE47ZdOzfbAeRFXKUnVGyk/s640/blogger-image--335179166.jpg"></a></div></div>-W<i>hat most offerings look like</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Anyway, <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">that was the bike ride! Way fun. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Next was our cooking class with a lady we fell in love with. But let's back up a bit. Yesterday we had dinner at a place called Mama's Warung. It was delicious food and the owner of the warung had an incredible story. Her parents passed away when she was young and she had this feeling that she should drop out of middle school and take care of her huge family. She cooked, cleaned, sold saris on the street to bring in money, and basically became the mom and dad to her older and younger siblings and cousins. She did so and through that experience she became an amazing cook, opened up a small warung in Ubud, and it has picked up momentum and now she has this amazing reputation and created this opportunity for her family to succeed in life. She's our hero. Anyway, while we were eating at her warung she was chatting with us about us, life, and how she learned to cook so well when we asked her if she knew of any good cooking classes around town. She said "Oh mama do it! Mama teach you to cook! Mama have cooking class." This didn't come as much of a surprise because most hosts in Ubud have a million connections and bend over backwards to keep their guests happy. So we booked a cooking class with mama for the following night (tonight) and it did not disappoint!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We showed up, not knowing what to expect, and adorable mama was waiting for us. She shooed us into the kitchen where she had already gotten all the ingredients ready for dinner. Stuff for pineapple chicken soup, green coconut curry, chicken satay with peanut sauce, and dada guling (these amazing coconut cane sugar crepe rolls). One of us would make the dish while she would explain how to make it while the other would write stuff down so we wouldn't forget how to make this amazing food. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2UbDEXsKu9p4CE7fkdGwLn9u6DLnsnJrqLtOwZqx4Nsz6XasfbJSYSF1HfKd7gUIoEAJcytse6RMaC5hO5l9goeCtzawuH849ehsjvgniJwo3ODgq_zHLb5cMtqYOoqwcv_QpIx2ejeI/s640/blogger-image-1212400111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2UbDEXsKu9p4CE7fkdGwLn9u6DLnsnJrqLtOwZqx4Nsz6XasfbJSYSF1HfKd7gUIoEAJcytse6RMaC5hO5l9goeCtzawuH849ehsjvgniJwo3ODgq_zHLb5cMtqYOoqwcv_QpIx2ejeI/s640/blogger-image-1212400111.jpg"></a></div>-Making pineapple chicken soup with mama</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This food guys. This food. This fooooooooood! Unreal. We talked while we cooked and ate, and one thing I don't want to forget is how she sounds (which I can't show you, though we did take video but our blogger app doesn't let us post video). She has this way of talking that is so sweet and fun. She always refers to herself in the third person and laughs at the end of almost everything she says. For example, at the end she said that we should come back and also give her a high rating on trip advisor. She said (as she points to a little trip advisor sticker on the window to her kitchen) "I have green sticker, okay, because mama already good! Okay? Haha!" She was awesome. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We were sweating our brains out while we cooked, which is not unusual because we have been constantly been sweating since we got here, but mama and her little staff cooks were dry as a bone. I don't get it. One of them even told Angie that it looked like she was in a sauna. Haha! Anyway, it was a sweet night that I hope I never forget. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCILegAxl4w4ORQjfrac7RQ5OTTC6Gobq7oIKDL9-cWb9qO3F35sIBqQLMzaL5TxH4bVWGUhhIPzU1lfztlOitdGR375SijPVvefyXg4_8QrC3Bl0zuXNYf2QqdLN0sAAbO6fy_VBZGE/s640/blogger-image--1609482390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCILegAxl4w4ORQjfrac7RQ5OTTC6Gobq7oIKDL9-cWb9qO3F35sIBqQLMzaL5TxH4bVWGUhhIPzU1lfztlOitdGR375SijPVvefyXg4_8QrC3Bl0zuXNYf2QqdLN0sAAbO6fy_VBZGE/s640/blogger-image--1609482390.jpg"></a></div>-<i>Famous chicken pineapple soup</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDod0qygW2OuT4YrGJJz3YwhQv4_2ltGGizYW8duGT4Ic8RR3HbQsIHWd1udDGoL1iq-8ghX0L3JAzqYPtHHu3SoWDgY-3mspCQHswf5o4Tm40hXI5_XANo_9OvRJ7voc9EGRC4eINWbI/s640/blogger-image--1129635529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDod0qygW2OuT4YrGJJz3YwhQv4_2ltGGizYW8duGT4Ic8RR3HbQsIHWd1udDGoL1iq-8ghX0L3JAzqYPtHHu3SoWDgY-3mspCQHswf5o4Tm40hXI5_XANo_9OvRJ7voc9EGRC4eINWbI/s640/blogger-image--1129635529.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>-The rest of the food and mama</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmSHQAvMlz5u_qoN5Xt-28x0ZUYMBGFCnCxiUAaLqyeNC1_dTRZh-t2aTySG1gGMxQ4QjDMKB30tzf1OCSTIFJ7BpFq2_PuXsSwpbXlu9AxbJTSrjfk5tTALjW1gpeLzh5ypTfOkCk8A/s640/blogger-image-738407383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmSHQAvMlz5u_qoN5Xt-28x0ZUYMBGFCnCxiUAaLqyeNC1_dTRZh-t2aTySG1gGMxQ4QjDMKB30tzf1OCSTIFJ7BpFq2_PuXsSwpbXlu9AxbJTSrjfk5tTALjW1gpeLzh5ypTfOkCk8A/s640/blogger-image-738407383.jpg"></a></div>-<i>Saying goodbye to this lady</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div>Tonight we are going to bed early because we gotta wake up at 2 am to hike a volcano! Peace. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-2293409022441104252016-05-28T14:30:00.001-07:002016-05-28T23:15:20.372-07:00Day 6: Ubud, BaliThursday, May 27, 2016<div><br></div><div><u>Today's Highlights:</u></div><div>-Yoga class</div><div>-Exploring the market </div><div>-Monkey Forest</div><div>-Legong Dance Show/nap</div><div><br></div><div>Today was finally a more relaxed day and came with the BEST activity of the whole trip! Guys, the monkeys! I don't know what else there is to say. But...I'll say more anyway </div><div><br></div><div>We started the morning in our nice little room at Made's Airbnb. Made is our new host and she is this spunky, hip, hilarious Balinese woman. And she has connections with anything you could ever want to do in Ubud. Plus her place is right by the center of town and is cheap cheap cheap. Win! This picture is right by our room at the door to her family temple:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rxJtysVoSOA5PY_8JPNTRU5GmJAvFBmmWHnPZRANXoAir62NNpOf5VQfnlveg9zljvggOqSTAQyst4ktPWZbjl0Fbub_OPpmtWE9NhsfSUBbtUizi0AiVtO0JwhJ8wsUNc93wWDEJXw/s640/blogger-image--1799237879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rxJtysVoSOA5PY_8JPNTRU5GmJAvFBmmWHnPZRANXoAir62NNpOf5VQfnlveg9zljvggOqSTAQyst4ktPWZbjl0Fbub_OPpmtWE9NhsfSUBbtUizi0AiVtO0JwhJ8wsUNc93wWDEJXw/s640/blogger-image--1799237879.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We got free breakfast (bowl of fresh fruit and a delish grilled banana sandwich, of course.) <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We are seriously served bananas at least 3 times a day, cooked different ways. If you love bananas, Bali is the place for you! (sorry Brianna 😬)</span></div><div><br></div><div>Our new pad:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoU-s44MMpxXG88nHIjlq7VJQA8fFdKymGnad7XLHnnbUlY2eWkPdbSnWFbnRS-WMubUjDVYsMC7naRFclMkcaXPJbHbtcLEh76JRkoNFKeAajyxwDGNe5l8lfnbCR-sWxQaGmgx8bwqY/s640/blogger-image--779031353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoU-s44MMpxXG88nHIjlq7VJQA8fFdKymGnad7XLHnnbUlY2eWkPdbSnWFbnRS-WMubUjDVYsMC7naRFclMkcaXPJbHbtcLEh76JRkoNFKeAajyxwDGNe5l8lfnbCR-sWxQaGmgx8bwqY/s640/blogger-image--779031353.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRofT1PV51W1AjafH6Yz-kgVQsU5kiHsg6-sTYWewvEHvwPVWODkXYJ7Gc_NqwVtvIDgT5SukOw5XS23GCqiqLOSBxk4q3Y4Ew0Hgd0oPX4L0OUL_SzncjcFbV6lvcnlFmyDj-D1LmjF8/s640/blogger-image--221277849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRofT1PV51W1AjafH6Yz-kgVQsU5kiHsg6-sTYWewvEHvwPVWODkXYJ7Gc_NqwVtvIDgT5SukOw5XS23GCqiqLOSBxk4q3Y4Ew0Hgd0oPX4L0OUL_SzncjcFbV6lvcnlFmyDj-D1LmjF8/s640/blogger-image--221277849.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>So this morning we decided we really wanted to try some yoga. We asked Made if there's a place she would recommend. Turns out "Radiantly Alive Yoga" was just up the street so we showed up at 9, hoping to find a class starting and we got lucky! Even though we kind of expected Balinese yoga, it was basically all foreign white peeps, living in or visiting Ubud. Still cool. </div><div><br></div><div>However, as we sat there putting out our mats and such before class, the guy next to me started doing these crazy inversions which made me a little nervous that maybe we shouldn't be in this class. When h<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">e busted out a one-handed handstand, that confirmed it. We were way out of our depth here. I went and asked the front desk about it and apparently this was the advanced class. WHAT?! That's the kind of thing you tell a person when they come to do a yoga class!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">There was nothing we could do. The room was packed and the white guy hippie teacher with the beard braids was starting so we couldn't leave. We just decided to stick it out and do the best we could. And by some miraculous power, we mostly kept up with him! But </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">let me tell you, I have never worked harder or sweat more in MY LIFE than I did in that class (and that's a big statement because I'm a girl that's pretty good at sweating, not to brag or anything). Plus we accidentally picked the sunniest spot in the room like noobs. Despite the pools of sweat, it ended up being really fun! And we were pretty proud of ourselves!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIBIQ15SJiPtCxzR2RJnct2QZcrSeffa3bBmkoiIpIsnPAPn6ABK6H8leNoP9FNT6KCisXXW-28DhQGnN5qsS6AXvFIZU2Hm4j4CSRET7q7ULQ6qdvDIaPAN_LU83q4VkQS3JkfQN8Bs/s640/blogger-image--2086311427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIBIQ15SJiPtCxzR2RJnct2QZcrSeffa3bBmkoiIpIsnPAPn6ABK6H8leNoP9FNT6KCisXXW-28DhQGnN5qsS6AXvFIZU2Hm4j4CSRET7q7ULQ6qdvDIaPAN_LU83q4VkQS3JkfQN8Bs/s640/blogger-image--2086311427.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">After class, a bunch of people stayed to mess around and show each other up with their insane inversions. We obviously won. One-handed handstand's got nothing on us, right?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVPhWYEbyPyOkN0XMwv5jDGua26QG2EHE_c6pYrUUna95EkTpcpUBlVciuvMZAIAVqotecSKDvpIzkYiQXAFLpT5Vjcxolbgvne6Uthyphenhyphenq5vvExetbnxjxht9aQOGBMop6QKDl1u6N64A/s640/blogger-image--1271181163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVPhWYEbyPyOkN0XMwv5jDGua26QG2EHE_c6pYrUUna95EkTpcpUBlVciuvMZAIAVqotecSKDvpIzkYiQXAFLpT5Vjcxolbgvne6Uthyphenhyphenq5vvExetbnxjxht9aQOGBMop6QKDl1u6N64A/s640/blogger-image--1271181163.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQH81wkLgH8DtQssSVLCs62D9FAXD9b7Z588M7O3Ltggsn7K-xOPGCCHTtOJGHEdIfLCboKB9tN_igSikS6n2a1TQR7MIT6zeBAFigQ4aYNDYg42DTReliwtgqaAmYZE9BQEqQSkSHB_M/s640/blogger-image--1275465194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQH81wkLgH8DtQssSVLCs62D9FAXD9b7Z588M7O3Ltggsn7K-xOPGCCHTtOJGHEdIfLCboKB9tN_igSikS6n2a1TQR7MIT6zeBAFigQ4aYNDYg42DTReliwtgqaAmYZE9BQEqQSkSHB_M/s640/blogger-image--1275465194.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Post-yoga snack break. This next picture kinda says it all. Oops...</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgHBFuXD5P3GLVtS1_cs6EUt1I7vuZ9FA56mOts6OzsFrx6dJKuaUG0xsv2Cqv2Q3axWntmPXv6jzrS4xIsdNohCF7iRJ-nxIReZ__hH9odqxYnLfSVLqGCQ_3WOdRme9-PwXj6lYVpA/s640/blogger-image--1626455940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgHBFuXD5P3GLVtS1_cs6EUt1I7vuZ9FA56mOts6OzsFrx6dJKuaUG0xsv2Cqv2Q3axWntmPXv6jzrS4xIsdNohCF7iRJ-nxIReZ__hH9odqxYnLfSVLqGCQ_3WOdRme9-PwXj6lYVpA/s640/blogger-image--1626455940.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Because we were already sweaty, we decided to take the long way home and explore the Ubud market for awhile. Those salesmen are good! If you even glance at something in their shop as you walk past, they somehow know exactly what you were looking at and pounce, trying to get you to buy it. Intense, but still fun!</div><div><br></div><div>We finally made it back home, showered (which was pointless because we started sweating again the second we stepped outside), and set off to the long-awaited, much-anticipated most exciting part of the trip: </div><div><br></div><div>Monkey Forest!!</div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I was preeeeeeety excited for this section of our trip and let me tell you, It did not disappoint.</span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyi6xcsgPLGBGuTp4ICThByH0zkubRzQMVSkQr34u6JuplYsW54O_IuhBQ1W8FF7mHXXRNsw24gpAUHvwH8SjHIPhbCbsbF44_xejqlZk0_zyl70pFy2RN_ILFm_oPfum3AfJIPy4pU0/s640/blogger-image--1494319579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyi6xcsgPLGBGuTp4ICThByH0zkubRzQMVSkQr34u6JuplYsW54O_IuhBQ1W8FF7mHXXRNsw24gpAUHvwH8SjHIPhbCbsbF44_xejqlZk0_zyl70pFy2RN_ILFm_oPfum3AfJIPy4pU0/s640/blogger-image--1494319579.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div>Monkeys were EVERYWHERE! Whole packs of them running right past you, perched next to you, or jumping across the trees above you. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. We were both mesmerized and could have stayed watching them for hours (and basically did). Before you enter, the signs at the entrance say that the monkeys may try to take things and if they do, let them have it. If you fight to get it back, they may attack you. I planned to follow the rules but still didn't think they would attack anyone. They wouldn't really let people in if the monkeys attack, right?</div><div><br></div><div>Wrong! Indonesia plays by different rules. Right at the start, a monkey saw a ticket sticking out of a girls pocket and grabbed it. She must not have read the sign because she grabbed it and tried to pull it back from him and HE BIT HER! Right under her armpit! We watched the whole thing happen and it was freaky, to say the least. </div><div><br></div><div>Coming straight out of that experience, you can understand my extreme fear/paranoia when about two minutes later I see this little guy following me VERY CLOSELY 😳. I started walking a little faster and suddenly he jumped up on me! As he perched himself on my shoulder, I just kept frantically going through the rules we read in my head, trying my hardest not to freak out (as evidenced by my face, I didn't really succeed):</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17UlL0F5srq7BcnKvrB8xhJFcUk3bZIDByOUzBZDkZeOxlhWcOLyBruJwwngTGc6Og_Cf5FhJByx-3hK3w5J2mIw86tg9OJIJSsPpZLKBesFda8MWmREgGGFV8aS76KIKGlyk0THo-CU/s640/blogger-image--1268101950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17UlL0F5srq7BcnKvrB8xhJFcUk3bZIDByOUzBZDkZeOxlhWcOLyBruJwwngTGc6Og_Cf5FhJByx-3hK3w5J2mIw86tg9OJIJSsPpZLKBesFda8MWmREgGGFV8aS76KIKGlyk0THo-CU/s640/blogger-image--1268101950.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Finally the little guy lunged at the huge water bottle I had in my hands (as big as him). I immediately let go of it and monkey and bottle fell to the ground together, and then ran off, together, up a tree. It was the craziest!! We even watched as he bit at the cap and messed with it until he got it off and then drank it! Poor lil guy was just thirsty. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Vv6p6GhByJUE56G2QzwrjIfdyZuXlYz1ylLhS3YStLUY1UWfyE6zNleya_9wGZqrm6Z_qF2AlBXu7kxDJzy1t6h9-wWnmr7qoVbvnFsA42iy625x6CxMTTA6_Hx0Pp1SAmdf4vSfeY8/s640/blogger-image-1356226872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Vv6p6GhByJUE56G2QzwrjIfdyZuXlYz1ylLhS3YStLUY1UWfyE6zNleya_9wGZqrm6Z_qF2AlBXu7kxDJzy1t6h9-wWnmr7qoVbvnFsA42iy625x6CxMTTA6_Hx0Pp1SAmdf4vSfeY8/s640/blogger-image-1356226872.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAiYHeCu0NR7p0bBr2OZSTAg8unUo50MfaB3SCf_jOa7rbcP-J8ZGahnffGAHzRI-CJRjmnKCJRtMtUhyKMklG3zbjagNtEvoiTTqCIR9-EEtv7kH5edCFMfnR0pMNfPfpyzxj_WoOaI/s640/blogger-image--2008739006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAiYHeCu0NR7p0bBr2OZSTAg8unUo50MfaB3SCf_jOa7rbcP-J8ZGahnffGAHzRI-CJRjmnKCJRtMtUhyKMklG3zbjagNtEvoiTTqCIR9-EEtv7kH5edCFMfnR0pMNfPfpyzxj_WoOaI/s640/blogger-image--2008739006.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>So the first experience was kind of terrifying, but to be fair, it all happened in our first five minutes. After that, we got used to them and they lost their scariness and just became cute. Really cute. Adorable. We even started using other water bottles and treats we found on the ground to make friends with them and encourage them to interact with us. Worked like a charm :)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHncrYqhz5BheJVhgn-lIgWnzzyyN-OsP8h7jxv5Zfy8woQOCS1yKiH0avmAZnHvbC93twlhtlcgIEpmIfRhgQOlC3lpN57XJKmVGV1qEpqJy7D9MQOlAcF8NO7NDJQc2MXPjRAmoclI/s640/blogger-image--951332646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHncrYqhz5BheJVhgn-lIgWnzzyyN-OsP8h7jxv5Zfy8woQOCS1yKiH0avmAZnHvbC93twlhtlcgIEpmIfRhgQOlC3lpN57XJKmVGV1qEpqJy7D9MQOlAcF8NO7NDJQc2MXPjRAmoclI/s640/blogger-image--951332646.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44g6jHGbB2nWXGxFLFuf5169L55C5Io6oe9b_uvGlA-aUZouGRCE3leXKNNIO0k7_YikHiF9b-7rEVEGEBLxYuqoor-4U8ryd_Bv2zJ1Xm__A0vACHRQEEO5W20qa-5W-Se7m_NL5ztg/s640/blogger-image--1777074234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44g6jHGbB2nWXGxFLFuf5169L55C5Io6oe9b_uvGlA-aUZouGRCE3leXKNNIO0k7_YikHiF9b-7rEVEGEBLxYuqoor-4U8ryd_Bv2zJ1Xm__A0vACHRQEEO5W20qa-5W-Se7m_NL5ztg/s640/blogger-image--1777074234.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-62lYV8PNww5HLDSum4FkLBYaim6dak3jj0PCmHwX4spzNyTBhTjQl337dpXrnmKDfrVwk4YI1nain6PJua5tOKhoVNIej45pBBHHFk1Y0pi7Z2KL8r7TMLVwdPt8bagkyMBvmpcS6wU/s640/blogger-image--226799540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-62lYV8PNww5HLDSum4FkLBYaim6dak3jj0PCmHwX4spzNyTBhTjQl337dpXrnmKDfrVwk4YI1nain6PJua5tOKhoVNIej45pBBHHFk1Y0pi7Z2KL8r7TMLVwdPt8bagkyMBvmpcS6wU/s640/blogger-image--226799540.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Even just watching them interact with each other was SO fascinating. There were lots of mamas with sweet babies holding on to their chest for dear life as the mamas ran through the forest. It was the best!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JhL9_R3vMNmhZZ5QUXgc46q-0r6VkX2KD_4VmMpWVkRAs_Ebuda91qyvdNet_vcklF8vAi0BfnsjTJPIfOd-T3gRloQ-do1A13VDHGFpekMSYk7JkBVPuyl1sBcGN8ynipTGoGAnIEQ/s640/blogger-image-410468418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JhL9_R3vMNmhZZ5QUXgc46q-0r6VkX2KD_4VmMpWVkRAs_Ebuda91qyvdNet_vcklF8vAi0BfnsjTJPIfOd-T3gRloQ-do1A13VDHGFpekMSYk7JkBVPuyl1sBcGN8ynipTGoGAnIEQ/s640/blogger-image-410468418.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpu4EpzgLWXWnGVltt3o25jEwsSoTzZKApDEC8_tuylSbzK_-4BqHQVmtPjkTh3cNbslJsqy1rYGVKlGSlnhVu11UtL8RG6Ja6L71LJCyo_PhqpK2L-ink-wvOdCMhQqEPA5Zujn95UU/s640/blogger-image-385836386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpu4EpzgLWXWnGVltt3o25jEwsSoTzZKApDEC8_tuylSbzK_-4BqHQVmtPjkTh3cNbslJsqy1rYGVKlGSlnhVu11UtL8RG6Ja6L71LJCyo_PhqpK2L-ink-wvOdCMhQqEPA5Zujn95UU/s640/blogger-image-385836386.jpg"></a></div>Are you kidding me with this?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div>We watched them wrestle and play and steal each other's food and we loved it so much! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4MHJeVzmoIETDtjpq-Z-u_2z1myYydYuM975Oy4sbI-0x2NnyxDk5hvocBP1-juLs0Fa8NF9g9roqlkeEf-FRNjM0_qikQ0FU4bwFHmxfzAwmfWeB9Kh2f1ukehWp2Ns53OZ8fFeH1A/s640/blogger-image--11780529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4MHJeVzmoIETDtjpq-Z-u_2z1myYydYuM975Oy4sbI-0x2NnyxDk5hvocBP1-juLs0Fa8NF9g9roqlkeEf-FRNjM0_qikQ0FU4bwFHmxfzAwmfWeB9Kh2f1ukehWp2Ns53OZ8fFeH1A/s640/blogger-image--11780529.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>As if the monkeys weren't reason enough to be SUPER happy, the forest itself was beautiful!! The trees and stone bridges were incredible!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lrUd6-pO4Aw7jKhOJU7R6hkVE-9YSaPzETVZ7bja_f8eudHuUuBfTr6i6L1m4kLaonxksb30e76h2T_XPU0hS9cC_NaCzKBt7mozwjAONf9NeWjb6qAHQRqEUaPr8UK4Gpg2BtmAxiI/s640/blogger-image-607349763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lrUd6-pO4Aw7jKhOJU7R6hkVE-9YSaPzETVZ7bja_f8eudHuUuBfTr6i6L1m4kLaonxksb30e76h2T_XPU0hS9cC_NaCzKBt7mozwjAONf9NeWjb6qAHQRqEUaPr8UK4Gpg2BtmAxiI/s640/blogger-image-607349763.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloYriZAthu2wTSz0gdK343xCXbaHemKAnuJNRLLvkbqR-_P6JVwplGyrnaf9wT4_-6c6H5aKOUVGYwmNChfMGEOnQIwZK38J3JXR7zKxJzi0L7stWQIme1bOKcFkPmkwwvrdYr7GaWNo/s640/blogger-image--450407131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloYriZAthu2wTSz0gdK343xCXbaHemKAnuJNRLLvkbqR-_P6JVwplGyrnaf9wT4_-6c6H5aKOUVGYwmNChfMGEOnQIwZK38J3JXR7zKxJzi0L7stWQIme1bOKcFkPmkwwvrdYr7GaWNo/s640/blogger-image--450407131.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Basically it was a dream day! I really don't think anything else could top this. </div><div><br></div><div>We decided to end our night watching a performance of the Mahabharata (a Hindu epic tale). Robbie tells me it was pretty good. I wouldn't know. My $6 experience was spent, yet again, like this:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71MDqD27uF1E7Byr0OzFHjTIkEbVlgponBxuNcSPINxwlNG27K1J6_EpUA0tFZ6BRkxuUP90uQEBsD5ObYve-yiMsgYZkk1EhHopMBTYkZd85AtVqZP7yo4etW4_BM__LSz0s3j4h2XE/s640/blogger-image-317284398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71MDqD27uF1E7Byr0OzFHjTIkEbVlgponBxuNcSPINxwlNG27K1J6_EpUA0tFZ6BRkxuUP90uQEBsD5ObYve-yiMsgYZkk1EhHopMBTYkZd85AtVqZP7yo4etW4_BM__LSz0s3j4h2XE/s640/blogger-image-317284398.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>But here are some highlights Robbie took during my expensive nap. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFUlqfF-w4Nvl18fajebnKQZUSWdy4ce-VD6s57WEA7wqv6f2iuSFz2PNUxKryIuSYSb8gPevaT5Rdi08vi8SeB5lDF2DBBwy14nOYj4qp71jDBc19jvHGhQvTQFmd7y-zpBaMksdOjs/s640/blogger-image-1246563763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFUlqfF-w4Nvl18fajebnKQZUSWdy4ce-VD6s57WEA7wqv6f2iuSFz2PNUxKryIuSYSb8gPevaT5Rdi08vi8SeB5lDF2DBBwy14nOYj4qp71jDBc19jvHGhQvTQFmd7y-zpBaMksdOjs/s640/blogger-image-1246563763.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1Izhl4pyc1iZ7G0DXEEoN8nvQUEm3tmYSgrJD98XtrqcyOl73qzBjr_uaBKR8JMn28e7ZhZges_Y4G88nVFNNItElWpiX-wXp263lNNQxwnVRk3zVrgE2S7N8LG0a1sVbhwmgU4ncHg/s640/blogger-image-1277157338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1Izhl4pyc1iZ7G0DXEEoN8nvQUEm3tmYSgrJD98XtrqcyOl73qzBjr_uaBKR8JMn28e7ZhZges_Y4G88nVFNNItElWpiX-wXp263lNNQxwnVRk3zVrgE2S7N8LG0a1sVbhwmgU4ncHg/s640/blogger-image-1277157338.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0dDqGRtUOoCkFVxQ_g0x08ljB4lyISbb_PLXi_h9YCXzlqblDK52k4uIZwA1oG9qfu7vaQTNdy0vfdEGMp7cz5x954VwKi9Ep-QynHh0rd_juP6C_dyUxa7bv9yknXaJylDRH64UKNE/s640/blogger-image--1717162524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0dDqGRtUOoCkFVxQ_g0x08ljB4lyISbb_PLXi_h9YCXzlqblDK52k4uIZwA1oG9qfu7vaQTNdy0vfdEGMp7cz5x954VwKi9Ep-QynHh0rd_juP6C_dyUxa7bv9yknXaJylDRH64UKNE/s640/blogger-image--1717162524.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Amazing day!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-31466643291641927142016-05-25T21:36:00.001-07:002016-05-25T21:58:41.645-07:00Day 5: Lovina to Ubud, BaliWednesday, May 25, 2016<div><br></div><div>Today's Highlights</div><div> -Sunrise Dolphin Watching!</div><div> -Snorkeling</div><div> -Enjoying paradise</div><div> -Buddhist Monastery</div><div> -Arriving in Ubud</div><div><br></div><div>Angie's back. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Brace yourselves for picture overload! So today</span> was packed but so much fun! ! I feel like we got a little of everything today: action, peaceful relaxation and culture. We woke up this morning long before the sun (Thanks again, jet lag) and headed out to Lovina Beach to see the dolphins! Apparently every morning at sunrise a whole group of them gather about a mile off shore and you can take a boat out there to watch them. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7Ja2sVvDnHgkb8yZeqWulW2_brqx-exbRrU4UJsCZxdQr_zbphRaeMRRsRSORvNWumdMzclb8a7WLwo3vdCVceiO33IG7EFoWoqnlgls1ZwlLOOp_e74X_7a6fkTbs3-VQapO-geyks/s640/blogger-image-1572594524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7Ja2sVvDnHgkb8yZeqWulW2_brqx-exbRrU4UJsCZxdQr_zbphRaeMRRsRSORvNWumdMzclb8a7WLwo3vdCVceiO33IG7EFoWoqnlgls1ZwlLOOp_e74X_7a6fkTbs3-VQapO-geyks/s640/blogger-image-1572594524.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div>This is our sweet boat captain, Ketut and his mighty ship (basically a canoe powered by a weed wacker. Seriously.) We hopped in and set sail! Err...set weed wacker. To the sun!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7kdX57vsFjRn80aNCVh02MRjmZ8mrt6NCFYcpBANhzxD9tHhyphenhyphengxJSxeEqwnxAowrrADOxtp7bWentkaAYIWBQr2RSWq-_b2kIiWF4lVF0aSAb5cSgvrrsg1ToX12kaC7x8G_02Cm7-k/s640/blogger-image--1715175337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7kdX57vsFjRn80aNCVh02MRjmZ8mrt6NCFYcpBANhzxD9tHhyphenhyphengxJSxeEqwnxAowrrADOxtp7bWentkaAYIWBQr2RSWq-_b2kIiWF4lVF0aSAb5cSgvrrsg1ToX12kaC7x8G_02Cm7-k/s640/blogger-image--1715175337.jpg"></a></div><i>First spotting! Can you see that fin in the distance?</i></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzeG6reiYothr6qcuHVLZ0h-sBKbfXJZAxbPXJ-ndS3Xo2M_jDiZemUYvPiAfL8IcHsCfMHS5vSQrm6XHmKFvsFifTwCgr7z0PunJ6uq5dQDCCVcwX90gMpHB2WoQEl0YlRYA8gOiP-Y/s640/blogger-image-1600756636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzeG6reiYothr6qcuHVLZ0h-sBKbfXJZAxbPXJ-ndS3Xo2M_jDiZemUYvPiAfL8IcHsCfMHS5vSQrm6XHmKFvsFifTwCgr7z0PunJ6uq5dQDCCVcwX90gMpHB2WoQEl0YlRYA8gOiP-Y/s640/blogger-image-1600756636.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>There were about 50 other boats out there dolphin watching too. And when I say watching, I mean chasing. Someone would spot them popping up in the middle of us somewhere and all 50 boats would take off chasing them down and then they would disappear beneath the surface. At first I felt bad for the dolphins, but then I realized they have the entire ocean to escape to but they choose to keep popping up right in the middle of these boats. It kind of seemed like they were playing a game, like Nuca does when she's escaped and we are trying to catch her. Once I realized that, I just loved every second. They're hard to see on camera but it felt pretty miraculous in real life. Dolphins in their natural habitat! Just popping up all over the place!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YQR47IgVlCuGQ3jXSaMrYA0bQXK_yBIryioztRpNi_Sh_C3dB6WxTJE6biIuUx05nY194QXPZ9N9ckt_vCC8gOavzrqNESYD-sOzGdM4wk5VRB0a14XANz3FtmeBo1PtKC6N6omxz9w/s640/blogger-image-44708658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YQR47IgVlCuGQ3jXSaMrYA0bQXK_yBIryioztRpNi_Sh_C3dB6WxTJE6biIuUx05nY194QXPZ9N9ckt_vCC8gOavzrqNESYD-sOzGdM4wk5VRB0a14XANz3FtmeBo1PtKC6N6omxz9w/s640/blogger-image-44708658.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2x1GAOqquoe4NnYG__YOFT5-9gOHeUiTV9nSfDt1wrm1MyHNnPBSubbErHwx4xFPqCYB1RRbMdJ6Yq59i8_cvzgmJdNE9eY5dnUeHtzxCDYh2pHLpp0GJxwekS8eNO49182qF3mXai4/s640/blogger-image--1384773725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2x1GAOqquoe4NnYG__YOFT5-9gOHeUiTV9nSfDt1wrm1MyHNnPBSubbErHwx4xFPqCYB1RRbMdJ6Yq59i8_cvzgmJdNE9eY5dnUeHtzxCDYh2pHLpp0GJxwekS8eNO49182qF3mXai4/s640/blogger-image--1384773725.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv76mLv3EFVnaiuDbfOnOXzbge8K3SBAg2fz7x2d0i4NB57POaE7ydgfyIsIvXQfsKhKGKG63kFCJLwfKVyqK0nfHaXwLRQ8G4vCW6Mp2jJXhLDeAOw8fOZ09vg8a4VaWwN82q3yzSt-M/s640/blogger-image-1840229090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv76mLv3EFVnaiuDbfOnOXzbge8K3SBAg2fz7x2d0i4NB57POaE7ydgfyIsIvXQfsKhKGKG63kFCJLwfKVyqK0nfHaXwLRQ8G4vCW6Mp2jJXhLDeAOw8fOZ09vg8a4VaWwN82q3yzSt-M/s640/blogger-image-1840229090.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>So amazing!!</div><div><br></div><div>Ketut was kind of a one-man show because we ALSO paid him to take us out snorkeling a little later, which was pretty dang awesome. I'm not sure how clean the gear was but I just blocked that from my mind :) These views were worth it!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEPBz4LL4rbWEb8NZW9aa9MeYTjFAtlvP9x4KLYKOYtxRkDM9BFFz8JgCGs0j7nTn2Vfn3S2asbwhdzVmDV2SS8aGGQT-Gw0faug7Wle3vumzonfiAtvC96E92mPrcpmRI3oDiBEyHSM/s640/blogger-image-1940197657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEPBz4LL4rbWEb8NZW9aa9MeYTjFAtlvP9x4KLYKOYtxRkDM9BFFz8JgCGs0j7nTn2Vfn3S2asbwhdzVmDV2SS8aGGQT-Gw0faug7Wle3vumzonfiAtvC96E92mPrcpmRI3oDiBEyHSM/s640/blogger-image-1940197657.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA92rtRK2C4tu8ygkVn_FFIbvXssKF_gRbujU4BhGbCt-Cq5KWTInRB0VEPRorQw5T5MsQl6T-LphuQqhqkac9DvAzq2XEAnNf5e1u36iIZznCI3dNi2WPBGASgwJyPVEd2YvVwPsKf-A/s640/blogger-image-236711298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA92rtRK2C4tu8ygkVn_FFIbvXssKF_gRbujU4BhGbCt-Cq5KWTInRB0VEPRorQw5T5MsQl6T-LphuQqhqkac9DvAzq2XEAnNf5e1u36iIZznCI3dNi2WPBGASgwJyPVEd2YvVwPsKf-A/s640/blogger-image-236711298.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87s4LGv2uf4uTDmj8qx6Cib7PgR-wSxqpMAUjpVMuqMdQxBDwDctUdIk2XnMxH7VKJB4_tgHqC-ydK_6zvYY0e26PQV4WjVN0Ok-J0EdLQkfVKUB2l6ThtNaoREc7Vc_EF02ArQQ3y70/s640/blogger-image--495894069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87s4LGv2uf4uTDmj8qx6Cib7PgR-wSxqpMAUjpVMuqMdQxBDwDctUdIk2XnMxH7VKJB4_tgHqC-ydK_6zvYY0e26PQV4WjVN0Ok-J0EdLQkfVKUB2l6ThtNaoREc7Vc_EF02ArQQ3y70/s640/blogger-image--495894069.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrfE7JoeHQd_vFc13iKpTurCQqhd35b4a21Voou6bsmHplNWP3_nLkpjYILHMWLUeMiXlQot6WbwOt7_raCIz2LvjD9QstTNJyT3a5vv1CtxPPoPm2NzI9kXfWwlq95bSTCvdV4CXQLY/s640/blogger-image-1215817434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrfE7JoeHQd_vFc13iKpTurCQqhd35b4a21Voou6bsmHplNWP3_nLkpjYILHMWLUeMiXlQot6WbwOt7_raCIz2LvjD9QstTNJyT3a5vv1CtxPPoPm2NzI9kXfWwlq95bSTCvdV4CXQLY/s640/blogger-image-1215817434.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xn3Mb7DaKz4KfkeMYKbglLRqB-Je8tKAXFs6M2R0kHAOMeVdlf0Llcd06PTv65s0lJwKExc2ugHr8XvSB7Sw2W3Ez4o1PvsYkGP_opeHQXiz1UKhahNzhpaSh-Acboj6UYXDPt29yB8/s640/blogger-image--949950129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xn3Mb7DaKz4KfkeMYKbglLRqB-Je8tKAXFs6M2R0kHAOMeVdlf0Llcd06PTv65s0lJwKExc2ugHr8XvSB7Sw2W3Ez4o1PvsYkGP_opeHQXiz1UKhahNzhpaSh-Acboj6UYXDPt29yB8/s640/blogger-image--949950129.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cx-qvSJfCNw3_dtmwm7vjDC7ykTgcKAghyrQAcMgxS1KyKhZ3yWmPaPXx8Yaw_8DTF7PrEWcZNjUjyMW26tbzCUH3prdQIopiygo4fBWslEKvGUn3-bwMCaiQ0ziV1kR1eOlTrCAzYw/s640/blogger-image-152629509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cx-qvSJfCNw3_dtmwm7vjDC7ykTgcKAghyrQAcMgxS1KyKhZ3yWmPaPXx8Yaw_8DTF7PrEWcZNjUjyMW26tbzCUH3prdQIopiygo4fBWslEKvGUn3-bwMCaiQ0ziV1kR1eOlTrCAzYw/s640/blogger-image-152629509.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After our morning adventures, we came back to our own personal paradise to suck out every bit of relaxation we could before we had to leave. Seriously, I know Robbie mentioned this yesterday, but THIS PLACE! We want to live here. And our room didn't even have hot water so that must tell you how amazing everything else was. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyMh3S3qxaJ9w5Ncp6nyCpkQCmLZdjg2v1FJJQSQVglZ8JJVRZlaaF9BmQiLuIijusjBLxuEOGi3eHobRMrffxX8V1g1jRMVopckVDDRp3ALwBLOXMTDz23e5IAWrwbz7hYtuImVO-xU/s640/blogger-image-560562087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyMh3S3qxaJ9w5Ncp6nyCpkQCmLZdjg2v1FJJQSQVglZ8JJVRZlaaF9BmQiLuIijusjBLxuEOGi3eHobRMrffxX8V1g1jRMVopckVDDRp3ALwBLOXMTDz23e5IAWrwbz7hYtuImVO-xU/s640/blogger-image-560562087.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXcJg9HImDncb391eD6RyxzjwjwTzM4lM9bicd4IyStd3mm-EKDRcKYVp8Ie05Y3qFrDZk-uakwBCNYfVuNafh6pYiaAMKVGdOShy3eNU-8f8VcfUNcpNeGlZdcScR1KZSZvNRiJfwgk/s640/blogger-image--500607155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXcJg9HImDncb391eD6RyxzjwjwTzM4lM9bicd4IyStd3mm-EKDRcKYVp8Ie05Y3qFrDZk-uakwBCNYfVuNafh6pYiaAMKVGdOShy3eNU-8f8VcfUNcpNeGlZdcScR1KZSZvNRiJfwgk/s640/blogger-image--500607155.jpg"></a></div><div><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Employees giving the daily offering. These flowers with burning incense were placed all around the grounds, starting with the temple.</i></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoDZdNayk2IxnqeTeUEODhl6NGRfiyFbU6B36THSQNmNRytcBned3RKWIFk1Ij4j1vtTj_YuwQjtgw006Mpf_I9E0gREOOK-NgEMZJqq0RaEJ5ZXTwZv0gYOfGxYdRmY1aiQK_vv_19Y/s640/blogger-image--119177301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNoDZdNayk2IxnqeTeUEODhl6NGRfiyFbU6B36THSQNmNRytcBned3RKWIFk1Ij4j1vtTj_YuwQjtgw006Mpf_I9E0gREOOK-NgEMZJqq0RaEJ5ZXTwZv0gYOfGxYdRmY1aiQK_vv_19Y/s640/blogger-image--119177301.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div><div>Gosh, I would come back here in a heartbeat. Plus, it was only about a block from the quiet beach. For anyone traveling to Bali, stay at the Rambutan Boutique Hotel in Lovina. It will blow your freaking mind.</div><div><br></div><div>We <i>finally </i>gathered the courage to say goodbye and jumped in a car with our new driver Wayan (yep, that's our third Wayan so far). We were heading to Ubud, but this sweet guy took us on a scenic path which was amazing. We started at the Buddhist Monastery. We had to wear sarongs, so this is little Wayan teaching Robbie the ways. This might be my favorite picture of the trip so far:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9oJfyETpPybkBrFXpPa87iw7DEcsMHlagEzqgpSUwzBeOLa4r9gqyPF3oxMclKWN5QntgPw5g16wt92j9_uD2wesXUT2CQ03PPrQCeGz2ERQbwBCIIh2v0hdMDvxV0XA4dsRVgvfBWo/s640/blogger-image-1261318956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9oJfyETpPybkBrFXpPa87iw7DEcsMHlagEzqgpSUwzBeOLa4r9gqyPF3oxMclKWN5QntgPw5g16wt92j9_uD2wesXUT2CQ03PPrQCeGz2ERQbwBCIIh2v0hdMDvxV0XA4dsRVgvfBWo/s640/blogger-image-1261318956.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyMoQCz05-XXMwFqWzJEfEL6THMCEqfniFyj_Fty7ZRG8xIfo4FcL3SuH-jBw3LAcVQl6h1c3_dDjhC-SMEauvpnMzD6u7KdlEWJ1gZHEsDcwlIJnlx-ImrUSqhSJL48YmoXtq0oWw5I/s640/blogger-image--671181218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyMoQCz05-XXMwFqWzJEfEL6THMCEqfniFyj_Fty7ZRG8xIfo4FcL3SuH-jBw3LAcVQl6h1c3_dDjhC-SMEauvpnMzD6u7KdlEWJ1gZHEsDcwlIJnlx-ImrUSqhSJL48YmoXtq0oWw5I/s640/blogger-image--671181218.jpg"></a></div><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Beautiful!</i></span></div><div><u style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></u></div><div><u style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Quick History Lesson:</u></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For those unfamiliar, this statue below is commemorating the moment Siddhartha Gautama reached nirvana and became the Buddha or "the enlightened one." He had been a prince sheltered from the world for most of his young life and when he finally went out into the world, he saw immense suffering. As the Buddha, he came up with the four noble truths:</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1) Life is suffering</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2) Suffering is caused by our desires (attaching ourselves to objects or ideas)</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">3) The only way to end our suffering is to end our desires </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">4) We can train our minds to end desires by following the 8-fold path (having the right mindset, intentions, speech, etc.). </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When we have completely ended our desires and cravings, we can reach a state of nirvana as well and become "enlightened." </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pretty cool stuff. </span></div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAI7g5pYXRQXzp3TKJcd5yfti820oGbW96MUH5IbONoBMmkB5KzFx3tUyCeNjPAPU6xosjPOIKYo0BODIWqzPDwyBLWXC0jdh6xiRpo-gUfSwY43w-isWxQ3YJkzi_B870n-TK73V-2o/s640/blogger-image-767740911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAI7g5pYXRQXzp3TKJcd5yfti820oGbW96MUH5IbONoBMmkB5KzFx3tUyCeNjPAPU6xosjPOIKYo0BODIWqzPDwyBLWXC0jdh6xiRpo-gUfSwY43w-isWxQ3YJkzi_B870n-TK73V-2o/s640/blogger-image-767740911.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div><div>Funny story about this next pic. We got to the top of the hill to get to the temple and reached this opening. We saw this monk sitting there watching us and we didn't know what to do. We both quietly smiled and nodded and he still just stared straight at us, not smiling. Not even blinking. It probably took us two full minutes of avoiding eye contact with him to realize that he's not real. He's a statue. Classic. </div></div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgsysmSseSRnzu-wqf5VFwT7bNMotmURMGWsfU6O0rNfu7u_dhHiEAUJQdWnPqRyrcIyqRlBen1Pd7bzO-QuRnDF_z728A4qNiuxUwCH0v5TPutHcgox83yHlV-ZaTzmK82r8M0nA6uM/s640/blogger-image-1342616988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgsysmSseSRnzu-wqf5VFwT7bNMotmURMGWsfU6O0rNfu7u_dhHiEAUJQdWnPqRyrcIyqRlBen1Pd7bzO-QuRnDF_z728A4qNiuxUwCH0v5TPutHcgox83yHlV-ZaTzmK82r8M0nA6uM/s640/blogger-image-1342616988.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>At the temple:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhV2wjgPrK1kvX9RtD4flUKXfcEkRH8H8aezABpd8wCCyEC2UMaE4ftOVXBSRrz74MLuvOmy-CU2ADSDLp_2jBO5hf_uO4YzE3S6ZexnITBia8VcYpGrnCAUsObir04oJgvkVwD1D3l_M/s640/blogger-image-1575590032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhV2wjgPrK1kvX9RtD4flUKXfcEkRH8H8aezABpd8wCCyEC2UMaE4ftOVXBSRrz74MLuvOmy-CU2ADSDLp_2jBO5hf_uO4YzE3S6ZexnITBia8VcYpGrnCAUsObir04oJgvkVwD1D3l_M/s640/blogger-image-1575590032.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After that awesome stop, we continued on our drive toward Ubud and stopped at some AMAZINGLY beautiful rice fields and lakes:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi658ec3FPMSLb9lEFJYns4-DL3lPEhewXKJy-J32FPf4G1S95k8C1FMeCaYE5cK_HCzCdI29F70OWQKrxTa8OT9_yt8pvkqtm83XJ5ZRd-Id7Bh2eYakHVhMvPhWw8lbRoq7eLLZTvE0/s640/blogger-image--306134827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi658ec3FPMSLb9lEFJYns4-DL3lPEhewXKJy-J32FPf4G1S95k8C1FMeCaYE5cK_HCzCdI29F70OWQKrxTa8OT9_yt8pvkqtm83XJ5ZRd-Id7Bh2eYakHVhMvPhWw8lbRoq7eLLZTvE0/s640/blogger-image--306134827.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Is this place real?!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivO_rXw5uvQ232CGa6LavErglaWiTkB8L114atpn6UkREh2WcnqZH0aqn_Qehu5MHxsH3jg_NqIGqkPBtjBfUdla57wOqu6M3UoLsbwuPrdcPI-lu6lRFJPdVcQ72RTUwRZFVL0XBUMxM/s640/blogger-image--337320536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivO_rXw5uvQ232CGa6LavErglaWiTkB8L114atpn6UkREh2WcnqZH0aqn_Qehu5MHxsH3jg_NqIGqkPBtjBfUdla57wOqu6M3UoLsbwuPrdcPI-lu6lRFJPdVcQ72RTUwRZFVL0XBUMxM/s640/blogger-image--337320536.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC549RyhA8pkNeBtAOS1vy3k22H3ulP9ER4sgMd6-U72l1quQTJJiRHrUksWGiWcf_Se1QDGscUPlcB305MFcBf9GxSRKFGMbzkGXY_xtaH9M3DuLGOMRS3yWPURl9w51ctW-ZPZ7TH1U/s640/blogger-image-1348285965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC549RyhA8pkNeBtAOS1vy3k22H3ulP9ER4sgMd6-U72l1quQTJJiRHrUksWGiWcf_Se1QDGscUPlcB305MFcBf9GxSRKFGMbzkGXY_xtaH9M3DuLGOMRS3yWPURl9w51ctW-ZPZ7TH1U/s640/blogger-image-1348285965.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>At long last, we finally made it to Ubud. We checked in and headed out to find some din! Our Airbnb host recommended this little Warung down the street. It was the tiniest outdoor kitchen with a couple tables on the floor in the small opening. Pretty fun experience actually. And we ate with a couple travelers from Chile and Argentina!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmz0eEAFIp2RLg-Jro8F3M-chCQk7L_RkT9J2nF4G_2mrS-sIIccKtP4Hg1UaWJDqjvjmGfL7XAQk_Igmupm7af2nLab2bDFgy7gNuQiywPvwvE8sNSEoIRWoNGDJ_zjp5QenEvo1jmk0/s640/blogger-image-680116470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmz0eEAFIp2RLg-Jro8F3M-chCQk7L_RkT9J2nF4G_2mrS-sIIccKtP4Hg1UaWJDqjvjmGfL7XAQk_Igmupm7af2nLab2bDFgy7gNuQiywPvwvE8sNSEoIRWoNGDJ_zjp5QenEvo1jmk0/s640/blogger-image-680116470.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I know this drink may look toxic, but it is au naturel baby. Can you guess what's in it? </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBnBT29HWG7KSKyY1SaNhKxq0-jY0BO3_wjP1Fybq61Y6B_3ssM3J8x2_yT6KQuMDKObvw5Nwhzk5XH1XSBhSY7jFRk63xRO02bCGnidPwfumdmVOQtBKF9nMB9pTZvQiqMCk3gJoiEA/s640/blogger-image-15854786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBnBT29HWG7KSKyY1SaNhKxq0-jY0BO3_wjP1Fybq61Y6B_3ssM3J8x2_yT6KQuMDKObvw5Nwhzk5XH1XSBhSY7jFRk63xRO02bCGnidPwfumdmVOQtBKF9nMB9pTZvQiqMCk3gJoiEA/s640/blogger-image-15854786.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>If you guessed dragonfruit, you win! I've never had it before and it was so good. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Speaking of crazy fruits, they gave us these below to try for free. Mangostim, I think? The inside edible part is white! I have never had white fruit before! I kept thinking of the vampire bunny from that kids book that sucks all the juice out of fruits and veggies and leaves them white. Except these ones were full of flavor. They actually tasted like kiwi. Soooo good!</span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOzdQ4kAcdb45XmHFSdmceKBgXEs7szOCGv25RS_DbANTF1bBhruZHn2SSKltMqxDhwHrS-Ctcs7ia6_V5pxcNuX7_igSIXFBVQVGCrjgTl1TtcS7VpEV0nTDLkS4858doSYM0OUXUXs/s640/blogger-image--1316249322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOzdQ4kAcdb45XmHFSdmceKBgXEs7szOCGv25RS_DbANTF1bBhruZHn2SSKltMqxDhwHrS-Ctcs7ia6_V5pxcNuX7_igSIXFBVQVGCrjgTl1TtcS7VpEV0nTDLkS4858doSYM0OUXUXs/s640/blogger-image--1316249322.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We finally made it back to our Airbnb and hit the sac for the night. Such a great day!</div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-21955167708946797232016-05-24T05:48:00.001-07:002016-05-25T05:10:04.226-07:00Day 4: Lovina, BaliTuesday, May 24th, 2016<div><br></div><div>Today's highlights:</div><div>-Canyoning down Kerenkali</div><div>-Arriving in paradise</div><div>-Angie sleep talking... Twist!</div><div><br></div><div>Robbie here. Well, today was mind-blowingly beautiful, every bit. I wish I was as good a writer as Angie so I could paint you a picture. Even the photos don't do this place justice. Anyway, here's what went down.</div><div><br></div><div>For our am-venture this morning, we went canyoning down Kerenkali canyon with a company called Adventure and Spirit. It was AMAZING!! It was an all-day party that started at 6am when they picked us up and drove us to the center of the island up the windiest, rollercoasteriest road I've ever been on. Neither of us ever get motion sick but we were holding it down on the way to the peak of the mountain.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouaceCHDgpYymNhtMz7iHia1B5HjFD_pYgzxL-E5gWoXPYqgOcyNTrsKOtzutBmGupr_2A90bagSZQ9w03ypM-IhhsphR8n8LaTjmiml4-fRqqj8_n-vhhK5BulxdnA7u6Mv8tFxHJ-8/s640/blogger-image--1340230748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouaceCHDgpYymNhtMz7iHia1B5HjFD_pYgzxL-E5gWoXPYqgOcyNTrsKOtzutBmGupr_2A90bagSZQ9w03ypM-IhhsphR8n8LaTjmiml4-fRqqj8_n-vhhK5BulxdnA7u6Mv8tFxHJ-8/s640/blogger-image--1340230748.jpg"></a></div><i>We drove to the top of that far right beast. </i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>After we arrived we met the group we'd be hiking with as well as our guides. There was an Aussie, a German, two Filipinos, and three other Americans as the hikers and three hilarious Balinese dudes as our guides. So we were an awesome group! We all put on full dry suits, hopped into the bed of a pick up truck and we bounced to the mouth of the canyon. From that point on it felt like we had died and gone to heaven. It sounds cliche to say that phrase but it really felt so surreal there. It was like we were dreaming and entered some enchanted land. The canyon was unreal: huge waterfalls, deep pools of cool water, beautiful flowers, swarms of bright butterflies, bright green plants clinging to the walls, vines for days, and awesome company. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Angie and I couldn't help but stare and just say "wow" around every new corner. PLUS we got to add in all the action: </span>the 30 ft cliff jumps, 60 ft waterfall rappels, and scaling the ledges of the moss covered rock walls. It was just the best day you can imagine.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkNAn1bJJJ0CJp6K_MqDfg2ys-NR-Vr8upc8W7-3AIuBgPzhRCrS4FE-8APP-7MjgB5r5LootGfNio92EMxH8KJ_5JQn5q5YMqY9ta3FBNsxlD8aNT84fXSHXtsInRzct__cG16kJC5k/s640/blogger-image--44907046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkNAn1bJJJ0CJp6K_MqDfg2ys-NR-Vr8upc8W7-3AIuBgPzhRCrS4FE-8APP-7MjgB5r5LootGfNio92EMxH8KJ_5JQn5q5YMqY9ta3FBNsxlD8aNT84fXSHXtsInRzct__cG16kJC5k/s640/blogger-image--44907046.jpg"></a></div><i>We are ready to fight crime... And climb a mountain.</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We would hike for a minute or two, wading through the water or hopping from boulder to boulder, then we would arrive at some kind of descent. Rinse and repeat. Each leg felt different and new somehow. Sometimes it would be rappelling, where you trust your life in the climbing equipment as you lean back over the edge and walk down a waterfall. Other times it would be cliff jumping into a small but deep, cold pool. Angie would scream every time she jumped, almost as loud and high pitched as one of our guides, Anga. He was awesome! One of the best descents was a rappelling and ziplining combo. </span></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia82xqeSouxfR9mOh_xOmfEO0rvk-rQm6evqgNpvy3AufsZxa2JJcxny6H_RbLH_unyiLWgSlqCjmPRrlWVzAI6XJkyI5pyVmGo1JxH8NoSoMpOheviikViEtwWHGXe6j-NfIk52EBQdY/s640/blogger-image--448316746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia82xqeSouxfR9mOh_xOmfEO0rvk-rQm6evqgNpvy3AufsZxa2JJcxny6H_RbLH_unyiLWgSlqCjmPRrlWVzAI6XJkyI5pyVmGo1JxH8NoSoMpOheviikViEtwWHGXe6j-NfIk52EBQdY/s640/blogger-image--448316746.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;">Angie killing it, as usual. </div><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOClWBJdwOwjPrMhU1dqur4M74t1hbqr4Tgxp4drtXtXGpxGvTCQDCKKFu9kxfQb9A33DOdcYevVjG-Dvw7fszFNYvRUwihYk5BFNwDVNxuHFiwnmd6AFnHUbbdkThlkMy9chayRORg4/s640/blogger-image-984211066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOClWBJdwOwjPrMhU1dqur4M74t1hbqr4Tgxp4drtXtXGpxGvTCQDCKKFu9kxfQb9A33DOdcYevVjG-Dvw7fszFNYvRUwihYk5BFNwDVNxuHFiwnmd6AFnHUbbdkThlkMy9chayRORg4/s640/blogger-image-984211066.jpg"></a></div><i>That's my wife. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79dsUHmjG4XcLb0HsxI15Anb2UW2E2UGsZ7gEMcGO0MHxKS9nu_Gk-yxmDFBLHNF7SH0CXYP2hNJrZF83tQtoRLo8897jqWJbRHGnevonR_FnBgGXGEfWtS5vaugs83pKGICrX6RC25g/s640/blogger-image-114698133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79dsUHmjG4XcLb0HsxI15Anb2UW2E2UGsZ7gEMcGO0MHxKS9nu_Gk-yxmDFBLHNF7SH0CXYP2hNJrZF83tQtoRLo8897jqWJbRHGnevonR_FnBgGXGEfWtS5vaugs83pKGICrX6RC25g/s640/blogger-image-114698133.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;">Me soaking in the view. </div><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhH6Vy4zIUYxUuequZ2T2_UeWWERJ4VFtDVp8KZOplnZ7kQ-_ivnLcVpMwPEZ_t_a9ea5I5ZGP_KvUoecnIhU2jXR1sXgepAl9fm_JJI4OpXdoLcRg4Ejs8xM8-iuCmBxIIhgjmS1YDI4/s640/blogger-image-866176190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhH6Vy4zIUYxUuequZ2T2_UeWWERJ4VFtDVp8KZOplnZ7kQ-_ivnLcVpMwPEZ_t_a9ea5I5ZGP_KvUoecnIhU2jXR1sXgepAl9fm_JJI4OpXdoLcRg4Ejs8xM8-iuCmBxIIhgjmS1YDI4/s640/blogger-image-866176190.jpg"></font></a></div><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Rappelling a portion of the way down then ziplining the rest of the way. Ain't no thing. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In between each descent we would get to know each other and get some travel tips for stuff to see in Bali. We got to know the German girl Kata especially well (she acted impressed by all the German you taught us, Russ). She was awesome--a world traveler and in each country she sees, she collects local beers and brings them home to her father. How German is that? Haha!</div><div class="separator" style="font-style: italic; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So after 4 hours of canyon bliss we got back to home base, struggled to remove the dry suits, pulled off some hungry leeches (luckily none were on Angie and me but a few in our group had some leeches attached) and scarfed an authentic Balinese lunch: soy bean bunches, krunduk (rice cake things), barbecue chicken, green onion broth, sautéed greens, and a mound of jasmine rice. It was so good after an exhausting hike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">After saying goodbye to our group, we drove to our next destination, Lovina. The last town we stayed in--Seminyak--was busy, crowded, and pretty noisy most places. It was a fun and exciting place for sure, but Lovina was so amazing in the exact opposite way-a quiet beach town tucked into the line of palm trees that run along the shore. When we got to our hotel we were floored again by how beautiful it was. As we walked around the grounds, I was feeling pretty proud of myself for booking this one, and Angie fully agreed saying, "You have never done anything more right than this!" We were immediately sad that we only get to spend one night here. That's when you know a place is good. Here's a taste (again, photos don't do it justice):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TPt0sbMmLthwTPOO_xPIOnB78kL1pgLBtlRCtlg5vpN2kLqSgyZk9bEYnWFgdqxolr13rPLHLzprFsBAsmLJCqpoKMlMSm1hoH3p5R797NKEEzgzkw-Li9uATHp_mOOUwiCzL91kS8U/s640/blogger-image-1595139632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TPt0sbMmLthwTPOO_xPIOnB78kL1pgLBtlRCtlg5vpN2kLqSgyZk9bEYnWFgdqxolr13rPLHLzprFsBAsmLJCqpoKMlMSm1hoH3p5R797NKEEzgzkw-Li9uATHp_mOOUwiCzL91kS8U/s640/blogger-image-1595139632.jpg"></a></div><i>This is our front porch looking into the courtyard. Amaze ballz. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhks1c63oqHnEH-K3XcUDzD9dMJ8hVxIEkNsrKA-hA6k_v9ei_V8SnfMzlKGw9-6Y1_dHOJQ4Lh3dfNpZ-8obl3q_-O55Lf66XMuLQi2HHmF9w6uUPdprh-uM-knvyZAcHz4Zg7gClEMfU/s640/blogger-image-501008357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhks1c63oqHnEH-K3XcUDzD9dMJ8hVxIEkNsrKA-hA6k_v9ei_V8SnfMzlKGw9-6Y1_dHOJQ4Lh3dfNpZ-8obl3q_-O55Lf66XMuLQi2HHmF9w6uUPdprh-uM-knvyZAcHz4Zg7gClEMfU/s640/blogger-image-501008357.jpg"></a></div><i>The walkway to our restaurant</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRe_aIcBblBOJxGLFrpFeGMz171clEEmsSUk2W7Fpm8iZ0SWsj3spIM6oW27IDBucL6u8EPxg0kOSdDM6B9OpXTf8j58DPh6rt-yNts6Oy1hm5-HRHWZojEN0PtnPjBa-pv6VWV7NNkQ/s640/blogger-image--1338899630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRe_aIcBblBOJxGLFrpFeGMz171clEEmsSUk2W7Fpm8iZ0SWsj3spIM6oW27IDBucL6u8EPxg0kOSdDM6B9OpXTf8j58DPh6rt-yNts6Oy1hm5-HRHWZojEN0PtnPjBa-pv6VWV7NNkQ/s640/blogger-image--1338899630.jpg"></a></div><i>One of our two pool areas. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1vMFHxSEq8qcthqbQCjl_ki8g1ZtPhJyGZp5xsise-4z26O6XytVU9mdEfXnUPUzU3bZ_TEw9e1swNZ5ZOy2oitF7dyLXlqEpNX0S8WkSUQUvI8sdjXNVv8arIjamr368V6voQ4FxfY/s640/blogger-image-727170581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1vMFHxSEq8qcthqbQCjl_ki8g1ZtPhJyGZp5xsise-4z26O6XytVU9mdEfXnUPUzU3bZ_TEw9e1swNZ5ZOy2oitF7dyLXlqEpNX0S8WkSUQUvI8sdjXNVv8arIjamr368V6voQ4FxfY/s640/blogger-image-727170581.jpg"></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><i>The cabana-bed next to our little pool. </i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>So as you can tell this place is paradise. After we got here we swam in the pool, drank fresh banana pineapple papaya smoothies, read in our cabana beds, and just relaxed for a couple hours.</div><div><br></div><div>At 7:00 Angie was ready for bed due to severe jet lag and a horrible sleep last night. Jet lag is real, people. It is very real. So to keep ourselves awake we went for a walk down the small street towards the beach. We found an awesome "warung," which is kinda like a mini-restaurant. It has an open kitchen and 4-6 small tables and they serve fresh Indonesian food. So we sat down to eat at this place and 5 minutes in, Angie starts falling asleep in her chair, sometimes in between bites of food! She was like a 2 year old nodding off in a high chair, it was the best thing ever. At one point, I asked her if we could ask for the check at the same time as ordering dessert (because we clearly needed to get out of there fast, Angie couldn't control her sleepiness), and Angie replied "No I don't think so..." Boom! She slurred the word "so" and she was asleep in her chair and I would immediately bust up, her eyes would open, and she'd be confused. This happened probably 4 times during that dinner. So that's the closest Angie will get to the standard sleep talking stories that seem to keep popping up in our blog posts. Haha! I love this woman.</div><div><br></div><div>Tomorrow is more Lovina!</div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-75877223945924524802016-05-23T13:36:00.001-07:002016-05-24T03:58:09.964-07:00Day 3: Seminyak, BaliMonday, May 23, 2016<div><br></div><div>Today's Highlights:</div><div> -Surfing Lessons!</div><div> -Accidental nap</div><div> -Wandering Kuta</div><div> -Tanah Lot Temple</div><div><br></div><div>What a day! We started our trip out in a busy beach town near the airport for one main reason. It turns out, a lot of the activities we've planned are for early morning hours (like crack of dawn wee morning hours for some of them). We've been trying to figure out what to call these. Our AM Adventures? Our AM-ventures? Our Sun Salutations? Anyhow, today's was a first for me: Surfing Lessons! Hey-o! 🙌🏄🏽🙌</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkRW5n3VWPGxJ2Ih5cJqqaeMop9XrWhngaUPEQk3WTFUStT5OKqpjdCVjf1omjGxjMvVi9_BoZHljMoGeTAVPng_nrtWb5e4xI2EdTuVkK2jNKydoUvguSgd9-ULpjgBk9jTjvp7ag9E/s640/blogger-image--976002131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkRW5n3VWPGxJ2Ih5cJqqaeMop9XrWhngaUPEQk3WTFUStT5OKqpjdCVjf1omjGxjMvVi9_BoZHljMoGeTAVPng_nrtWb5e4xI2EdTuVkK2jNKydoUvguSgd9-ULpjgBk9jTjvp7ag9E/s640/blogger-image--976002131.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzNyHZdM92J3EkxBNr6FXZm6_Gd6XjRZrPvh5AOGImc9zStSnXBOA4wmtbQ09e9qsgTutI1k3UnHS05k-G-9SF3oGY7BwIaDlm6Kglzt7xyCbX4MDrlGPkqRT8O696YLwbr63IqYp-Yg/s640/blogger-image--1684796008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzNyHZdM92J3EkxBNr6FXZm6_Gd6XjRZrPvh5AOGImc9zStSnXBOA4wmtbQ09e9qsgTutI1k3UnHS05k-G-9SF3oGY7BwIaDlm6Kglzt7xyCbX4MDrlGPkqRT8O696YLwbr63IqYp-Yg/s640/blogger-image--1684796008.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsW3PlJSpGb8jdUWVhVZ5CqRRnLWongKtfsqrOgFVGkQauDTDLBNJENxpGBsStt4I9_TG_tH7RSSHFGZEGMyLLtwbyCTUl_VbYE8bTA4XMaoiMtR6WIEubhQDA9pEj7L5jeZYpf0Tgyk/s640/blogger-image-966191095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsW3PlJSpGb8jdUWVhVZ5CqRRnLWongKtfsqrOgFVGkQauDTDLBNJENxpGBsStt4I9_TG_tH7RSSHFGZEGMyLLtwbyCTUl_VbYE8bTA4XMaoiMtR6WIEubhQDA9pEj7L5jeZYpf0Tgyk/s640/blogger-image-966191095.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlBtw1oQzhqS61mNpZVUfHp5iR_7WaDD5vPamwkZgeCCwt6eC628XLTIdlLaXEigOsz8dDh-XEMiMEe6Efc192nXkrNetNvMW5nNZREGK96PVYHuaYqwERb2pvkYKPa0ZxnFvvN2IcIw/s640/blogger-image--337731680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlBtw1oQzhqS61mNpZVUfHp5iR_7WaDD5vPamwkZgeCCwt6eC628XLTIdlLaXEigOsz8dDh-XEMiMEe6Efc192nXkrNetNvMW5nNZREGK96PVYHuaYqwERb2pvkYKPa0ZxnFvvN2IcIw/s640/blogger-image--337731680.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Though Rob was clearly better at it than me, we both succeeded and it was so fun! We tried getting a picture with both of us up but failed miserably multiple times before it worked (at least, one of us did. Let's see if you can guess who from these pics).</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtf5RKUDttQ2u5b_VfLFiEuBxypuDEXq5UbK38qy9z8bOntXTtFhTWaDBisbLvcGX8ZMGA1LDmvVLV8LKDybNuB4xCQy994jTu94t67iapH39YFTQL4kBMCZ6fi1aaD8APRIsbd8N-jFE/s640/blogger-image-341217222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtf5RKUDttQ2u5b_VfLFiEuBxypuDEXq5UbK38qy9z8bOntXTtFhTWaDBisbLvcGX8ZMGA1LDmvVLV8LKDybNuB4xCQy994jTu94t67iapH39YFTQL4kBMCZ6fi1aaD8APRIsbd8N-jFE/s640/blogger-image-341217222.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I like to call this one, <i>"Where'd she go?"</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEise0nTCvftk8N_m2kdY15hDozJ1tnsPIlHJSQ6jFp2fjLIUPad1A0k6oWmXdaqLekJE3ah_SkFbrx0cKh0INbZus0jahHqIhmqW2e2sY9pjcsg3FnAga8eThxjQ4v_rU-QNlTh0EK7x6g/s640/blogger-image-859769994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEise0nTCvftk8N_m2kdY15hDozJ1tnsPIlHJSQ6jFp2fjLIUPad1A0k6oWmXdaqLekJE3ah_SkFbrx0cKh0INbZus0jahHqIhmqW2e2sY9pjcsg3FnAga8eThxjQ4v_rU-QNlTh0EK7x6g/s640/blogger-image-859769994.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><i>Tipping!</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5QcSm_-CdSiFyUzuFXf95R_Vq3ngM3RNWm54TsCjKeTBbB9O5zVqOhzaThgCiXaG2aXWx7dR1QodGuWFihxv6bBi5fgVK4bKMCgQUQunStJyO2I-5aoe3Kwg1pWrWQ9lUPlqNGxKRgM/s640/blogger-image-1040830732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5QcSm_-CdSiFyUzuFXf95R_Vq3ngM3RNWm54TsCjKeTBbB9O5zVqOhzaThgCiXaG2aXWx7dR1QodGuWFihxv6bBi5fgVK4bKMCgQUQunStJyO2I-5aoe3Kwg1pWrWQ9lUPlqNGxKRgM/s640/blogger-image-1040830732.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><i>Giving Up:</i></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCx7xqhuoB1diW4Hp2vdXqsXWsN5NRvlb5Boyic3WUyIMCU2xtnHvLgDa9t9bBLEoxB7cc1oBCUuRgoqc0SCEmSEyWb1iwPG7xu65Inn0nzd8fcPekuQWsz9TUb2sAl_PYN67vh5iw2Mk/s640/blogger-image--761694744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCx7xqhuoB1diW4Hp2vdXqsXWsN5NRvlb5Boyic3WUyIMCU2xtnHvLgDa9t9bBLEoxB7cc1oBCUuRgoqc0SCEmSEyWb1iwPG7xu65Inn0nzd8fcPekuQWsz9TUb2sAl_PYN67vh5iw2Mk/s640/blogger-image--761694744.jpg"></a></div><br></i></div><div><br></div><div><i>Almost there....</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nf5PtjcNwNx1qbXtcAupLhyjG3ldjrL8BfSZkyFw5DRjPwImpJGv2dHs4O_EoQc4Azf849FukGr3x3GAOw-YEunj9NUrde2DQulo4sYkCkqPI9b54oP__jOuYguTdjmxsJuPDShphDc/s640/blogger-image-993547118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nf5PtjcNwNx1qbXtcAupLhyjG3ldjrL8BfSZkyFw5DRjPwImpJGv2dHs4O_EoQc4Azf849FukGr3x3GAOw-YEunj9NUrde2DQulo4sYkCkqPI9b54oP__jOuYguTdjmxsJuPDShphDc/s640/blogger-image-993547118.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><i>And finally</i>:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS39btE6sl1gxRN25tumvrSO_GklIgYf1xoiKqeGXe6lWypyFkSUzNSMHJSozXBIrff7mtPoSVUk_9oHAHEs1KpSlrFgAD98ZRprfvPcvWCcsbDHXrYoRqrPBNWunB_0b1N8jfKFlSV3I/s640/blogger-image-1276617081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS39btE6sl1gxRN25tumvrSO_GklIgYf1xoiKqeGXe6lWypyFkSUzNSMHJSozXBIrff7mtPoSVUk_9oHAHEs1KpSlrFgAD98ZRprfvPcvWCcsbDHXrYoRqrPBNWunB_0b1N8jfKFlSV3I/s640/blogger-image-1276617081.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Nailed it. Kind of.</div><div><br></div><div>Turns out, surfing is super tiring! By the end, we had paddled so hard and gotten wrecked so many times that neither of us could push ourselves up anymore. But man, what a blast! Our surfing instructor's name was Wayan (again) and he was awesome! He even had Rob takin on big mama "green water" waves by the end. We ended with a quick dip in the hotel pool and I remembered why pools and tired traveling go really well together. </div><div><br></div><div>Our plan after surfing was to go shower, get dressed and then explore the busy beach town. Parts A & B went as planned. But then we accidentally saw the bed and in a zombie-like manner, laid down just to rest for a second....</div><div><br></div><div>Two hours later, we woke up. And even then, we still had to FIGHT like mad to escape the clutches of that amazingly comfortable king-size miracle. This 12-hour time change is KILLIN us! But after much pep-talking and psyching ourselves up, we got up and went out to explore! Visiting shops, Indonesian lunch, and almost getting run down by scooters about 25 times made it a pretty exciting afternoon. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdf5juSYZklyV9YKHLP5Q8E-Pu0dusDBAmAdudG7Js3b5z5_wJHWbVkOeWdT3Np18lGWTPnXl8X0IFholyOaDlVOwvntsDbGhBagI3qIUr2poyrQFPWNvfEzRSoupQMvEujicjuOnGco/s640/blogger-image-552461366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdf5juSYZklyV9YKHLP5Q8E-Pu0dusDBAmAdudG7Js3b5z5_wJHWbVkOeWdT3Np18lGWTPnXl8X0IFholyOaDlVOwvntsDbGhBagI3qIUr2poyrQFPWNvfEzRSoupQMvEujicjuOnGco/s640/blogger-image-552461366.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEAV28ElJ_8YKCA30t-YKM2GQNb4EnjfNdGr9K0geX5PERnH1FhNJvb8AiC_P5t3AkXsWnnt2q6Tm7-99vntF8G_gr7xQnjjkQoFFrZe92ULf7E1wDQDB-sDGAPlqzp1akV6bq9VoEqw/s640/blogger-image-1550588032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEAV28ElJ_8YKCA30t-YKM2GQNb4EnjfNdGr9K0geX5PERnH1FhNJvb8AiC_P5t3AkXsWnnt2q6Tm7-99vntF8G_gr7xQnjjkQoFFrZe92ULf7E1wDQDB-sDGAPlqzp1akV6bq9VoEqw/s640/blogger-image-1550588032.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFknhpfbh-kFIQZf_mxE5adAeMAqiOwgY0RGFVeQm5uQAFJ1zBbr81PrIBG1vSmwTgVY_GX7AQyox3h1ElPw8jOFIE2ky70tkOcTL1RLWjxXtmJirzZ_dIEguKiDsK4nhbocT68xGY1Dg/s640/blogger-image-325698075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFknhpfbh-kFIQZf_mxE5adAeMAqiOwgY0RGFVeQm5uQAFJ1zBbr81PrIBG1vSmwTgVY_GX7AQyox3h1ElPw8jOFIE2ky70tkOcTL1RLWjxXtmJirzZ_dIEguKiDsK4nhbocT68xGY1Dg/s640/blogger-image-325698075.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div>This cute guy above let us into his shop and taught us all about different religious types of worship. He's holding a "singing bowl" which when you rub a leather stick around it makes a ringing sound that gets pretty loud. If you hold it close to your face/body it rids you of negative energy and/or sickness. It's crazy, as he rang it and then held it close to us, I could feel the bowls vibrations. So cool!</div><div><br></div><div>We finished the night visiting Tanah Lot, a Hindu temple on the coast. Apparently it's a popular destination for sunset so it was lucky that we happened to show up right around that time! It was such a beautiful spot and although we couldn't walk up to the temple itself, we admired from afar.</div><div><br></div><div> At one point, we were told to wash our faces with holy water and then were blessed with rice on the forehead and a flower behind the ear. It was an experience for sure!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2GHlgpkPL6N8nS-RzKVbFdJNPHPnswIsJctV6OZlXBhbUJwUci94CksSv5feOXvA5h5o3WWby0IAKnoF8PlkDL4PZ0_7a1YwzruQzWpWFvculR2VPsqRcoZoaAeS45tOiMJbCt4sL5M/s640/blogger-image-1865230689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2GHlgpkPL6N8nS-RzKVbFdJNPHPnswIsJctV6OZlXBhbUJwUci94CksSv5feOXvA5h5o3WWby0IAKnoF8PlkDL4PZ0_7a1YwzruQzWpWFvculR2VPsqRcoZoaAeS45tOiMJbCt4sL5M/s640/blogger-image-1865230689.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5N8ccU9s8G9HZuCx0a7wLm8tXc-lqF9hvXbAxc31AQFBuMSmsncfZ1zGCpjxNf0j20pjcVlvrmXDq5UsvQTtDfujvSjJaZ5t5uGOsKT89YPeuKUkpG0LOUwuzxuF7o_aWBcYdEtTypto/s640/blogger-image-981604262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5N8ccU9s8G9HZuCx0a7wLm8tXc-lqF9hvXbAxc31AQFBuMSmsncfZ1zGCpjxNf0j20pjcVlvrmXDq5UsvQTtDfujvSjJaZ5t5uGOsKT89YPeuKUkpG0LOUwuzxuF7o_aWBcYdEtTypto/s640/blogger-image-981604262.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQCJSiKz2J4fV-U63yimN5q_XKkMlDtwPwyfCNC_vAqoPsB8xd7NgaoZDN7nUlPBUiHiB3ebn7ssIYFBryBaL9iVPGUAih9-qZ1xvOxi-AQSDUKtKrZNk25eEQyEXpxAMIQIwuSZs5gc/s640/blogger-image-443281982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQCJSiKz2J4fV-U63yimN5q_XKkMlDtwPwyfCNC_vAqoPsB8xd7NgaoZDN7nUlPBUiHiB3ebn7ssIYFBryBaL9iVPGUAih9-qZ1xvOxi-AQSDUKtKrZNk25eEQyEXpxAMIQIwuSZs5gc/s640/blogger-image-443281982.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Rob thought it would be funny to have me pose for a picture with the pretty scenery. I quickly learned his ulterior motives.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZm6U6LT0eWs-TtAJQLGZBmk1nkzuw391fHzaeCbs5uJYhvP6nWPzVqcSkW9oyWBORlbGZiCl74FGw9wqDgNxm7h9t0Kr-RQz65DVtrsTlnTeFd9te0PluGQjAHOBcTqvZ4iHPzkqS2UU/s640/blogger-image--1383762627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZm6U6LT0eWs-TtAJQLGZBmk1nkzuw391fHzaeCbs5uJYhvP6nWPzVqcSkW9oyWBORlbGZiCl74FGw9wqDgNxm7h9t0Kr-RQz65DVtrsTlnTeFd9te0PluGQjAHOBcTqvZ4iHPzkqS2UU/s640/blogger-image--1383762627.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Our driver's name was Gusti and we spent the whole two hours in the car asking him question after question about Hindu life and culture. Well, except for the half hour when we passed out in the backseat. Here are a couple things we learned:</div><div><br></div><div>-Hinduism believes in one God, but he takes on many forms/manifestations. That's where you see all the different looking Gods sitting cross-legged like Brahma the creator of life, Vishnu the upholder of life, and Shiva the destroyer of life. There are a ton more, many with different animal heads. There's even a God that looks over "taksi" drivers, named Pasu Pati (Gusti made sure to tell us about how important he is). </div><div>-Each family should make offerings every day to show their devotion. These offerings are made of fruit, flowers, cake and you can add more items if you want to show extra respect. We see these offerings everywhere, on the ground in front of shops, on the dashboards of taxis and shuttles, even at our hotel check in desk. </div><div><br></div><div>Cool stuff! Anyway, We got back to our hotel at about 7:30pm and almost immediately fell asleep. Yep, at 7:30pm! But I'm not even ashamed. The only downside was waking up at 1:30 this morning with a very confused brain that wouldn't go back to sleep.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-52089460259759436132016-05-22T10:25:00.001-07:002016-05-22T11:03:01.228-07:00Days 1 & 2: Travel time and Dubai<div>Saturday May 21-Sunday, May 22, 2016</div><div><br></div><div>Highlights:</div><div>-Best airline E'ER!</div><div>-Dubai tour</div><div>-Rob's first sleeptalking/sleepwalking episode</div><div><br></div><div>Holy Hannah! We finally made it! I feel like we've been traveling for weeks to get here but we are officially in Bali!</div><div><br></div>We traveled from Boston to Dubai for a long layover yesterday and then Dubai to Bali today, arriving at 9:40pm Sunday night. And man, if we thought we got spoiled on JetBlue, that was NOTHING compared to our new favorite airline, Emirates! Robbie had heard amazing things about this airline when he booked our flights and has had really high hopes ever since. So much that he's been trying to brace himself incase of disappointment. There was no need. It lived up to the hype! So many gifts and meals and friendly staff and brand new movies and complimentary sleep masks and toothbrushes and warm towels to moisten your face and free hotel night and <i>need I go on?!</i><div><i><br></i></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcRPB24J-dtkcwlx1NlJDglIL2_ZIFLgq3Mwpc5YmGvBNWThMev6oxddufT0S6pdhHwBH5s5sMpOQ43j7Wg-y1JOr0OGjF6o04zs5p_JTZQpegwCiWvNvWSM4qaNWpcJLSAkKaCney6s/s640/blogger-image-161444575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcRPB24J-dtkcwlx1NlJDglIL2_ZIFLgq3Mwpc5YmGvBNWThMev6oxddufT0S6pdhHwBH5s5sMpOQ43j7Wg-y1JOr0OGjF6o04zs5p_JTZQpegwCiWvNvWSM4qaNWpcJLSAkKaCney6s/s640/blogger-image-161444575.jpg"></a></div><br></i><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1OVQJrfZJzcH3658ZwGc8ej-5XhiPSUTK057OO68AKO_sJ4hpvZGG0aEfvdwwRIVSHM-A4_gp5ZQA5-mTw6IhXP69osppI6q6sqNsFbsTetvU5fl-lwoYXjF4_FOjht-dS9eKXQfWSw/s640/blogger-image-2016893396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1OVQJrfZJzcH3658ZwGc8ej-5XhiPSUTK057OO68AKO_sJ4hpvZGG0aEfvdwwRIVSHM-A4_gp5ZQA5-mTw6IhXP69osppI6q6sqNsFbsTetvU5fl-lwoYXjF4_FOjht-dS9eKXQfWSw/s640/blogger-image-2016893396.jpg"></a></div><br></i></div><div>We are soooooooo classy. (Really, I felt like Adam Sandler in the Wedding Singer when he gets handed a warm towel in first class and has literally no idea what he's supposed to do with it. They had to know we were imposters.)</div><div><br></div><div>Plus, the flight attendants wore these pretty bomb diggity hats:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WmRSbu09jd8tD0syRfGUXEJ1UMd9VRiyGxkr7uVKuoEEAkDEd6CD-VeSa2uPcqzciBWcpJaDFTYnug3L2K7I5kyqvnN-Zn_cZ7_0oTdCDNGCXI7TzFGsvMb6FNHbL3Dt5LHt-pEgAXk/s640/blogger-image--1856125768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WmRSbu09jd8tD0syRfGUXEJ1UMd9VRiyGxkr7uVKuoEEAkDEd6CD-VeSa2uPcqzciBWcpJaDFTYnug3L2K7I5kyqvnN-Zn_cZ7_0oTdCDNGCXI7TzFGsvMb6FNHbL3Dt5LHt-pEgAXk/s640/blogger-image--1856125768.jpg"></a></div></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>The flight was a huge win, and Dubai is SO cool! It is one of the seven United Arab Emirates and is actually pretty ritzy. It was a bummer we were only there for nighttime hours, but it was still beautiful!</div><div><br></div><div>Though we were exhausted when we got in at 9pm, we still really wanted to see what we could of Dubai since we had a 13 hr layover and very little knowledge of this new place. It just so happened that there was a 2-hour bus tour leaving from our hotel that started at 9:30pm so we signed right up! In hindsight, we should have realized that this is how we would spend most of the tour:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUKg9BRSxo9a0Y3FMujY7mLWk-oE1MxnplUhT-txuJrM7TsFeDv7O3gZVKmx6nr3A8HjxGcrdc_JNxLKjlHFSgWlD0Kws4GP3acNRopekZBb7g1DLseok51B1Uib5CskyV6m2FepRdfY/s640/blogger-image--1641719119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUKg9BRSxo9a0Y3FMujY7mLWk-oE1MxnplUhT-txuJrM7TsFeDv7O3gZVKmx6nr3A8HjxGcrdc_JNxLKjlHFSgWlD0Kws4GP3acNRopekZBb7g1DLseok51B1Uib5CskyV6m2FepRdfY/s640/blogger-image--1641719119.jpg"></a></div>(<i>Not </i>posed)</div><div><br></div><div>Regardless, it was worth it because we got to see....</div><div>THE BURJ KHALIFA!! </div><div>(aka The Tallest Building in the World)</div><div><br></div><div>It was crazy!! And so so so so SO tall! It felt like it was going to fall on top of us. It is 2,722 feet tall. That's like a half mile, straight up!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4hlNEcdy6CpTycD8Wr9eqqVcpeVpHgi_XlJeyhJYbLDOF6dDLOkGKyBsTyIlRZW21ywbonewY5ZOawUgxC1iVlcYf2MQm7urIS9G_e5zIxVIm6eTzTuZC6Jf8zOskE9Xom-KrxWqm2I/s640/blogger-image-1560034179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4hlNEcdy6CpTycD8Wr9eqqVcpeVpHgi_XlJeyhJYbLDOF6dDLOkGKyBsTyIlRZW21ywbonewY5ZOawUgxC1iVlcYf2MQm7urIS9G_e5zIxVIm6eTzTuZC6Jf8zOskE9Xom-KrxWqm2I/s640/blogger-image-1560034179.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ermagersh! The Burj!</span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrRVd558Taf3td2d1p7DUJebdhgCV_-7cZ41XIKI1FcoZJK4oZ9t1NvBy0zGfQUs4GnpaO8Zdu9wve1Ce56zOCXA4lS9uCkCI-yKMk9zG9EJyqueGyZkYbTlBrsEq9mXtkUa3vjVxrKA/s640/blogger-image-473206086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrRVd558Taf3td2d1p7DUJebdhgCV_-7cZ41XIKI1FcoZJK4oZ9t1NvBy0zGfQUs4GnpaO8Zdu9wve1Ce56zOCXA4lS9uCkCI-yKMk9zG9EJyqueGyZkYbTlBrsEq9mXtkUa3vjVxrKA/s640/blogger-image-473206086.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>We saw other super cool sights on this tour, like a man-made island in the shape of a palm tree that houses the ritziest resort Atlantis (which was on this season of Amazing Race for those that watch it. The water slide of death!). Picture is from Google, obvi</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Cz-T3Yt-Ougr5mkirzZFsU4HvOdGrDc2gUV_F39IIxd10xdOas5yPFcZV5VcZaObToYwysZ142W3ugfrhdpl-g6Hvc7UUHvffHoC5u2V5bZ0CYSLEAw9AfGMhj8Ma-V14Yaq7G1cJsk/s640/blogger-image--1652541409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Cz-T3Yt-Ougr5mkirzZFsU4HvOdGrDc2gUV_F39IIxd10xdOas5yPFcZV5VcZaObToYwysZ142W3ugfrhdpl-g6Hvc7UUHvffHoC5u2V5bZ0CYSLEAw9AfGMhj8Ma-V14Yaq7G1cJsk/s640/blogger-image--1652541409.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QJB8L3_gR99_pDT_6pVrHiTqS8t4dKVMuhmT6urv0EMf1Sl8YSAd7n5XtmJF4etoDdqDFR8AzInDdCePJxMM84FwHTNzK8J-f86OYeDnyGQ3RI9wjKXT_ivfZWeWYrNmmPxngT07_iA/s640/blogger-image-15721736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QJB8L3_gR99_pDT_6pVrHiTqS8t4dKVMuhmT6urv0EMf1Sl8YSAd7n5XtmJF4etoDdqDFR8AzInDdCePJxMM84FwHTNzK8J-f86OYeDnyGQ3RI9wjKXT_ivfZWeWYrNmmPxngT07_iA/s640/blogger-image-15721736.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We also saw a beautiful mosque, the beach, and a hotel that costs $28,000 a night. TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS A NIGHT!! What in the world?!</div><div><br></div><div>Being in Dubai was so awesome, partly because the strong Muslim culture brought back so many feelings and memories of Jerusalem. When we first got to the airport, we heard the call to prayer and I was filled with that familiar sense of respect and devotion. Not to mention nostalgia. For a second, I even closed my eyes and felt like I was standing on the balcony at the Jerusalem Center overlooking the Old City. </div><div><br></div><div>PLUS, our one night in our Dubai hotel brought on Robbie's first sleep talking episode of the trip! Boo ya. </div><div><br></div><div>When we finally got to bed around midnight, we found ourselves sleeping in separate twin beds. Rob of course fell right to sleep but my system was off so I laid awake for over an hour, which turned out to be a blessing because I was 100% alert when I hear Robbie shout from his side of the room, </div><div><br></div><div>"Whatchoo talkin 'bout?! Whatchoo talkin 'bout WILLIS?!"</div><div><br></div><div>On that last, shouted word he jumped out of bed and just stood there, frozen. Holding back any sign of amusement from my voice (because that only tends to upset him in these situations), I asked, "You doin okay, babe?" To which he responded, "Just showin' off." And then he climbed back into bed and fell back into deep sleep within 10 seconds. Gosh, I love this weirdo. </div><div><br></div><div>Aaaand I'm glad he loves me too because I still couldn't fall asleep after that so I climbed into his twin size bed and, of course, fell asleep within five minutes. And we both slept like rocks for the rest of the night. On a twin size bed. THAT, my friends, is exhaustion. </div></div><div><br></div><div>This morning we got on another SUPER long flight from Dubai to Bali, (meeting a new friend from Switzerland on the way) and just arrived at our hotel! And what's awesome is our taxi driver spent the drive telling us all about Hinduism and Balinese naming tradition (there are four basic names children are given, depending on birth order. His name is Wayan which means first born). We are already pretty big fans of this place and people!</div><div><br></div><div>That's all for now! We are excited to start the real vacay tomorrow! </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-15976941135705702112016-05-20T19:00:00.001-07:002016-05-20T19:51:23.576-07:00Ba-Ba-Ba-BALI!!Hello friends!<div><br></div><div>We have embarked on our latest journey! We somewhat spontaneously decided to go spend a week and a half in Bali and we are so pumped! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsNZDCNiLTIpWZj0NfRKe2vv2fr1WXioPjFe4TMlX_R4O8COOzch1Z_HDf3-OSSXkYxCZunZpD1fvEgrVcFExnYvvlEFft4wTQAEVX3RdqJzxWTGX2OY2jbeo56eRYejaypqmZSIyeHY/s640/blogger-image-111990832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsNZDCNiLTIpWZj0NfRKe2vv2fr1WXioPjFe4TMlX_R4O8COOzch1Z_HDf3-OSSXkYxCZunZpD1fvEgrVcFExnYvvlEFft4wTQAEVX3RdqJzxWTGX2OY2jbeo56eRYejaypqmZSIyeHY/s640/blogger-image-111990832.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>This trip already got off to a GREAT start when the flight attendant on our first leg (JetBlue) gave us whole cans of drinks and FULL SIZE GOOD SNACKS and told us we could take as many as we want! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnw_9I4FAYB-BUfw9aFIJ8IFdTLiCykkALD0IChHfD4-C-ZuRs2J45Nxuzr4nj075Lg4F6OlhMBU1y_XWlK4npRufqeED-niZd5qYSPGwUSza0Ec9dQm2mGelzQx0KbSXdOnONhNp_Fvg/s640/blogger-image-764524847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnw_9I4FAYB-BUfw9aFIJ8IFdTLiCykkALD0IChHfD4-C-ZuRs2J45Nxuzr4nj075Lg4F6OlhMBU1y_XWlK4npRufqeED-niZd5qYSPGwUSza0Ec9dQm2mGelzQx0KbSXdOnONhNp_Fvg/s640/blogger-image-764524847.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Whaaaaaaaaaa?!?! We love all free things, but free food?! Next level, JetBlue. We have been stuck traveling American Airlines for so long, we didn't realize what a wonderful world of flight we were missing out on!</div><div><br></div><div>We arrive in Bali Sunday night, May 22nd and will stay til Tuesday, May 30th. We have loads planned so stay tuned if you've been missing these travel shenanigans!! I know I have.</div><div><br></div><div>Next stop: Dubai!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-35965322550466092062016-05-20T18:40:00.000-07:002016-05-20T18:50:23.979-07:00Birthday BonanzaIt's official, I'm 31! I am seasoned now. I have entered the REAL 30's. As you may or may not know, I'm pretty into birthdays in general, which I think sometimes makes Rob feel a teeny bit of pressure. But gosh, he somehow outdoes himself every year. This guy does not disappoint!<div><br></div><div>I've always wanted to do one of those Murder Mystery Dinner Parties (you know, the kind that cost a fortune to buy and you can only use them once). Well my sweet hubs bought me one for Christmas last year called "Pasta, Passion and Pistols: Murder in Little Italy." However, because you can only use them once, it's been sitting on the shelf waiting for the PERFECT opportunity to really ham it up and get the full experience. Well, that opportunity came in the form of a birthday surprise from Rob the Saturday before my birthday. He sent out legit invites to a few friends, coordinated food assignments and prepped everything to get ready for this awesome night (including reading through the instruction manual a gazillion times to make sure he knew what to do). A one-time-only game is a lot of pressure I guess! </div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">An hour before the guests showed up, Rob gave me my invite and clued me into what was happening. </span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVFQ98thmfTI6Wa4Tha_eDIV2yi86iJYIVgVE09AFhHn7sJldGBdF10WavhN5bsVHL6lnelogoi_XB4-6IRk46qDHHQWIBXvH1FmOuVLpbH7H8fylVIV8Dmj5l9fS_Sg2d0O0qi8FMSY/s640/blogger-image--1578852539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVFQ98thmfTI6Wa4Tha_eDIV2yi86iJYIVgVE09AFhHn7sJldGBdF10WavhN5bsVHL6lnelogoi_XB4-6IRk46qDHHQWIBXvH1FmOuVLpbH7H8fylVIV8Dmj5l9fS_Sg2d0O0qi8FMSY/s640/blogger-image--1578852539.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I was ECSTATIC! I instantly ran to the Halloween box and tried to find whatever I could to get into the character of the middle-aged Italian Mama Rosa, wife of the victim. Robbie played my "weak, overly sensitive son" Marco Roni, who just wants to play soccer instead of running the family restaurant. That whole mother-son thing obviously added a whole new dimension to our relationship. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOFiAUBe7JffeNYH3tI18_cF9WXLMz_W2XpfkGasUXb1XQmgvcvyymVy67V1_N2BfoPmkKzuJkSZ0AAALx-NPJ4AoLcRmIemaEOPE2A_euWcM6vzAPfm1mq5gcfm1LbSYf87QdbX0cmQ/s640/blogger-image-1762278962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOFiAUBe7JffeNYH3tI18_cF9WXLMz_W2XpfkGasUXb1XQmgvcvyymVy67V1_N2BfoPmkKzuJkSZ0AAALx-NPJ4AoLcRmIemaEOPE2A_euWcM6vzAPfm1mq5gcfm1LbSYf87QdbX0cmQ/s640/blogger-image-1762278962.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Our friends showed up decked out in full costume, which just made my night. We had a mob boss, his girlfriend, a psychic, a priest, a rebellious daughter, and her greaser boyfriend/mob boss in training. It was AMAZING!! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnQ6p9v0-NJ8D-NLZNOVfW9qR2kIWLv3BaSgfeORxJYboSoOtZy8GrefhhvTX3LX1BZx67JPZNEruZ5T8ZScXSFpnDYIHD1gQoWYk3YDDuu5oLpAvjwrwpq5TsWSmm98-lyfpBdRPA9Y/s640/blogger-image--1510215854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnQ6p9v0-NJ8D-NLZNOVfW9qR2kIWLv3BaSgfeORxJYboSoOtZy8GrefhhvTX3LX1BZx67JPZNEruZ5T8ZScXSFpnDYIHD1gQoWYk3YDDuu5oLpAvjwrwpq5TsWSmm98-lyfpBdRPA9Y/s640/blogger-image--1510215854.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_we3p7NhZ2Z3Uu_9-DR73SPnJi0oK_LAkYwHnvsME-i8neX99S9T0K5MtTaJPGDniE-n8y0f4fFhyzsccJFiA9xCumDw7R3tWufApTh6E8AuJIgDKjuu2PNx8k3tEqYO0MEVLTSwptw8/s640/blogger-image--1628974492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_we3p7NhZ2Z3Uu_9-DR73SPnJi0oK_LAkYwHnvsME-i8neX99S9T0K5MtTaJPGDniE-n8y0f4fFhyzsccJFiA9xCumDw7R3tWufApTh6E8AuJIgDKjuu2PNx8k3tEqYO0MEVLTSwptw8/s640/blogger-image--1628974492.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZ2YT1SVrYETYZoRJ2ooUW9e1A0cR2B1-JTRcy4osA5Fz5GX0Enlh_6UXDV0bhXf_x2BnJ6YgyMZax6lwb7gFf5r639LEgMes3DH7R0f0E6dHoyc4_EZ5Pnofk5cqZlJ_EqeJP8dtTBw/s640/blogger-image-966840687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZ2YT1SVrYETYZoRJ2ooUW9e1A0cR2B1-JTRcy4osA5Fz5GX0Enlh_6UXDV0bhXf_x2BnJ6YgyMZax6lwb7gFf5r639LEgMes3DH7R0f0E6dHoyc4_EZ5Pnofk5cqZlJ_EqeJP8dtTBw/s640/blogger-image-966840687.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our friend that played the greaser boyfriend even tried taming his crazy thick hair by slicking it back under a cap all day to prepare. However, as the night went on, more and more bunches of hair would spring forward out of the gel, which for some reason had us all dying. We all tried speaking in Italian accents all night, which only made us laugh harder at every ridiculous twist and turn of events. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Because Rob wanted it to be a surprise for me, he assigned all the food to everyone else, so we didn't have to make anything! Everyone else brought dinner and it was all soooooo good. Nice move, husband.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpuwAQlgH8Eei1lMwPSodrtMiUOUFSj6bEODO_MGqj3SC_X3S4npfcItRATmJXAVTpSst8ybfVsMdtosKG_lyPqILYlnUWxq2LljJJ0hf4Jscyy7fxHLd-Ptlbq45m_SGlxwzWoTqOmY/s640/blogger-image-512225693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpuwAQlgH8Eei1lMwPSodrtMiUOUFSj6bEODO_MGqj3SC_X3S4npfcItRATmJXAVTpSst8ybfVsMdtosKG_lyPqILYlnUWxq2LljJJ0hf4Jscyy7fxHLd-Ptlbq45m_SGlxwzWoTqOmY/s640/blogger-image-512225693.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div><br></div><div>Suffice it to say, it was such a fun night!</div><div><br></div><div>It's a good thing we celebrated early because my actual birthday, the following Wednesday, was a crazy day. Sweet Rob made Eggs a la goldenrod for breakfast (in true Irion fashion) and then we both worked all day and ended the night with a crazy fun activity with the youth from our ward. We played shaving cream Twister, which really just means about two minutes in that all the young men and young women had a shaving cream fight and COVERED each other (and US) in colored shaving cream. Haha, we were not prepared. And neither were the parents who had to give those kids a ride home. Oopsie.....</div><div><br></div><div>But seriously though, how can you regret a night like this?</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZYVYHak4UE-oaunoaZN5ltaepg18FRhp0K81HgIRDOYc2UfFBSc3MKsZ-CX9aC-YwkN7mpndavZY5t7pGcMGHhSCeJUU8LiwO6PGfx91VEN_VR5lBRbPrwaKLjG9i9xi_0bKdO2VCI4/s640/blogger-image--1265907916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZYVYHak4UE-oaunoaZN5ltaepg18FRhp0K81HgIRDOYc2UfFBSc3MKsZ-CX9aC-YwkN7mpndavZY5t7pGcMGHhSCeJUU8LiwO6PGfx91VEN_VR5lBRbPrwaKLjG9i9xi_0bKdO2VCI4/s640/blogger-image--1265907916.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijz3hpJRV-rQ0KHXkPlGSzAtBp6DIUdZprfUWPGV5aAo0jU6Ag3ngxU_ompAdzVq5e-fpVeY4Z4kR5fkaGtuo7qmtVJaDJfH96h5Zi6_jMaqd-jBi-mZYKn0SdlTnnffiZQ63s4ZOQck/s640/blogger-image-1876407526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijz3hpJRV-rQ0KHXkPlGSzAtBp6DIUdZprfUWPGV5aAo0jU6Ag3ngxU_ompAdzVq5e-fpVeY4Z4kR5fkaGtuo7qmtVJaDJfH96h5Zi6_jMaqd-jBi-mZYKn0SdlTnnffiZQ63s4ZOQck/s640/blogger-image-1876407526.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHtPpJn5rnpnBcLNYw1op5ZRowXzNaOa6XM4E9pzQfOvlN3PYpMIHraNlj5HBlvBN5SRwgaOEZkvgczx0OWohK-G4deUH_wlB4oG_puvHMKq-CBRcyLCVXfxW47fLlU4DU-u9w0Q0ejyc/s640/blogger-image--248635832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHtPpJn5rnpnBcLNYw1op5ZRowXzNaOa6XM4E9pzQfOvlN3PYpMIHraNlj5HBlvBN5SRwgaOEZkvgczx0OWohK-G4deUH_wlB4oG_puvHMKq-CBRcyLCVXfxW47fLlU4DU-u9w0Q0ejyc/s640/blogger-image--248635832.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFecx3xyI1Sor1ANSVwaKdTiYhKO6B4-osTBYpFECKEO6nL5t6AkeI0Gg5PO8hpszGwSGgNp-AJOSxPNrfPVjQ0sgOCcL1xSNwD8y1x_XYWojYW4N0nGOrBkQvdv8QpZAqvEe-wD9yi0/s640/blogger-image--1252929125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFecx3xyI1Sor1ANSVwaKdTiYhKO6B4-osTBYpFECKEO6nL5t6AkeI0Gg5PO8hpszGwSGgNp-AJOSxPNrfPVjQ0sgOCcL1xSNwD8y1x_XYWojYW4N0nGOrBkQvdv8QpZAqvEe-wD9yi0/s640/blogger-image--1252929125.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div> What a day! I seriously love this calling with my whole soul. These kids are some of the best in the whole church and I am so lucky to get to hang out with them so much! And I love having Rob in Young Men's right alongside. Such a blast!!</div><div><br></div><div>Lastly, my favorite birthday present might have been from Mother Nature. The sweet baby birds in the nest right outside our apartment door finally hatched! We have been obsessing over them for weeks now and have peeked in on their path of life:</div><div><br></div><div>A couple weeks ago:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4i0pF2OvwoEXbmh55WKdyqTVHdH8CifrGm3BOmsvvLlnelLEPpqdwwmll54L2x2QfmWv4LEDTJT6Skde0Jv9-d3row8Uwjh_1N-XdcTTvKQGuQdCXUB-0cce1mRjpj9OzGkFp_bw364/s640/blogger-image-1620343948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4i0pF2OvwoEXbmh55WKdyqTVHdH8CifrGm3BOmsvvLlnelLEPpqdwwmll54L2x2QfmWv4LEDTJT6Skde0Jv9-d3row8Uwjh_1N-XdcTTvKQGuQdCXUB-0cce1mRjpj9OzGkFp_bw364/s640/blogger-image-1620343948.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>A few days ago:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfGp9Tvnr047_BOrIS0qdKlXilFsn7ha0U_-4yy295pNwIRYNQgU9uAC-uJ1CtBU-voyAy5NdQfCWyuV3oyQFWmiieNJgWgASgqv6B2dFkeD8UQi8uT5OwAyS9TDjA_2F3-E7PIRuv_o/s640/blogger-image-4087914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfGp9Tvnr047_BOrIS0qdKlXilFsn7ha0U_-4yy295pNwIRYNQgU9uAC-uJ1CtBU-voyAy5NdQfCWyuV3oyQFWmiieNJgWgASgqv6B2dFkeD8UQi8uT5OwAyS9TDjA_2F3-E7PIRuv_o/s640/blogger-image-4087914.jpg"></a></div>And for the BEST video of them, check out Instagram (blogger app won't let me upload it here). It is the cutest thing you'll ever see!</div><div><br></div><div>Happy Birthday little babes! So happy to be birthday septuplets with you!</div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-11107421901946193222016-04-28T15:43:00.000-07:002016-04-29T05:29:24.735-07:00Reality<div style="color: #222222;">
I haven't written for a little while. The road has been rough lately and I wanted to get through it first so that we could share our story and happy thoughts and feelings once we were past all the hard stuff. But it wasn't that easy. The hard stuff is still happening and recently I started thinking, maybe it's okay to write about it while we're in it. To recognize that this pain is real for us right now, and is probably real for many others. And it's okay to feel it and to process it.<br />
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Last week was April 18th. It's a day that has never meant a whole lot to me in the past. But this year was different. While the rest of the world probably experienced a fairly normal day, we were experiencing a million different emotions. Because April 18th was our due date. It was the day our first baby should have been born. The day we should have become parents. The day that should have been the happiest day of our lives. Instead, our hearts hurt that day and everyday for the baby we never got to bring home. </div>
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We have been working through our grief ever since we lost that baby last September, but seven weeks ago it all came flooding back. Seven weeks ago we experienced a second miscarriage, this time just 9 weeks after our second round of IVF. That baby's grand entrance into this world should have been October 13th, but we know now that that will be another emotional day. A special day. </div>
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Grieving this second time around has been different somehow. In some ways, it felt like recovery came quickly and I was able to feel joy again and smile and laugh and feel like everything would work out. And then something would trigger me, and all of a sudden it was like the whole world came crashing down all over again and I couldn't do anything to stop it. The tears would come and the more I tried to stop them the harder it became until I just stopped fighting it and let them flow. I couldn't do anything but curl up in Robbie's arms and cry as I felt all the emotions that accompany our reality.<br />
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We lost another baby. <br />
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I wish I could say that I was stronger. I wish I could say that I've been able to maintain a constant eternal perspective through all of this. I wish that I was able to shake off the negative feelings that sometimes seem to pull me down. I don't want to feel so hurt. I don't want to feel angry. I don't want to feel jealous. I don't want to feel guilty for feeling hurt, angry or jealous. I don't want to feel so scared. But try as I might not to, sometimes I feel those things. Not always. But sometimes.<br />
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The biggest battle I have fought since this most recent miscarriage is trying to hold on to hope. Losing a second child on this long road of infertility bears all the weight of losing your child and then is compounded with the weight of wondering if you will ever be able to have children at all. I know that we have other options, but there are other factors keeping us from being able to pursue those for now. How do you keep the faith when you look into your future and you can't see the thing you want more than anything?<br />
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Luckily, in those moments when my faith feels like it's at an all-time low, Heavenly Father reminds me that He knows. That He's watching. And that He's hurting too. He sends me clear messages of hope and love through inspired people in my life.<br />
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Robbie, even through his grief, still never loses hope. He is my rock. In the days following our second miscarriage, I spent a lot of time pleading with Heavenly Father to help me cope with this. I also found myself looking for anything that would help relieve this pain or help me understand how to deal with this kind of a loss. In my searching, I found this:<br />
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As soon as I read it, I fell apart into a puddle of tears. I mourned for my two sweet babies all over again. Not only for losing them in this stage of life, but for the life they would have had. For the people they would have been.<br />
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I shared my feelings with my dear husband and his response was one I will never forget. He squeezed me tight and said, "Ang, we don't have to wonder. We know we'll see them again." This guy. He was and is the answer to my prayers. With love and compassion, he reminded me how real and close the Savior's atonement is, especially right now. The Savior promised that we will be a family forever and I have had to dig deep to really ask myself if I believe Him. And the truth is, I do. Even through this darkness, I believe Him. I can't express what it means to me to know that our little ones are not gone forever. That we are their parents. That they are our children and always will be. <br />
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About a week or so after our second miscarriage, I received an unexpected package from a friend. She had no idea that we had just lost another baby but had just felt a prompting to reach out. In the package was a necklace with a charm in the shape of an anchor. She wrote me a letter saying that she had been thinking of us ever since hearing of our first miscarriage 6 months before and had been wanting to send me this necklace. She testified that hope is an anchor for our souls, sure and steadfast. That "hope makes us sure of the Lord's promises and helps us be steadfast until those promises are fulfilled." She hoped this necklace would serve as a daily reminder of that for me. Okay....There is no denying the presence of God in our lives in moments like these. It was so powerful to know that Heavenly Father inspired her with a message I needed to hear at a time when I really needed to hear it. She could have sent that letter at any other point in the previous 6 months, but was inspired to send it right after we had just suffered another loss. She brought me hope at the exact moment I was starting to feel hopeless. And her gift has been that reminder for me, especially through the past week. I am trying to hold onto that hope with everything I've got.<br />
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She isn't the only one that has blessed our lives by following those promptings of the spirit. We have been given so much help from friends here in South Carolina and loved ones across the miles. Since I was struggling in the aftermath, we didn't publicize this second pregnancy or second miscarriage to many outside of our families. As a result, it felt strange to know that the world was moving forward with no knowledge of this little life that had meant so much to us. It was hard. But so many messages of love and support from people who had no way of knowing about our loss proved to me that our child was not forgotten in the eyes of the Lord. He considers them both precious and He considers our loss great. He has reached out to us through the hands of our families and our friends and that has helped lift us up and strengthen us when we have felt weak.<br />
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I have learned a valuable life lesson through all of this. In these moments when life feels impossible and everything you plan seems to crumble and it feels like you're all alone, look for God in the details. Sometimes it takes a second to see past the fog, but when you do, you will always find Him there.<br />
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Life lesson #2. When God tells you to do something, do it. You have no idea what effect your words and actions can have on someone else. All you need is the courage to put into action the good thoughts that Heavenly Father sends to your mind. As a recipient of the love of those who have had that courage, I am eternally grateful.<br />
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I know I'm not through it all yet. Though they happen less and less, I know there will be more triggers and more difficult moments. But I also know that I have an incredible husband who loves me, and I love him. I have two amazing families who would do anything for us and have. I have a Savior and a Heavenly Father who actively make me aware of their existence and their love. I have angels on earth, that are willing to act when Heavenly Father speaks to them. I have a knowledge that because of Christ, we will see our children again. And I have a belief, a hope, that in the end, we will have the family we dream of. For now, we will hold each other tight, snuggle our adorable pooch, and reflect on the amazing blessings we have.<br />
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This is a good life.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-11498376341355694772016-02-10T05:26:00.002-08:002016-02-10T06:16:57.962-08:00Fun TravelsWell, it turns out I'm not great at updating often so far. But that's why goals exist, right?<br />
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The last few months have been packed full of so much stuff! Buckle up for a longer post, but full of lots of pictures and funny stories! Here are the highlights of the past few months...<br />
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<b style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Trip to Utah in November </span></b>- November 6-9, 2015<br />
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In November, we got word that Grandma Irion was not doing super great. She had a fall awhile back and had taken a downward spiral since then. Poor woman lost her appetite and had a difficult time eating or drinking anything, which only caused her health to fall more. Since the family wasn't sure if she would make it til Christmas, we decided to fly home to spend a long weekend with her and our families. It was so great to spend some time with this sweet lady.<br />
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<i>Grandma flexing her muscles to show us how all that muscle milk is paying off. Also, Russ in his spinny hat that Grandma commented on about 10 times. </i></div>
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I also got to spend some time with my sister and her kids while in town and it was so great. I love those little munchkins. This trip Logan and I started a new hobby of doing "her karate." Her heavy, concentrated breathing kills me. Hahaha. </div>
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<b style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: large;">California Dreamin' </span>-</b> Thanksgiving 2016<br />
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Thanksgiving this year was such a blast. We got together with the <i>entire</i> Irion crew (which is no easy feat) in the great state of CALIFORNIA! Rich and Gloria rented a condo for the whole week, but Robbie and I were only able to come for the last half. We went to Knott's Berry Farm one day and did ALL the rides (the best of which was hands down the Xcelerator. 0-80 in two seconds. Literally.). It was so much fun. Plus, we were all matchy matchy, so does it get any better than that? Other than amusement parks, we spent the weekend playing games, laughing, eating AMAZING Asian food, going to parks, and just lovin being together. The only bummer was a few of the crew got sick and were having the throw-ups. Somehow they were all still troopers and the week was so much fun!<br />
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<b style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Substitute Teaching </span>-</b> Thanksgiving through Christmas<br />
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After Thanksgiving, I finally got to start substitute teaching! I had been working on all the paperwork and background checks and all that for over a month, but I was finally in the clear to teach. And let me tell you, it was hilarious.<br />
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I had the opportunity to teach from elementary on up through middle school and high school. Surprisingly, the easiest grade was 11th and the hardest, by FAR, was 4th. It turns out, I'm not good at tears. I don't know how to respond when the crying starts. My previous experience in middle school involves more sass than tears and thus, did not prepare me well for this. Are these little ones crying because they are actually sad? Are they really just using tears to manipulate me into doing what they want? (I'm pretty sure this was the case more than once). So hard to tell! They were still pretty stinkin cute.<br />
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The most entertaining days happened with the older kids. Always trying to charm me to get out of doing their work. This was one of the typical conversations I had.<br />
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<i>Students are supposed to be working on their packets:</i><br />
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<li><i>Student: Hey Miz I?</i></li>
<li><i>Me: Yeah?</i></li>
<li><i>Student: What color yo eyes, Miz I? </i></li>
<li><i>Me: Did you need some help? </i></li>
<li><i>Student: They blue?! </i></li>
<li><i>Me: What was your question, bud? </i></li>
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<i>Ten minutes later.... </i><br />
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<li><i>Same student: "Hey, Miz I? </i></li>
<li><i>Me: You have a question? </i></li>
<li><i>Student: Yo eyes is gray! </i></li>
<li><i>Me: What was your question? </i></li>
<li><i>Student: Finally gets to point. </i></li>
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These kids are the funniest. All in all, they were pretty good-natured and sweet and I loved getting to hang with them for awhile. However, we discovered that subbing doesn't pay as well as we'd originally thought, so I'll be looking for something different after the holidays. Fun while it lasted!<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Fun Stuff in Florence</span></u></b></div>
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We have started up a few new hobbies lately! We have found some fun things to do around Florence, like....</div>
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Tennis! (I have hit it over the fence more times than anyone ever should) </div>
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Golf! (The real kind, not the mini kind). </div>
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It took me an average of 8 swings to get the ball off the dang tee. </div>
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Yoga!</div>
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We had done a little yoga before our move, but have made it our weekly ritual now. Our teacher LOVES Robbie because he's so good at it. (This is real, not sarcastic. He's amazing at strength poses!). It's been so fun!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Christmastime </span>- December 18-29, 2016</div>
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Before we headed to Utah for Christmas, we had our own little celebration at home. We even went and saw the Nutcracker for my first time ever! (Which if I'm being totally honest, felt more like a really trippy dream than a classic Christmas story). However, we definitely took advantage of every Christmas-y thing we could before heading to Utah. </div>
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Once we got to Utah, we had such a blast hanging out with family! We played the chimes, went sledding, had chocolate fondue, played Around the World non-stop, had make-your-own-pizza night and just played all day every day. It was really the best!</div>
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We also got to hang out with some good friends (including the Tucano's Tradition, of course)<br />
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And we got to see our sweet grandmas! We spent some time with Grandma T for a Christmas get-together and it was so great. </div>
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We also got to go see Grandma Irion. She's been steadily getting weaker and weaker. As we left, we were pretty sure this was the last time we would see her and we both got a little emotional as we walked out. This woman is the sweetest, peppiest, little angel. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">New Year's Eve in Orlando! </span>- December 31-Jan 2, 2016</div>
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We got home from Utah on December 29th and decided to take a spontaneous road trip down to Orlando to celebrate the New Year. We stayed in an airbnb and it turns out, our hosts were a young LDS couple that just moved there from Provo a few months ago. We had no idea! It was the craziest coincidence! </div>
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So we spent two full days in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, mostly so that we could experience....</div>
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GUYS! Harry Potter World is AMAZING!! I understand that it was probably made more for children than for 30-year olds, but you would never know it if you had been with us on this trip. We were enchanted by every single thing we saw. </div>
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We were scared the butterbeer would be overrated. Let me just tell you, it's not. It is one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted. We decided that, for the sake of science, we needed to try every single kind, and here are our findings (in order of best to good): Hot butterbeer, Frozen, Ice cream, cold. The rides were actually really awesome too (especially the Dragon Challenge). In the Hogwartz castle, you actually feel like you are playing Quidditch at one point! </div>
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Besides the Harry Potter aspects, the rest of the park was so fun! I sure love this sexy bald guy of mine. </div>
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Of course, we were so exhausted from all this running around (we are not teenagers anymore, you know) that at one point, I came out of the restroom to find Robbie like this. Fast asleep. </div>
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Our actual New Year's Eve was one of the biggest parties I've ever been to. It was a big concert put on the main stage in Universal Studios. The band, Orange Avenue, did a bunch of covers of songs we know and love. The last thirty minutes, the band did "Thirty Years in Thirty Songs in Thirty Minutes." They did one song from each of the past thirty years which, coincidentally, is exactly how old we are so they were all songs we grew up with! It was amazing. </div>
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<b style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ohio Trip to see Marci!</span> </b>- January 7-15, 2016</div>
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I've been wanting to go to Ohio and see my sister for awhile now. She had a new baby girl back in November, plus her adorable foster baby is about a year old, plus the two cutest little boys in the land. I used the excuse that she needed my help because she was so busy with the two babies, but really, it was just a really good reason to hang out with some of my favorite people for the week. </div>
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Some of my favorite memories from the week: </div>
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<i>They got their FIRST snow and Sawyer was told he could go outside to play in it at 9:30am. He sat in his snow clothes, snowboard in hand, staring at the kitchen clock on that stool for about 20 minutes. </i></div>
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<i>He also came out in this Man in Black get-up. When I asked if he was supposed to be Inigo Montoya, he looked appalled. OBVIOUSLY he was Thorin Oakenshield.</i></div>
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<i>On that note, he is OBSESSED with the Misty Mountains song from the hobbit. All week, he would ask for my phone (knowing it had no games on it) just so he could look up that song on youtube and hold it up against his ear as he walked around the house. He would repeat the song over and over until I asked for my phone back. At one point he said, "If I could listen to this song all day, I would. I would rather hear this song than have ipad or TV time all day." Hahaha. </i></div>
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<i>This was how I usually woke up every morning. I slept in the boys' room and this little man does not sleep in much. My worst mistake was on my first day. I told them I thought we should get up early to make breakfast for their mom and dad. I had no idea what "early" means to Sawyer the Destroyer. Starting at MIDNIGHT, I hear this yell/whisper coming from the top bunk, "Angie! Angie! Is it time to get up and make breakfast yet?" I responded, with "Whoa, what? No, bud, you've only been a sleep a few hours. We have a long ways to go before it's morning. Go back to sleep." I got to sleep for awhile then, but about 3:30am I hear the same thing coming from the top bunk. Those requests to get up and start making breakfast happened about every 15-30 minutes from 3:30am until 6:00am. Finally, at 6 I couldn't hold him back anymore, so we finally got to go make breakfast. That kid....</i></div>
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<i>This cute Grayson boy was always playing all week. I rarely saw him without one of his dresses on. He even put one on over his pajamas before he even came downstairs in the morning. One day, we watched Cinderella (the real one) and he had to find his best twirly dress so that in that scene when she spins and the Fairy Godmother changes her dress, he could time his spin right along with her. Adorable. </i></div>
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<i>One day, Marci made these rolls for dinner. I was holding Stella baby over in the family room when I hear Grayson yell, "The butt cheeks are ready!!" Hahahaha, apparently the boys think these rolls look like butt cheeks so that's what they call them now. Truth be told, they're kind of right...</i></div>
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<i>I had a pretty hard time ever letting this sweet new Stella babe leave my arms. Her double chin, huge eyes, and crazy hair just made her the sweetest, cutest thing. She even learned how to smile while I was there so we did all we could to get those smiles out of her all week. </i></div>
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<i>Her big sister was never short on smiles. That girl's whole face lit up every time you even looked at her. For confidentiality reasons, I can't put any photos up of her, but we got plenty of her with BIG ol' smiles and videos of her laughing at the boys. She is just the best! She is trying to start communicating and you can tell when she really has something she wants to say, but she just can't get it out. </i></div>
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<i>Best of all, I got to spend some time with my amazing sister and brother-in-law. We had such a great week, filled with lots of treat-eating, playing, puzzle-doing, cooking, and mostly chatting. Sure love this lady and her sweet family!</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Utah trip for Grandma's funeral</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> - January 16, 2016</span></div>
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While I was in Ohio, we got word that Grandma Irion had passed away. I flew straight from Ohio and Robbie flew from SC and both got there Friday, Jan. 15th. Her funeral was Saturday the 16th and it was such a great tribute to an awesome lady. And most of Robbie's cousins and aunts and uncles were in town so we got to spend some time with them and I got to know them a little better. What a great group. </div>
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Rob had to leave on Sunday but I stayed a little while longer and got to hang with my family. I luckily got to hang out with Britt before she and her littles headed to Harry Potter World! (And I obviously couldn't stop talking excitedly about how much they were going to love it). I also got to hang with my parents and experience my dad's new hobby: the art of meat-grinding! At first it grossed me out, but by the end, it was actually pretty fun! (Not to mention really delicious once it was cooked)</div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">New Callings</span></u></b></div>
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Just before Christmas Robbie and I got new callings. Rob was called as Elders' Quorum Secretary which he's great at and I was called as the Activity Days leader, which was super awesome....for one day. </div>
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We had my one and only activity decorating Christmas cookies with the girls before we left for Utah for the Christmas. However, right after getting back from Utah, I got a new calling... </div>
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Young Women's President.</div>
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Hahaha, what?! Lots of scared feelings accompanied by lots of really exciting feelings! I haven't served in Young Women's since I WAS one. But we've got great girls in our ward, and y'all know I love working with this age. Turns out, it's a pretty crazy schedule. Between teaching on Sundays, activities on Wednesdays, monthly Stake activities, planning for the big things like New Beginnings, Girls Camp, and Youth Conference, and then just worrying about the girls themselves, this calling is on my mind most of the time. And it's only been a few weeks! I have so much respect for all my Young Women leaders growing up. This calling has really given me a chance to think about how much those leaders influenced my life. I still remember some powerful YW lessons on Sundays and experiences at Girls camp. As scary as this new calling is, I am so grateful and excited for it. AND I have an amazing presidency to help carry the load. I can't imagine anyone better. </div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Angie's New Job</span></u></b></div>
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I FINALLY got a job! After realizing that subbing, though crazy entertaining, was not going to help us much financially, I began searching for something more permanent but had little success. I decided to take a long shot and reach out to a company I used to work for in Salt Lake. Luckily, they are swamped and in need of some extra help right now. And they don't even care that I live in South Carolina! So for the next while at least, I will be working from home for the Graduation Alliance, an online drop-out recovery program. I love this company and all my old co-workers (some of whom are still there!) so I'm really excited. It's temporary for now, but with the possibility of going permanent after a couple months. So woot woot! And it could not have come at a better time, because guess what?</div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">A House in the Works</span></u></b></div>
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We are buying a house! Actually, technically building a house. We searched all over Florence for months looking for a more permanent place to live and, ironically, we ended up deciding to build right across the street from our apartment. It's a small guy, just 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, but it works for us right now. And, much to Nuca's future excitement, it has a backyard. Not huge, but enough that she can finally run around on her own again without being on a leash. So we've still got a few months until it's done, but because we live so close it's fun to see the progress on it every day when I take the pooch for walks. </div>
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So those are some of our highlights! Busy busy, but life should slow down for the next while as we both settle into our new routine. I love this guy and this pooch and this life so much!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-59918088134883254542015-11-04T19:50:00.001-08:002015-11-04T20:33:49.294-08:00Starting our New LifeIt's now been almost two months since we arrived in our new home. As you probably know, there have been some major lows, but also some great highs.<br />
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First thing's first, I have been so blown away with the amount of love, support, stories, packages, letters, and solid compassion from everyone we know. This rough stuff has been so much easier to bear knowing that we have an army of loved ones behind us. Thank you to everyone who reached out to us and comforted us. We have our good days and rougher days, but the rough ones have slowly become less frequent. We are dealing and hopeful about what the future holds.<br />
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<u><b>Recovery</b></u><br />
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The day after we got our bad news, my parents flew out to spend some time with us while I recovered and we dealt with things. Between that and the hurricane that caused massive amounts of heavy rainfall (seriously, the pond outside our apartment rose about 5 feet, almost to the brim), we stayed indoors for almost a week.<br />
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<i>Basically, we hung out doing a lot of this (with the pooch always perched right there):</i></div>
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<i>While right outside our window it looked like this: </i></div>
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Luckily it was General Conference weekend and let me just say that I have never needed it or wanted it more than I did in those days leading up to it. So many talks were powerful (loved Grandfather's so much) and comforting and exactly what I needed, but the one that stood out the most was Sister Neill Marriott's talk. It was an honest answer to prayer and spoke to me on a level that is one of the strongest I've ever felt in Conference. I've gone back and read it since, and each time, it brings me a lot of peace. If you feel like you need to feel God's love and presence a little more today, here's the link: <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/yielding-our-hearts-to-god?lang=eng">https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/yielding-our-hearts-to-god?lang=eng</a><br />
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Because it was Conference weekend, we also decided to carry on some very important Conference traditions. German Pancakes on Sunday (as I've done with the Dallof's almost every Conference since I can remember) and the Nelson Family tradition of donut-making during Priesthood Session. I don't wanna brag, but daaaaaaaaang. We did pretty good. Probably just because I smothered everything in Nutella and sugar. Can't go wrong.<br />
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We also hit some amazing restaurants, did puzzles, and watched ridiculous amounts of baseball. Plus, anytime we didn't go out, my parents spent the evening making all our favorite home cooked meals. It was so nice to have them here and just relax, not having to worry about anything, and being distracted from having to feel all the feelings that were so confusing to deal with. We are the luckiest.<br />
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<i>Doing fast food right, crate-style with all the sweet potato pies Bojangles can offer: </i></div>
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Nuca is obsessed with her grandparents and, as evidenced, was never more than 2 inches away from one or the other at any given moment. It was pretty adorbs. She <i>loved </i>having such special visitors.</div>
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The last few days they were here, the weather finally cleared up and we were able to spend some time exploring! While Robbie was at work, we loaded up the pooch and drove out to Myrtle Beach. It was the (almost) perfect day (could only have been complete if Rob had been there). We spent hours just walking down the length of the beach and letting Nuca wig out jumping back and forth through all the waves. We even found a bunch of retirees hunting for ancient shark teeth, so that's crazy cool! While we were having lunch on the pier (best fish sandwich e'er), Nuca proved to be the main attraction. <i>Everyone </i>stopped to fawn over her and tell us how beautiful she was. Cutest pooch won them all over. What a great day. The ocean breeze made the sunny day perfect weather. We also drove around looking at all the real estate up there and I lost myself in daydreams of one day being a richie rich and owning a beautiful beach house.<br />
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After my parents left, Robbie and I had some time on our own to digest everything. We relaxed for another week or so, and then decided we needed to start having some weekend adventures to take our attention. We spent our next big Saturday in Charleston!<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Charleston</u> - October 17, 2015<br />
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Charleston was BEAUTIFUL! Ocean views, adorable charming houses with huge wrap around porches and AMAZING FOOD. Seriously, these posts will almost always involve descriptions of what we ate because all our adventures revolve around finding delicious food.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i>All the heart eyes, I'm such a sucker for these big porches</i></span></div>
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Lunch at Jestine's Kitchen did not disappoint. I had a BLFGT sandwich, see if you can figure that one out. Yes, that's right, a Bacon Lettuce FRIED GREEN TOMATO sandwich. Are you kidding me?! It was amazing. I don't know if plain old BLT's will be enough for me ever again.<br />
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We had dinner at a place called Hyman's Seafood and WOW-zas, this may have been the highlight of the day. Since we've been in South Carolina, I have had my fair share of hushpuppies (basically deep fried pancake balls) but these were out of this world! I had way more than I should have. Beyond that, a mixed platter of fish, shrimp, crabcakes, etc. made this meal a party in the mouth.<br />
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Also, DO YOU SEE WHO ONCE SAT IN MY VERY SEAT?!</div>
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The rest of the day, we walked up and down the coastline, explored King Street (the shopping district that is still somehow fun for non-shoppers), and wandered through beautiful parks. We even happened to be sitting on a bench right outside a gazebo when a wedding party showed up and had their ceremony right there in front of us! What a magical day.<br />
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<i>King Street</i></div>
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<i>Weddings! I love weddings! Drinks all around!</i></div>
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<b><u>Camping in Asheville, NC</u></b> - October 24th<br />
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Before we even moved to the south, my sister Brittany told us to make sure that we made our way up to the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina sometime during our first fall to see the leaves changing. We decided to camp up there and make a weekend out of it. Since these are our closest mountains and they are 3.5 hours away (which is rough on these Utah kids), we need to take advantage of every opportunity to see them and bask in their beauty! Not to mention the pooch loves camping. Let me tell you, I have never received better advice in my life! I mean look at this!<br />
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The Blue Ridge Parkway is a GORGEOUS highway that stretches along the tops of the mountain range. As you drive around the bends, all of a sudden this amazing vista just appears before your eyes. You stop and stare for as long as you can, unable to fully take it all in and finally reluctantly get back into the car to keep going, when 1 minute down the road you see another even better view and that continues for MILES. It's unreal. I tried to take pictures, but nothing captured how just plain powerful it was.<br />
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We also explored a little of downtown Asheville, which basically feels like the lovechild of Park City and San Francisco. It's awesome. As we were driving down one of the streets, we saw a really long line of people coming out of a building. Since we are sheep, we were immediately curious about what could be drawing such a big crowd. Naturally, we parked and joined the fun. Well, turns out we were in line for the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. Have you ever seen the movie Chocolat? Well, we lived it. The crappy part was that there aren't any prices listed and not even full menus until you get up to the front and it's time to order. I was so overwhelmed with trying to decide what to get that I unknowingly spent $20 on two teeny tiny (espresso-sized) hot chocolates and four teeny tiny chocolates. They tricked me! Anyway, it was pretty delicious. And the hot chocolate was so thick, it was basically just melted chocolate. So, kind of a win?<br />
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Either way, camping and hiking with my man and my pooch made this the best, most relaxing weekend.<br />
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<i>My two favorites:</i></div>
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<b><u>Visiting the Brockbanks in Durham, NC</u></b> - October 30, 2015<br />
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One of Robbie's good friends from high school, Ben Brockbank, is doing his residency in anesthesiology at Duke (smarty pants). Ben lives in Durham, North Carolina with his wife Alyse and their baby girl McKenzie. We've talked about visiting them ever since we got here, but spontaneously decided that Halloween was the perfect weekend to do so! You need to jump when a busy resident tells you he has the weekend off. Plus, we are still fairly lacking in the good-friends-in-Florence-that-you-party-with-on-Halloween crowd so off we went to North Carolina for the second weekend in a row!<br />
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It was such a great weekend! Ben and Robbie have always been friends, but the best thing is that it has been so easy for me to become friends with Alyse. That girl is the easiest person in the world to talk to. (Robbie and I call this the "Katie HI factor" in honor of our sister-in-law). She is so good, so down to earth. And man, that Kenzie is the CUTEST little babe in the land. Look at her Halloween costume! Isn't she the perfect real-life Cabbage Patch Doll?<br />
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It seems impossible, but she's actually even cuter in real life than she is in these photos. Also, this little minion made me wish a teeny that we had dressed up Nuca for the holiday: </div>
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Alyse and I spent the weekend mostly gabbing while Robbie, Ben and Ben's brother Brandon spent the weekend doing more manly things like frisbee golf, installing ceiling fans, etc. Plus, we all gamed it up at night. Really, it was a win-win for all involved.<br />
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Finally, we took a visit to grand ol' Duke University. Thought of Scottie, my brother-in-law, and the year that he and my sister spent in this beautiful place. </div>
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Last sidenote: Before we left for North Carolina, we also had a chance to ring in Halloween on our own by carving our pumpkins. Robbie is a true artist and will only carve something he has designed himself. He refuses to look at designs on the internet, so his original design is our Nuca Pooch Pumpkin. I, on the other hand, have no pride in my pumpkin designing skills, so I cheated and tried to mimick the Tree of Gondor (LOTR reference). It was working pretty well until one whole chunk of tree branch fell off. Oops.<br />
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Overall, the past month has been pretty crazy, but Robbie and I have definitely grown closer through it all. We have dealt with change, hardship, compassion, kindness and have grown to love and appreciate our new home.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-19170915166913053282015-09-30T14:30:00.001-07:002016-09-29T10:41:49.972-07:00Our Baby<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We lost the baby. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I feel broken. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have a hard time talking about it out loud. I find myself either overcome with emotion and can't get any words out or in a numb haze and I have no words at all. Since writing has helped me in the past, I thought I could try to write out everything I'm feeling. For the benefit of those that care about us and want to know, as well as for those that may be struggling with something similar, I have opened up here about this really personal experience. Hopefully this can help someone, at the very least just to know that they are not going through this alone. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Getting to Pregnancy:</span></u></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As many may know, Robbie and I have struggled with fertility for the past couple years. We have dreamed of becoming parents and having a baby to love for a really long time. It seemed that it just wasn't in the cards naturally. We tried on our own for a year and eventually decided to see a fertility specialist at Utah Fertility Center in Pleasant Grove. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This past year has been filled with lots of doctors visits, books, fertility treatments, hormone drugs, IUI procedures and more. Despite all that, every month we got the phone call from the fertility center saying they were so sorry, but it was another negative. We dealt with some pretty serious emotions, but got through it. We thought and prayed a lot about what to do next. We talked about adoption and even went to an adoption information meeting, but still felt like it wasn't the right time. We finally decided to take the BIG step. We had saved some but continued saving up for a few more months and started the IVF process this past July. Up until that point, through all the rest of those treatments, I found myself sad and upset every time we got a negative pregnancy test, but there was always this light at the end of the tunnel. I knew we still hadn't tried IVF. We waited because of the expense and the emotional and physical toll it would take on us, but we always knew it was there. Almost like, if nothing else worked, we still had that and it had to work. We had heard so many success stories that we just believed deep down that it had to work. It was the absolute most we could do and we were both committed to doing anything we could. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> It was a hard but really exciting month. I took a lot of medications and started giving myself injections daily, sometimes four per day. I visited the doctor a lot, some weeks having appointments every day to check the status of our follicles and how they were growing. We had 15 healthy follicles growing. At our egg retrieval on July 25th, they were able to take out 12 mature eggs. Over the next 5 days they fertilized them and watched them grow in a petri dish. We knew that a lot of eggs don't make it through this fertilization and maturation process, so we were just hoping and praying that we would end up with something, ideally that we would have enough to freeze extras for later attempts. By the time we arrived at our Transfer Day on August 1st, we had two mature embryos remaining. We were thrilled that it was enough to implant this round, but a little disappointed that we didn't have any extras. It made us very aware that this first try needed to work. But we just kept telling ourselves, all it takes is one. One embryo can become a baby. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After our Transfer Day, we had to wait ten days before we found out whether or not the embryos took. Those ten days were TORTUROUS. August 11th would be the day, and it couldn't come fast enough. I declared to Robbie that since it was such a big day, it was also the day we could celebrate our third anniversary. We weren't able to celebrate it on July 28th since I was right in the middle of the most intense part of our IVF process. I had myself convinced that we should celebrate it the day we got the results from our pregnancy test because if we got a positive result, we could celebrate it all together and if it was negative, I would have something to distract me from the guaranteed devastation that would follow. It probably wasn't the best decision but luckily, it worked out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I will never forget the moment we found out. We had both been getting ready for our big night out. I hadn't heard my phone ring and when I came back in my room, I saw that I had a voicemail from the fertility center. This was it. I just walked blank-faced over to Robbie and wordlessly held up the phone. Since he was clearly confused, I just said, "We have a voicemail." We both sat down on the bed and stared at the phone for a minute, afraid to push play. Finally, he said, "Ready?" I nodded and he pushed it. All the words on the voicemail seemed jumbled until we heard the word "positive" and then we lost it. We threw our arms around each other and just cried. It finally happened. We were finally pregnant. We could barely get a handle on ourselves. A baby was on its way!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Two weeks later, we had a 7-week ultrasound and were able to hear our little one's heartbeat. It was so fast, but so strong. We were just all smiles and couldn't believe we were finally here. We got a printout of our little bean and looked at it all the time, proudly showing it off every chance we could. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just days after our ultrasound, the time came for our big move to South Carolina. Robbie had gotten a new job at GE Healthcare and was expected to start September 14th. We decided to make a road trip of it so after a few days of travel, we arrived at our new home on September 8th and got settled in. Since so many of our friends and family knew about our pregnancy back home (since our IVF procedure was pretty public) we decided not to hide it here. We were about 8 weeks along when we arrived and had no signs that anything was out of the ordinary. My pregnancy seemed relatively easy. I did find I was tired a lot and got more emotional than I should about different things, positive or negative, but I didn't get sick or nauseous at all. The lack of nausea did make me a little nervous just because I couldn't feel anything telling me I was pregnant. I didn't have any physical proof, but a lot of people don't experience nausea so I pushed it aside. All in all, I was happy and excited. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>The Loss:</u> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It started Monday, September 28th, the start of my 11th week of pregnancy. I was feeling fine and had been running errands for most of the day. Around 3:00 I went to the bathroom and noticed that I was bleeding. At first, I pushed the worry aside. I'd heard that you can have some light spotting through your pregnancy. But then I started to get nervous because it didn't look like light spotting. I texted Robbie and he told me to call the doctor right away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't even know our doctors yet. I was supposed to have my first appointment with them the next day (Tuesday). I called in and at first the secretary said that since I technically wasn't a patient yet, she couldn't give me any medical advice. I just repeatedly asked her, "Could you at least give me some idea if this is normal or if I should be concerned?" Finally, she asked me to hang on for a minute. When she came back, she asked how much blood there was. I told her and she said, "Can you get here in the next 30 minutes?" I told her I'd be there in 10 and hung up. This is when my real fear started. I texted Robbie as I walked out the door, telling him they asked me to come in to check everything out. He called me back as I was driving and said he would meet me there. He had gotten permission to leave work a little early to go to the DMV and an eye appointment but said he would come to me instead. Despite my fear, I told him it was probably nothing and that he should just go to his appointment. I'm so glad he didn't listen. I could not have done this alone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I met him in the lobby and we both had some panic on our faces. We held hands and walked quietly to the elevators and then into the office. After filling out all their paperwork, they took us back to the ultrasound room. I laid there just praying and pleading over and over in my head that everything would be okay. When the screen was clear, I saw our beautiful, sweet little baby on the screen, and nothing else. No movement. Even before the technician said it, I knew. There was no heartbeat. I heard Robbie gasp and start to cry. I just covered my mouth and sobbed into my hand. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have never known heartache like I did in that moment. It is physically painful. I couldn't breathe, I could only cry. Our beautiful baby, the baby we had prayed so hard for and wanted for so long, was gone just like that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The technician said he/she was measuring at 8 weeks and 6 days (too early to know the gender). Since I was in my 11th week of pregnancy, he must have stopped growing two weeks before. I racked my brain trying to remember what had happened two weeks before. What had I done that day? How did I do this? How did I end this little life? I felt so heavy with responsibility. I couldn't protect him. He was gone for two weeks before I even knew. I'm his mother and I couldn't do anything to help him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The rest of our visit was a blur. We walked from room to room, wherever they directed us, taking care of all of the business that happens after you miscarry. There is so much business. It felt like we were walking around for hours, just in this tear-filled, blurry haze. We spoke to the doctor who advised us to do a D&C surgery immediately to remove all "products of conception." Even those words broke my heart. Our little one was reduced to a "product of conception." He was kind about it but it just hurt. Robbie just asked him what could have happened. What went wrong? He answered that it was likely a chromosomal abnormality and there was nothing we could have done to prevent it from happening. I wish those words could have lightened my heart, but it was still heavy. I still felt responsible somehow. Even if it wasn't a conscious behavior that harmed him, my body couldn't give him a safe place to grow. I felt broken, like my body was broken. I couldn't get pregnant. When that miracle did finally occur, I couldn't stay pregnant. There is a disconnect there and I don't know why. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The following morning we went in for our D&C procedure. It was a long day, 12 hours total, at the hospital for a procedure that only took about 45 minutes. It was a lot to deal with. The only thing I want to remember from that day is Robbie laying next to me in the bed and holding me while we waited. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Tender Mercies:</u> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The past two days have been some of the most difficult I've ever faced. I know deep down that Heavenly Father has a plan for me and for Robbie and for our children. It's so hard to understand what that plan is right now, but I know it's there. One thing that has been made clear to me though is that even if I can't see His plan, I can see His hand in all the details of the last two days. He has never left us, even for a moment. He has sent me small moments of tenderness and love when I have needed them the most. He has filled both our hearts with His tender mercies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The greatest of His tender mercies to me is my one big pillar of light--Robbie. He has done nothing but hold me and cry with me since we found out. He hurts just as deeply as I do, but he is so concerned with comforting me and helping me cope with our loss. I will be eternally grateful that through a true miracle, he was able to be with me in that ultrasound room. I've found through this journey that it's so easy to get sucked into thinking about what we don't have, but when I take a minute to stop and think of what I do have, I am blown away with gratitude for my love. I never in my life thought I would find someone who could love me for me. Someone who would understand the complexities of my many emotions. But Robbie does. He is my companion and my best friend through all of our ups and downs. He is the one that makes everything okay, even when it seems to be impossible. Whatever comes, I am so grateful to have him by my side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have also felt so much love and support from our families. I have never known the value of our call to "mourn with those that mourn" until I found myself on the receiving end. Nothing could be said to take away this pain, so no one tried to. Those we love have just taken it upon themselves and cried with us. They love us so much that they have shared in our heartbreak. They have actually felt it themselves. And I know they would do anything they could to take it away. In fact, both sets of parents immediately offered to fly out and be with us to help us cope. I couldn't be more grateful for all these amazing people we are blessed to call our family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition to these huge support systems, we have also been blessed in so many small and simple ways. One example from today was a friend of mine that happened to be passing through Florence on a family vacation. She stopped in to see me, bringing a grocery bag full of snacks and treats, and sat with me. She had gone through two miscarriages before having their sweetest little boy who is now 9 months old. She brought him with her and surprisingly, being with him and playing with him became a form of healing that I didn't expect. It was so comforting to sit down and talk with this amazing friend who had been through so much hardship and had made it through to the other side. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been shown repeatedly over the last two days that the Lord hasn't forgotten us. On the contrary, He has been going through this with us. In our pain and despair, He has made sure not to leave us alone, or even let us feel that we're alone. He has mourned with us. He knows how badly we want this, but He knows it's just not time yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, here we are. Broken, devastated and confused, but also comforted, loved, and infused with trust. A new level of trust. A hope of things to come. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To our little one, you were so loved by so many in your short time here and we will love you always. I know someday we will see you again and it will be a beautiful day. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-90310499316178477472013-09-17T10:41:00.006-07:002013-09-17T10:41:44.777-07:00Adventures of a Dog-MamaWell hello world! I figured you'd heard enough of me for a little while so I took a three-week hiatus from the blogging thing. But now we're back! With all kinds of "new adventures."<br />
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Our European Adventure is over. We still dream about Kaiserschmarn and gelato, but we have come to terms with the fact that real life has begun. Robbie started working FULL-TIME (What a big boy I married!) and while on the job-hunt myself, I have taken on a new role in life:<br />
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Dog-Mama.<br />
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Most of you know that within TWO DAYS of arriving home from our trip, Robbie and I were proud new owners of a little black beauty of a pup.<br />
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Now, I know what you're thinking. "Two days!?! Are you guys insane?! Did you put ZERO thought into a huge decision like this?!" While it may look kind of rash, I will tell you, we put LOADS of thought into this. We have been putting loads into this from the first month that we were dating (November 2010) when we'd pass fenced-in pups as we walked down the street, both of us saying at the same time, "I want a dog so bad!" Ever since we got married (July 2012), we've talked about getting one ourselves. However, you can't really leave a puppy all alone for 6 and a half weeks while you go traipsing through Europe, so we waited. So of course, <i>the very day</i> we got home, it was only natural to start researching dog shelters and looking at puppies on ksl, right? Who needs downtime? However, I don't think either of us quite expected to find her so fast.<br />
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Meet Nuca. Our little black lab.<br />
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She is the most adorable thing, with the sweetest face, and gives the best snuggles. But it turns out, having a dog is a lot of work. Who knew? Our first night with her, we tried to make a diaper for her out of a spare rag and magnet clips (yep, we really thought that would work).<br />
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Five seconds later when she got that off, we decided she'd have to sleep in the kennel so she could learn to start controlling her bladder. We put her in the kennel to sleep, set our alarm for every two hours to take her out to go potty, and in the in between time, just laid in bed listening to her cry. It was saddest thing. We even went and laid next to her all night and tried to calm her down. I was so low on sleep those first few days that I felt like the walking dead. Neither of us admitted it until later, but inside our own heads that first night, we both thought to ourselves, "Did we made a mistake? I don't know if we are ready for this kind of responsibility."<br />
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And then I remembered that I'm 28. Some of my friends from high school have FOUR kids by now (along with two dogs, a cat, three goldfish, 2 hampsters, etc. etc.), and I am scared of taking care of a puppy. I have come up with a name for this condition that I'm pretty sure Robbie and I both happen to suffer from. FoBaGu or Fear of Being a Grown-up. Can you imagine what this condition is going to do to us when we have children? I mean, if we think puppies are hard we are in for a rude awakening. You can't just stick a baby in a cage if you need to leave for an hour. Right? I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere.<br />
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Anyway, back to the pup. She has now adjusted and is doing SO much better! We are head-over-heels crazy about her. In Romanian, Nuca means "nut." And goodness, it is an <i>oh-so-appropriate</i> name for her. This sweet thing loves to do all the following things:<br />
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<li>Eat grass like it is the last remaining food on earth (while she simultaneously ignores her dog food). </li>
<li>Chew holes in the carpet, while also periodically relieving herself on it. </li>
<li>Attack her leash anytime it is attached to her. </li>
<li>Chase her tail for weirdly long periods of time. It is the funniest thing in the world. </li>
<li>Take naps on the piano pedals (at least once a day).</li>
<li>Bark at the empty water bottle that for some reason TERRIFIES her. </li>
<li>Jump on everyone that comes anywhere near her out of pure excitement.</li>
<li>"Liz" or laugh/wiz meaning that she gets so excited sometimes that she pees without even realizing it.</li>
<li>Lose her balance while standing on her hind legs, resulting in back somersaults all over the place. </li>
<li>Jump with all her might while standing underneath the coffee table. I think she might get a concussion.</li>
<li>Drink water from the gutter on every walk despite my attempts to keep her from it.</li>
<li>Use those sharp little puppy teeth a lot more often than we would like. </li>
<li>Climb up behind my head when riding in the car so she can ride on my shoulders and chew on my hair.</li>
<li>Make friends with the black lab pup a couple houses down named Jake who is TWO DAYS older than her!</li>
<li>Snuggle up to our necks and lick the inside of our ears, giving me the only wet-willy I've ever had.</li>
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Basically, she is everything we could have hoped for. We love her like crazy and are so happy we made the choice to get her. She is learning SO fast. She is already <i>mostly </i>potty-trained when we're at home. (When we're at someone else's house, we make her wear this adorable diaper that she hates with all the fire within her). She sleeps quietly at night now, and we just get up to take her out every 3-3.5 hours. She is learning "sit" pretty well and walking on a leash is becoming less of an annoyance to her. Our biggest goal right now is to end her puppy biting, but the vet said we should expect a few more months of that. </div>
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Basically she is the greatest and is kind of like our medication for FoBaGu. Little by little, she is teaching us to embrace the grown-up life. :)</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-73319252540377187082013-08-23T14:14:00.003-07:002013-08-23T14:14:55.845-07:00Day 45: Coming to America... Today!Friday, August 23, 2013<div><br></div><div>Today's highlights:</div><div>-Plane</div><div><br></div><div>We are taking a plane home right now. If you made it this far, you are awesome! See ya soon America!</div><div><br></div><div>The end</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-22034732070343070312013-08-23T14:14:00.001-07:002013-08-23T14:14:49.455-07:00Day 44: Last full day in GermanyThursday, August 22, 2013<div><br></div><div>Today's highlights:</div><div>-Blogging</div><div>-Shopping</div><div>-Main Tower</div><div>-Saying goodbye</div><div><br></div><div>***Robbie here***</div><div><br></div><div>Well internets... This is it! Our last full day in Europe. We leave before the crack of dawn tomorrow, so it's la revedere to all of the awesome adventures we have had and guten tag to real life. Kinda sad, but we are also excited to get back home. </div><div><br></div><div>Today we were so tired from all of this traveling that we decided, since we have been in Frankfurt before, that we would take it easy. Yeah, I said it. Turns out that after 44 days of travel, that we are dog tired. So we spent the entire morning in our hotel room, reading, watching CNN (only English channel), and catching up on the blog. We wrote for probably 3 hours. But guess what? We have written about every day of this trip. That's an accomplishment! Now we get to have this journal for the rest of our lives. Kudos to us. </div><div><br></div><div>After becoming stir crazy in our hotel, we decided to go to a really cool shopping center in the middle of town. It was this gigantic 7-story mall! The inside looked like most malls, but the outside was a beaut. Check it. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQy39eqqd6cDdGoBJcfYmH6MqPz5V_Tn34caYqXkEqFdm0XIJAuL4IS7NMErmLKprQ81WagUW1ejLFUPWYk3CT2PnHgEqVtCjUMBhEQxYVCJpFW50QMkyytSw-p8CQhoyuNbEUsBq_qBE/s640/blogger-image-413686678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQy39eqqd6cDdGoBJcfYmH6MqPz5V_Tn34caYqXkEqFdm0XIJAuL4IS7NMErmLKprQ81WagUW1ejLFUPWYk3CT2PnHgEqVtCjUMBhEQxYVCJpFW50QMkyytSw-p8CQhoyuNbEUsBq_qBE/s640/blogger-image-413686678.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>That's a tunnel of glass running straight through it! Pretty slick. But Angie and I aren't going to pretend that we like shopping, so we basically just walked around, annoying eager salespeople at each store by not even getting close to buying anything. </div><div><br></div><div>After the mall we went to the Main Tower, a 54 story panorama view of the entire city! When we got to the top it was as if we could see every country we had visited. We obviously couldn't, but it felt like a fitting activity to do on our final day--just soak in the beauty of this amazing place and remember all of the cool experiences we had. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8xU8HiM8W_EBGr86N6t_-n1QkGsya5b8gw5yd-RWqRHa7r3759enRen4ydRn-471gc7N52knYJlwE_UnqwCL1Jl11zsEbNejolfTnzssNY6xkEs-NC3gkxkSergkGOLpC70pmpUyEWw/s640/blogger-image-1320057408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8xU8HiM8W_EBGr86N6t_-n1QkGsya5b8gw5yd-RWqRHa7r3759enRen4ydRn-471gc7N52knYJlwE_UnqwCL1Jl11zsEbNejolfTnzssNY6xkEs-NC3gkxkSergkGOLpC70pmpUyEWw/s640/blogger-image-1320057408.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbe6kL88RUpaS49U9EijidiTZ20Ko6jB0QnWuOkqFaaj0myC6JCijBHnt3HRXeFC9B6NTrSHqLcPcETvXfiqRXn_1vm7Gpc6r23ofDuuaBE2p2xqvOXWimrVFDlrg1KoK0pQ6tA6ha9c/s640/blogger-image--1905863288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbe6kL88RUpaS49U9EijidiTZ20Ko6jB0QnWuOkqFaaj0myC6JCijBHnt3HRXeFC9B6NTrSHqLcPcETvXfiqRXn_1vm7Gpc6r23ofDuuaBE2p2xqvOXWimrVFDlrg1KoK0pQ6tA6ha9c/s640/blogger-image--1905863288.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>So there you go everyone! Lets all hang out when we get back, and if you're lucky, we will annoy you with thousands of pictures and say things like "You call that a lasagna? That tastes <i>nothing</i> like an Italian lasagna! The real thing is 100 times better" You know, smug stuff like that. You will love us. Peace and Blessings. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-16946598647049897902013-08-22T02:46:00.001-07:002013-08-22T05:30:50.718-07:00Day 42: Budapest, HungaryTuesday, August 20, 2013<div><br></div><div>Today's highlights:</div><div>-Terror museum</div><div>-Fruit soup</div><div>-Seeing the city</div><div><br></div><div>***Robbie here***</div><div><br></div><div>First of all, here is what greeted us in the bathroom when we woke up this morning. How could your day not be great with a start like this?</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RPVpLxnhdEVMDijimSYMp0Ohzic0U0xsR3fuHnW0kwLVGiGwApBo7Qy9tfuEO3PYpf7pXqEyKf7wD8Z4apmOnzJlj4hioYKyzvSCXeKelz3h-gpMNQAuk8y7Hqt7IGfoyP6A_EHwgKQ/s640/blogger-image--1158971350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RPVpLxnhdEVMDijimSYMp0Ohzic0U0xsR3fuHnW0kwLVGiGwApBo7Qy9tfuEO3PYpf7pXqEyKf7wD8Z4apmOnzJlj4hioYKyzvSCXeKelz3h-gpMNQAuk8y7Hqt7IGfoyP6A_EHwgKQ/s640/blogger-image--1158971350.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Do you know another way to start the day? Nazis and Soviets! That is what we spent our morning learning about. So needless to say, it was a pretty positive way to start the day. We went to a really cool museum that used to be both the Nazi and Soviet headquarters while each regime controlled Budapest. There were so many Hungarian victims of genocide, work camps, deportation, and starvation. There were lots of video interviews of those who were affected. It was amazing to learn about a country that we didn't know much about. Another cool thing is that it was completely free! Normally the tickets cost about 10 bucks a piece, but today is some kind of Hungarian holiday so it was free 99. Win.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7duPs1XIVqhZ_BBaayEKwF_OHsn_iBIHgdhKz1LqiB3aYKCAjzcnQfxs8VhRNuIaBbz22Sn5-zEZ_YRdA4pm3nHDrnPNPoEgGnv3Dt8dyORgHHZzK2X3Lv7kRGQvEDl7lfuOq1yOH72k/s640/blogger-image--1891164476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7duPs1XIVqhZ_BBaayEKwF_OHsn_iBIHgdhKz1LqiB3aYKCAjzcnQfxs8VhRNuIaBbz22Sn5-zEZ_YRdA4pm3nHDrnPNPoEgGnv3Dt8dyORgHHZzK2X3Lv7kRGQvEDl7lfuOq1yOH72k/s640/blogger-image--1891164476.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We gotta give a shout out to Bryan Brockbank. He gave us an awesome list of stuff to do--we wish we could've done it all but we loved what we did see. One of his recommendations was this classy buffet-style restaurant. This place was heaven. Trofea Grill. </div><div><br></div><div>There was a salad bar, an entree bar (with some standard but also some true Hungarian foods), a to-order grill with shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, fish, even shark! We had it all, but the best thing that was there was the fruit soup. You read right. Fruit soup. This stuff had the consistency of milk with the taste of a cross between egg nog and a fruit smoothie. There was also this super good spice in it. Holy cow. I went back threw times just for a big cup of fruit soup. Amazing. Thanks Bry. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1R6EKsdz7FAvoMo0jMDMcAtINM-2iDcv5TI4MPiSt6XmyCcYv998EjFQqAiykZRkJGgUXDlP-TOPhAUaduxrokjVmLiBYoLWo8ZO6vCoKz30eo9R93bd43-Lzxgg3rIQAQny4XnZjpE/s640/blogger-image--1099276437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1R6EKsdz7FAvoMo0jMDMcAtINM-2iDcv5TI4MPiSt6XmyCcYv998EjFQqAiykZRkJGgUXDlP-TOPhAUaduxrokjVmLiBYoLWo8ZO6vCoKz30eo9R93bd43-Lzxgg3rIQAQny4XnZjpE/s640/blogger-image--1099276437.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After lunch/dinner (we ate enough for both), we rolled out of the restaurant and walked along the river that cuts Budapest in half. That's when we saw the parliament building. This place is gorgeous! It's a very ornate building right on the river banks. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8ORlpK_lWmvL2gxyNSqJxqRgJHPiSQYYxE2PArD3Eqj7uQCAblQCwsfHZuh_bb9sT2voGl4uBh6h4sfbMKlUd6hF2cM2VjrzGshqkKv7opG8m5FNMAjikw1E6eSZJzZkmLbNMorMdIk/s640/blogger-image-1777704396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8ORlpK_lWmvL2gxyNSqJxqRgJHPiSQYYxE2PArD3Eqj7uQCAblQCwsfHZuh_bb9sT2voGl4uBh6h4sfbMKlUd6hF2cM2VjrzGshqkKv7opG8m5FNMAjikw1E6eSZJzZkmLbNMorMdIk/s640/blogger-image-1777704396.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here are a couple other sights we saw on the way. We were lucky because of the Hungarian holiday that everyone was out and about, and selling delish food and souvenirs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DSRP2DX4qSn_g1po7z-GcziXTXOPoUntW2yCWkyGKydoGeUEngV98y3JUUyMHi4En9erQ0vj1A7udroNHPdQ8I0VNFvfmSa-mCTzueNOlnOwZWIXMCTVDg3J2s1bZfhtyU5gYs6tJxM/s640/blogger-image-1788104772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DSRP2DX4qSn_g1po7z-GcziXTXOPoUntW2yCWkyGKydoGeUEngV98y3JUUyMHi4En9erQ0vj1A7udroNHPdQ8I0VNFvfmSa-mCTzueNOlnOwZWIXMCTVDg3J2s1bZfhtyU5gYs6tJxM/s640/blogger-image-1788104772.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-tY2tirSFeJToWnjOxiDjRRnBVFZ9vDTbc0bCSm24PzKyr1TYFkXbUACMVc3Tgnzu_j1y-PumidKRLyLQB6reFDrj3ppN5TRZX6uM9FrI6CQRvr42l2KpvUPOQXugdxsoTSVLjBVZzY/s640/blogger-image-131338912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-tY2tirSFeJToWnjOxiDjRRnBVFZ9vDTbc0bCSm24PzKyr1TYFkXbUACMVc3Tgnzu_j1y-PumidKRLyLQB6reFDrj3ppN5TRZX6uM9FrI6CQRvr42l2KpvUPOQXugdxsoTSVLjBVZzY/s640/blogger-image-131338912.jpg"></a></div><i>Photo bomb</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm1KDMssinE_C22sO8FW7jX8N5_R-5_LdfL1ykrLNAdeKtqDfTcgIzehB_some93WCuH82M6guNDkXJaUXgpzISgImq3lXZHUgsBGxCTd89wNzrBpgTb8yYhvKLFAQMAfM-32sVKE78Q/s640/blogger-image--741244751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm1KDMssinE_C22sO8FW7jX8N5_R-5_LdfL1ykrLNAdeKtqDfTcgIzehB_some93WCuH82M6guNDkXJaUXgpzISgImq3lXZHUgsBGxCTd89wNzrBpgTb8yYhvKLFAQMAfM-32sVKE78Q/s640/blogger-image--741244751.jpg"></a></div></i></div></div><br></div><div>We then went to the fisherman's bastion and Matias' church. It's this huge church that is surrounded by a fortress with cool stone walls that everyone can walk on. It gives a great view of the city. </div><div><br></div><div>We loved Hungary! Tomorrow we go back to Germany, which is bonkers that we have really been traveling for more than 40 days. That's a lot. Anyway, peace out Hungary!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-12860601963075819322013-08-20T02:52:00.001-07:002013-08-21T10:04:02.734-07:00Day 37: Sighisoara, RomaniaThursday, August 15, 2013<div><br></div><div>Today's highlights:</div><div> -Sighisoara</div><div> -Robbie's crazy cool trick</div><div> -Late train and Gabi surprise</div><div><br></div><div>We left beautiful Brasov today! But we went to Sighisoara, another beautiul place that I've never been to so that was awesome! It is pretty small and so cute. It actually reminded me of Rothenburg back in Germany a lot, except with a Romanian twist. It's very medieval looking, with a huge city gate and watch tower and tons of beautiful old buildings. I loved it! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9zJRZXATIdwASjUWcU1yLYRFp1KMKbPLoh42pvJk-lALtQkbqdamzWEnWQWMi-ZqFdQ_WaV64t2VCXoYZhDlQesQFE-qTdupaUdrU5F8UWjszg5JBcp7yN5Ohr-GPp3IFgL8VwEivYE/s640/blogger-image-1740776877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9zJRZXATIdwASjUWcU1yLYRFp1KMKbPLoh42pvJk-lALtQkbqdamzWEnWQWMi-ZqFdQ_WaV64t2VCXoYZhDlQesQFE-qTdupaUdrU5F8UWjszg5JBcp7yN5Ohr-GPp3IFgL8VwEivYE/s640/blogger-image-1740776877.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAmI-Bs4BVjoLttwuYtz1otfnMQVMYQ-rgE9IBAEetU0ldMrNqPiaMG7kvvunIjuqG4dB911e6IaWMZbdPfMigRSNTbKA0ASdN2Ts0Bl5tT9pQ-hOgvZFxQM3jeVWUsXymmIzI0DlrWU/s640/blogger-image-2106358937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAmI-Bs4BVjoLttwuYtz1otfnMQVMYQ-rgE9IBAEetU0ldMrNqPiaMG7kvvunIjuqG4dB911e6IaWMZbdPfMigRSNTbKA0ASdN2Ts0Bl5tT9pQ-hOgvZFxQM3jeVWUsXymmIzI0DlrWU/s640/blogger-image-2106358937.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div><div>When we first made it into the city gates, we saw a sign for "The Torture Room." We thought it was like a museum, and entrance was only 4 lei (a little over a dollar). Steal! We thought we totes lucked out until we walked in and then we understood why it was only 4 lei. It was literally one room, without a whole lot inside except signs that were mostly in other languages. </div><div><br></div><div>Score. </div><div><br></div><div>We did see some crazy pictures though of medieval torture techniques so......that was gross. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bWr798kvjUYZjrS-BZK4m7G48cGvmkGeHjuzGJHF_LeVJNpBGZneGlYkERv5p21ZoLHRzZd_VrGzx8QwX5zyDPhxs2gFm5rL_36uB_huHzCgr8wvZ7yEiyGgKmjNFt2rv35PNEoTkEQ/s640/blogger-image-97861904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bWr798kvjUYZjrS-BZK4m7G48cGvmkGeHjuzGJHF_LeVJNpBGZneGlYkERv5p21ZoLHRzZd_VrGzx8QwX5zyDPhxs2gFm5rL_36uB_huHzCgr8wvZ7yEiyGgKmjNFt2rv35PNEoTkEQ/s640/blogger-image-97861904.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>There was also a sweet clock tower/watch tower overlooking the city. We climbed up it and on the railing all the way around it had little golden plaques that had the names of major world cities on them, the distance in kilometers it was from that spot, and an arrow telling you which direction. That kind of thing is cool for anyone, but FASCINATING for someone with no sense of direction. Well done Sighisoara.</div><div><br></div><div>We spent the rest of the day exploring the city and then got some DELISH Romanian food at this cool restaurant. Sarmale again (of course) but this time with mamaliga (cornmeal mush that really has little to offer other than the sweet nostalgia it brings). Except then we decided to dine-and-dash when I accidentally broke the vase in their centerpiece. Okay, we didn't dine-and-dash, but I absolutely did break the vase with my soda bottle and I felt really bad. Oops!</div><div><br></div><div>After our exploring, we headed back to the train station and while we were waiting for our train to show up, Robbie decided to spend his time doing tricks. His first trick was trying to get the OPEN Fanta bottle into his mouth without using his hands from this position. Do you wanna guess what happened about three seconds after this picture was taken?</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqwVQwUi9y1Ipgpcrss-6_MFOCaUKpwie1gmXLsXXpQX3LcE38iInRTjTaGZkUThB1oIMT4Fb-Rf2cs34XooX0IkkLg2aHKqJVWBkBIl_xFwkFjTKryB_PHii1eYtknQmkAUUCzpoLaE/s640/blogger-image-2047524235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqwVQwUi9y1Ipgpcrss-6_MFOCaUKpwie1gmXLsXXpQX3LcE38iInRTjTaGZkUThB1oIMT4Fb-Rf2cs34XooX0IkkLg2aHKqJVWBkBIl_xFwkFjTKryB_PHii1eYtknQmkAUUCzpoLaE/s640/blogger-image-2047524235.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Needless to say, that was also his last trick. Fanta everywheres. </div><div><br></div><div>Once we got him all cleaned up, we caught our train to Cluj. Our plan was to spend the night in Cluj and then the next day, see some sights and then in the afternoon meet up with Gabi Oanta. </div><div><br></div><div>Gabi Oanta is the friendliest man that no one knows anything about. He is Romanian and lives in Arad, Romania and is super tight with all the members there and any missionaries that come through. His life, from what we have heard, is crazy and mysterious. Apparently he works for the government, some say as some part of a security agency (like the Romanian CIA or something), but who knows. He doesn't really talk about it. But because of his work, he's gone traveling a lot so we have both only met him once and neither of us know him super well. But he is super nice and is friends with all our mission friends so we wrote him awhile back to get some advice. And holy hannah, we got a lot more than advice! When we asked him if he knew of a cheap place to stay in Arad, he invited us to come stay with him! And then, he thought we could travel around a little more together. And then he thought we could go to the mountains together. Before we knew it, we had about three days worth of stuff we were doing with Gabi. Boo yeah! We knew this was bound to be a good time. Here he is in all his glory.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1CVh8r_TECz03vInNnXnkfBhE4PPrsWTW94dqb3SvVdr6J0_T1cTurKTWtavOv1pMW-yt1CV49lTf_c-pvw8oQzcauF7tHa07UHn1gxTM8RojRVsIGi-vCBOmXsCL990sxccA1UuabQ/s640/blogger-image-1614613751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1CVh8r_TECz03vInNnXnkfBhE4PPrsWTW94dqb3SvVdr6J0_T1cTurKTWtavOv1pMW-yt1CV49lTf_c-pvw8oQzcauF7tHa07UHn1gxTM8RojRVsIGi-vCBOmXsCL990sxccA1UuabQ/s640/blogger-image-1614613751.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>So like I said, our train arrived in Cluj late, around 11:30pm and we weren't planning on seeing Gabi until the next day. Well guess who was waiting for us at the train station as we rolled in, an hour later than expected? Yep, Gabi Oanta. He had come early as a surprise to take us to the mountains, a little village where his extended family lives called Rachitele. At midnight. Wow. What a guy. He would turn out to shock us with his goodness and hospitality. Such a great, great guy.</div><div><br></div><div>So the three of us, the former missionary we had hung out with in Buc (Morgan Ott), and Gabi's friend Vali (who had a car) drove to the Rachitele at midnight. Party of five. We didn't get to bed until about 2:00am and when we finally did we crashed hard. </div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-81954701282609230722013-08-20T01:18:00.001-07:002013-08-22T05:30:12.610-07:00Day 41: Romania to Serbia to HungaryMonday, August 19, 2013<div><br></div><div>Today's highlights:</div><div> -A word on Fleas</div><div> -Drove to Serbia</div><div> -Lunch with Jessica!</div><div> -Belgrade in an hour</div><div> -Drove to Budapest</div><div> -A word on Hospitality</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHqr3kUs2uUtaVfz2AI6iiboSjAyrr7WfDQoBan9Sdzd8dxzpFwx8R-c6WzMhpDeGoEdODtl1PL5teiu39OTteBmnSlKaA8geELh5yPOjWjhajSJerReQgpOAK3eYrmoL46URn_AdjbI/s640/blogger-image--1513872985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHqr3kUs2uUtaVfz2AI6iiboSjAyrr7WfDQoBan9Sdzd8dxzpFwx8R-c6WzMhpDeGoEdODtl1PL5teiu39OTteBmnSlKaA8geELh5yPOjWjhajSJerReQgpOAK3eYrmoL46URn_AdjbI/s640/blogger-image--1513872985.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Do you know what those are?</div><div><br></div><div>Those are flea bites. </div><div><br></div><div>Do you want to know how many there are total on me now? </div><div><br></div><div>33</div><div><br></div><div>Awesome. </div><div><br></div><div>We were SO close to making it through this trip without fleas! SO close to victory! I think I'm being punished for my pessimistic attitude about those buggers. I was convinced it would happen. Self-fulfilling prophecy, I suppose. The sad part is that it's not just me this time. Every time I got fleas in the mission, somehow my companions miraculously never got a single bite. But this time Rob is suffering right along with me. Except he doesn't scratch his. And he has to repeatedly keep telling me not to scratch mine too, like the way you would tell a 2-year old not to pick their nose. I understand that it's bad, but sometimes I just can't help myself! </div><div><br></div><div>So fleas aside, today was pretty great! We got to cover a lot of ground (like a LOT). Our plan was to leave Arad, Romania and hit Belgrade, Serbia AND Budapest, Hungary. And we did it, and it was crazy. We got to meet another of Gabi's super generous friends, Costa. He had a car and drove us that whole distance just because Gabi asked him to. What?! These people are so great! He was seriously hilarious and loved chatting the whole car ride. When we first met in the morning, I coughed and the first thing he said to me was, "Who on earth gets a cold in the SUMMER?!" (We were obviously meant to be friends). And then the whole car ride, he could not stop talking about how people were going to freak out on our flight home in a few days when they heard me cough and sneeze and they would try to jump out of the plane or throw me out so they don't get sick too. Yikes. Speaking of, I'm feeling a little bit better! Throat less hurty, mostly just the stuffy nose and the cough still (and some occasional sneezing). </div><div><br></div><div>So we drove and drove and finally made it to Belgrade, Serbia around lunchtime. The main reason we went to Belgrade is to see a good friend of mine, Jessica, who works for the American Embassy there. Our <i>original </i>plan was to be dropped off by the boys (who also wanted to see Belgrade) and stay with her for at least that night, maybe two nights, and have a nice relaxing couple days of catching up and taking it easy with her while seeing this cool new place we knew nothing about. However, plans changed when Gabi found out that Robbie's passport has that expiration issue (remember how he almost couldn't get on the flight from Greece to Romania). We never understood why that was the only time it was a problem, but Gabi offered us an explanation. I'll try to make it quick but it's kind of complicated. Apparently, there is a union of countries <i>within </i>the European Union (like a club within a club) that travelers can move back and forth from without ever having to use their passports (almost like there are no borders between them). All the countries we have hit so far have been in that elite club. All except for Romania (hence the airport issue when we left Greece) and Serbia. Unfortunately, our flight back home is out of Frankfurt, Germany, which means that since we left the boundaries of that elite club, we have to get back into it before we can get home. Since Hungary is also in the club, if we could get across the border from Serbia to Hungary, then we would have no trouble getting from Hungary to Germany (no borders). Whew! Long, complicated explanation. </div><div><br></div><div>So Gabi was sure we would have problems getting into Hungary because of Rob's passport expiration date (again, learn from us. Renew your passports if they are even close to expiring!) Since Gabi works for the government, he wanted to be with us when we crossed that border so he could schmooze and use his connections to help us get across. Unfortunately, he could only do it today. Which means we didn't really have a choice. We couldn't stay in Belgrade. The way he was talking about it, we couldn't risk not getting across the border because worst case scenario who knows? We might have to order Rob a new passport and it might not come before our flight home and we might be stuck here begging on the streets for weeks until we could buy a new plane ticket home, digging through garbages for Fornetti remnants and we just didn't want to worry about it all.</div><div><br></div><div>So since we only had a couple hours to spend in Serbia, we met Jess for lunch at the embassy and it was SO great to see her. She was totally understanding of our situation, but we were both way bummed that we couldn't stay the night. We'll try to make it back Jess! </div><div><br></div><div>This was my first time going into an embassy and it was intense! I guess it has to be though, since entrance to an embassy is basically like crossing a border. And we basically walked in with a huge posse. Once we got in, sweet Jess bought us all lunch and we just chatted away. She is the greatest. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xKNUfZTfOT9Evf9t-fq4BzcPUyYQCfrFmFk2iLUiGQ4aKBhI1xXblE-KByBHq6j1QhHlsXogXiZ9a1QQ3_XWFlkvUVHIHQfGxmEMCa5zQVhccmAy7inbNxF2WTh79TIpFuRYsN0bVAE/s640/blogger-image--1901633269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xKNUfZTfOT9Evf9t-fq4BzcPUyYQCfrFmFk2iLUiGQ4aKBhI1xXblE-KByBHq6j1QhHlsXogXiZ9a1QQ3_XWFlkvUVHIHQfGxmEMCa5zQVhccmAy7inbNxF2WTh79TIpFuRYsN0bVAE/s640/blogger-image--1901633269.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Once we left the embassy, we found a place to park for one hour, which means we were going to see all we could of this brand new city of Belgrade in <i>one hour. ONE HOUR! </i>Let me tell you, I wouldn't recommend speed-sight-seeing. We ran (literally) from place to place, not really having a ton of time to understand what we were looking at, and then running to the next thing before we could dwell on it. It was crazy! And as if that wasn't crazy enough, in the midst of it all, we lost Costa! It felt like losing a child. We searched all around for him before we finally found him. Oh Costa, always wandering off :)</div><div><br></div><div>Here are some of the sights we saw and things we learned in that quick hour:</div><div><br></div><div>Apparently, some Serbians don't really love Americans. It might have something to do with these buildings we bombed a few years back (I think in 2006 or 2007). It was over a really controversial issue, the US believed they were commiting genocide. They believed they were not. (There's more to it than that, but it's hard to explain briefly, so I will let you look it up). Anyway, because of that, there are some who still have a lot of beef with America. So much that as a precaution, Gabi told us to speak only in Romanian on the streets. I'm sure nothing would have happened, but just in case there was a crazy out there who felt like settling the score, we followed his advice. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUXHTbvMcJIhROeF5OxKfRBe-5Rr4c4LpJmz6fTHPMV7sVKKXL0NGcMvQfQnGdrNoPqjwQheWgjpCJDzLyV0pIZzQgTcRwU3Co-4G7ULaW7NaGBjVcdWcaf2XmB4ckkuaP2CseaKh62E/s640/blogger-image-458742023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUXHTbvMcJIhROeF5OxKfRBe-5Rr4c4LpJmz6fTHPMV7sVKKXL0NGcMvQfQnGdrNoPqjwQheWgjpCJDzLyV0pIZzQgTcRwU3Co-4G7ULaW7NaGBjVcdWcaf2XmB4ckkuaP2CseaKh62E/s640/blogger-image-458742023.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We also went this fortress that overlooked the city, and all over it were tanks and cannons from various wars they have fought over the years. It was crazy cool. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgol6BPxfvpRXG9l3L_hz6XskljebAMo2G6akl441oXzuc9-OjoiqbUxs7H-nLbTmcsixWiwfhFl35kE24carxFIP5CjQ_az6Tc1_hhwlN-3p14Dw4E_zATmng7xF2UOoKXn5CJ0a5uC30/s640/blogger-image-1437448736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgol6BPxfvpRXG9l3L_hz6XskljebAMo2G6akl441oXzuc9-OjoiqbUxs7H-nLbTmcsixWiwfhFl35kE24carxFIP5CjQ_az6Tc1_hhwlN-3p14Dw4E_zATmng7xF2UOoKXn5CJ0a5uC30/s640/blogger-image-1437448736.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyYt2YXysmjT9NQfZVpfzx8Wuq7U1Kh3prxkbgoSdHtewxU2Pbbiv9mdqopyuGPJy1Ue-n2kw9kRfyKr727ldytYFGALmoUQ2aXxbAQjy5vtpXxZQRiwdloO_v_eoXQHY7kyi9PnPrio/s640/blogger-image--563870806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyYt2YXysmjT9NQfZVpfzx8Wuq7U1Kh3prxkbgoSdHtewxU2Pbbiv9mdqopyuGPJy1Ue-n2kw9kRfyKr727ldytYFGALmoUQ2aXxbAQjy5vtpXxZQRiwdloO_v_eoXQHY7kyi9PnPrio/s640/blogger-image--563870806.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPz8bp-cMj12bAJH-rXiVCCBQL9y3kE4izMtnTgrqoIeCN3EdADWV1Pw9AoTwkBap77Tr2cUBK5c17vrbXpByH-zLXjXAJ2EfLzw3tT2Bi_BzVCmoH5OWwfzfWwyYwcoaG_YQ3tthO3UE/s640/blogger-image--1389827882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPz8bp-cMj12bAJH-rXiVCCBQL9y3kE4izMtnTgrqoIeCN3EdADWV1Pw9AoTwkBap77Tr2cUBK5c17vrbXpByH-zLXjXAJ2EfLzw3tT2Bi_BzVCmoH5OWwfzfWwyYwcoaG_YQ3tthO3UE/s640/blogger-image--1389827882.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>And BNOTD (Best News Of The Day), Robbie found Fanta Shokata, his favorite soda drink from the mission that he has been looking for ever since we got to Europe! This alone will make him look back on our time in Serbia with love and tenderness. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vkSLXw8xki_ukM4kK5e2PqiC0IRzMlomIFmMU5klRD5Saf2u8rZf7CJ6K4DSHhhH-vo5TCfE03IylAXNK6WMj0i5yz0z24LiucK8d1pFYNN0_LvhYvV_v0H2Vm9_9Q80Ic7JO5W00XI/s640/blogger-image--2079933829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vkSLXw8xki_ukM4kK5e2PqiC0IRzMlomIFmMU5klRD5Saf2u8rZf7CJ6K4DSHhhH-vo5TCfE03IylAXNK6WMj0i5yz0z24LiucK8d1pFYNN0_LvhYvV_v0H2Vm9_9Q80Ic7JO5W00XI/s640/blogger-image--2079933829.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Back to the car! This is when we made the LONG drive from Belgrade to Budapest. These guys were seriously so amazing. Not only did they take us across the border, but then when we insisted we could take a train the rest of the way to Budapest, they threw us back in the car and drove us all the way there themselves! <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">We didn't even make it to Budapest until around 11:00pm and then they still had to drive all the way back to Arad, Romania that night! They are the stinkin best, most generous people in the world. Even when we got to our hotel, </span>Gabi marched right up to our room with a worker while we were checking in just to personally see to it that the room met his standards. Are you kidding me?! What a great guy. I don't know if he will ever read this but we seriously need to dedicate some space just to Gabi and how good he has been to us over the last few days. He always made sure we were taken care of (even when it was clearly not his job), he gave us food, beds, rides, fun, new friends, and so much more. He's a busy guy and hardly knew us, but he went above and beyond in showing us a part of Romania (and other counties) that we had never experienced before. This trip has totally changed the way we view hospitality and making visitors feel at home in your house. When we told him how grateful we have been for all he's done for us, he just said that he has had an awesome life because of the goodness of others, and that he has received way more than he has given. I don't know if I believe that, but I do believe that people here are raised to be good and kind and generous to everyone they meet. They see service as this amazing opportunity to show someone as much love as possible rather than act annoyed or put off or even indifferent. When we grow up, we want to be like Gabi. And the Matei's. And Sora Gorzo. And Rosie. And all these other amazing people we have met. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-67505661300182673302013-08-20T01:15:00.001-07:002013-08-22T05:19:29.202-07:00Day 40: Arad, RomaniaSunday, August 18, 2013<div><br></div><div>Today's highlights:</div><div> -Arad!</div><div> -Church</div><div> -Saw Andra, Timi and Emi</div><div> -Sora Mogos' house</div><div> -Tamas family</div><div> -Sharin the gospel!</div><div> -Gabi's help</div><div><br></div><div>Buckle up, this is a long one! (AKA Angie's Mission Memories Vol. 1)</div><div><br></div><div>Today was the craziest, busiest day we've had in awhile! Today we got to spend the day in Arad, where I (Angie) spent the last three months of my mission. It is a very special place to me for a lot of reasons. For one thing, I think the last area you serve in always has special meaning. But I also had amazing companions (Ania Popa Tamas and Allison Jensen Jepsen), there was an amazing branch there, we had a great district that played hard and worked hard, and we taught an amazing woman that remains my closest friend from Romania, Florina. It is just such an amazing, special place and Robbie and I were able to see so many of the people that made my time in Arad so special, and we did it all in one day! It was a whirlwind to say the least. </div><div><br></div><div>Also, I forgot to mention that yesterday, I woke up with a scratchy throat which by the end of the night last night had exploded into a full-blown, hurty-throated, stuffy-nosed, sneezing-every-second, yucky-headed, middle-of-the-summer COLD. Who gets a cold in the middle of the summer?! I demand to know the meaning of this. </div><div><br></div><div>So knowing that this cold was just starting its path of destruction through my respiratory system, and knowing that we had only ONE day (<i>this</i> day) to see all the people from this city I really cared about seeing in this whole trip, I was more than a little nervous about how things would turn out today. I said a prayer that morning that somehow it would work out. That I would be able to make it through the day with enough energy to see them all and be able to focus on visits with them rather than drift away mentally in a stuffy-headed mess. And guess what?! </div><div><br></div><div>My prayer was answered. </div><div><br></div><div>I am here to testify that miracles happen. Without the added strength I gained from that prayer, I know I would not have made it through like I did. I kid you not when I say that I felt terrible before we left for church and I felt even worse as we traveled back home at the end of the night, but miraculously in the in-between time I barely felt the effects of my cold at all. I can't even describe what a blessing it was. So so grateful for answers to prayers! I love the gospel!</div><div><br></div><div>So as for the actual day today, we headed to church where I <i>really </i>hoped I'd be able to see all the members I loved so much. I was actually a little scared that they wouldn't remember me since so many missionaries come through there. Well, I could not have been happier when Jany, the middle-aged, mullet-sportin rocker that I loved so much came up to me as soon as he saw me and gave me a big hug. This guy is the best. He's obsessed with music and the walls of his apartment are covered with floor to ceiling posters of Black Sabbath, KISS, The Doors and more that have been up for ages. And then between each huge poster are little pictures of Jesus and Joseph Smith all around that were added when Jany found the church. He is so great. </div><div><br></div><div>I also got to see Mama Mogos and she gave me the biggest, longest hug I've gotten in a long time! She is one of the most amazing members of all time! More about her in a minute since we got to visit her at home after church. </div><div><br></div><div>We saw some other great members, but sadly a lot were missing. Either gone for the summer on vacation, or they just don't come to church anymore for whatever reason. Breaks my heart. But there were also some new faces so the church is definitely still growing! And we were able to track down some of the ones I couldn't see at church. </div><div><br></div><div>One of the people we wanted to see the most was Florina, the woman I had worked with the whole time I was in Arad. <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Florina was found by my good friend and MTC companion, Brianna Griffith Jensen a few months before I got to Arad, and after a long road of quitting coffee and quitting smoking and coming to terms with a lot of personal trials in her life, she embraced the gospel and was baptized on February 3, 2008, my last day in Arad. She is amazing and truly one of my best friends. Unfortunately, she is working in Italy now. We tried so hard to work out a way to see each other but we couldn't make it work with her schedule and our location. That was seriously the biggest bummer of our whole trip. But I am confident we will see each other again sometime soon! </span></div><div><br></div><div>We did get to see three of the young member girls I had worked with a lot in that city. We caught Andra briefly as we walked through the city on the way to the mall, where we reunited with Timi and Emi (who were working in the mall) and it was so great to see them! They were so fun and such good good girls. We got to visit for a half hour or so before they had to get back to work, but I'm so glad I saw them!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT2a2BDaJ2m8ykqHycEQ4Tg50mzh55IvVgSOSyEQ70mX9-dz3FoLsirfjO1Pwpm901lR0DLcVDpq29gzDr5x9_bTd5zETplj1CI0npY8sj_QcKNIkL7FlbMPlgx_PR3EcVZLMIZP99sE/s640/blogger-image--648830475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT2a2BDaJ2m8ykqHycEQ4Tg50mzh55IvVgSOSyEQ70mX9-dz3FoLsirfjO1Pwpm901lR0DLcVDpq29gzDr5x9_bTd5zETplj1CI0npY8sj_QcKNIkL7FlbMPlgx_PR3EcVZLMIZP99sE/s640/blogger-image--648830475.jpg"></a></div><i>Emi and Timi</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>We then had to get quickly to Sora Mogos' house (Mama Mogos) to meet her and her husband for a quick visit. Since we were running late and didn't have a lot of time to spend there, we broke our cardinal rule of this trip.</div><div><br></div><div>We caught a taxi. </div><div><br></div><div>We swore we wouldn't do it! We would make it through this whole trip going the cheap way, not wasting precious money on crazy taxi prices, but alas, with only 5 days left, we failed. Sad, but worth it in the end. We got to see Sora Mogos AND catch a train to Timisoara (a nearby city) to see another friend, which we could not have done without our taxi friend. Plus, he serenaded us by singing Simon and Garfunkel the whole ride, so really we won in the end. </div><div><br></div><div>Now, let me take just a second to explain why Mama Mogos is so incredible. This woman is one of the most faithful, diligent members I ever met in all of Romania. As an investigator (years before my time), her first time attending church was when they were showing General Conference. As she walked in, President Hinckley was on the screen speaking and she says that as she sat there listening to this foreign man she didn't know anything about speaking, she was overwhelmed with the feeling that he was speaking the words of God. She knew without even being told that this was a prophet of God. And she has never given that up. And what's more, she totally lives the gospel! When I was serving there 5 years ago, Sora Mogos lost her job. Instead of being angry or frustrated, she put her situation in the hands of The Lord and decided that since she had enough to live on for awhile, she would use all her extra time to serve people. She made a full-time job (every hour that she would have been at work) out of doing service for others. She is amazing! So we sat and talked with her and I just remembered the admiration and respect I always felt for her and the other strong members who were such amazing examples to me, and was overcome with feeling all over again. I love Romania.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGJchPFwsF4yt6ISrIUwojRoaytVxCmrIylqbJlk6XI1Y3yQ9_HxkPY4CELUSqLdNrtLDxV7bd07_PhD17101IANsppcNrn2oC3iTsgnNFpKjM6p7165bZyMvcRfgHKKeitaQH_7Pm0c/s640/blogger-image--1112836795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGJchPFwsF4yt6ISrIUwojRoaytVxCmrIylqbJlk6XI1Y3yQ9_HxkPY4CELUSqLdNrtLDxV7bd07_PhD17101IANsppcNrn2oC3iTsgnNFpKjM6p7165bZyMvcRfgHKKeitaQH_7Pm0c/s640/blogger-image--1112836795.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Finally, we left Sora Mogos' house to make one more stop. We took a 90-minute train ride to a neighboring city, Timisoara, to see two of my favorite member missionaries, David and Ania Tamas. They are two more amazing members who sacrificed a ton for the church. In Romania, members of the church can choose to serve a "mini-mission" which means they become temporary missionaries for one full transfer (6 weeks) if there is a need. They basically sacrifice everything they have going on in their lives to help us out for 6 weeks and live the missionary life, finding people and teaching the gospel. Both David and Ania served not once, but several times as mini-missionaries, and I was lucky enough to serve with both of them at different times. Ania was my companion in Arad (she was Ania Popa back then) and kept me laughing every second. We got to be together for most of the Christmas season and it was the most authentic Romanian Christmas I could have gotten as a missionary. And I served with David twice, in Cluj and Ploiesti. I will never forget when that sweet boy made fried chicken for our whole district one P-Day, and my poor companion bit into it to find the entire thing raw on the inside. It was an accident, but David could not stop laughing! Oh man, good memories. Anyway, I <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">loved them both SO much, that when I found out after my mission that they had started dating and then got married, I could not contain myself, I was so excited! They now have two kids, are still strong, amazing members of the church and live in Timisoara. Needless to say, it was a joyous reunion. Not only what it amazing to see them just because they were good friends, but we also were able to reminisce about crazy missionary life together. They are so so great!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTlS3y4fp3aShBwh9qjaPtNL2XgbAFuydOHJzwVbhjmXu3k5hhj3ZfXTceiwzIKI-NVeDXme6HepQjnjWRIzU8XmvEZv8T1aONbQT2-kcluAb3mrGCZVjd89SAB0I9748FIYyHZW7CDI/s640/blogger-image--210418686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTlS3y4fp3aShBwh9qjaPtNL2XgbAFuydOHJzwVbhjmXu3k5hhj3ZfXTceiwzIKI-NVeDXme6HepQjnjWRIzU8XmvEZv8T1aONbQT2-kcluAb3mrGCZVjd89SAB0I9748FIYyHZW7CDI/s640/blogger-image--210418686.jpg"></a></div></div></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">Also, sidenote, I forgot to mention that on the train to Timisoara, we were both so fired up with all these mission memories that we got talking to a fun couple next to us and told them a little about the gospel. And they were super curious! The guy kept asking us questions! It was awesome and such a perfect way to end our time in Romania :)</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">So after hanging out with the Tamas family for as long as we could, we had to catch the train back to Arad. On that ride, my cold came back full-force and I realized for the first time how blessed I had been all throughout the day. We were pooped and ready for bed, but remembered on our way home that we still needed to finish the laundry that we had started at Gabi's house that morning. We stumbled into the house around 11pm to find that Gabi had washed all our clothes and folded them neatly on the couch. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Is there no end to this guy's goodness?! <i>Then </i>he spent the next hour helping us figure out our travel plans and flights for the rest of the trip.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">Let's just all say it together:</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">Romanians are the best. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017502021302628321.post-39651121615521547952013-08-20T01:14:00.001-07:002013-08-21T12:49:59.958-07:00Day 39: La Tara #2Saturday, August 17, 2013<div><br></div><div>Today's highlights:</div><div>-Waterfall and zip line</div><div>-Farms on the way home</div><div>-Arriving in Arad</div><div><br></div><div>***Robbie here***</div><div><br></div><div>As we awoke this morning, we experienced the sinking feeling that we had to leave this paradise. Even though we had only been here for little over a day, we felt like part of the family. </div><div><br></div><div>We had another great breakfast from Ati and Ana, and goofed around with their three year old son Mihai, who was preparing to run a 1 km race that day. He was convinced that he would win it all and get the prize, but only after strict and dedicated preparation. Mihai asked that others opened doors for him so that he wouldn't waste any energy before the race. Seriously? This kid has a personality, that's for sure. </div><div><br></div><div>After training Mihai, we were taken to a waterfall nearby in the mountains. This waterfall was gorgeous, and to make it better there was a zipline! Angie went and loved it. Here she is!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXq5YrZKkVPYGYCYm0vjNcC_hITwgyoUr73VadagJ1spmKBRdvXjAOJKHFDd0QJEOkPaYd4sESSuVqyUxa39E_uJuz7hyb4UlzdIk1Gvg4Gwgt7jfV5drWfPBXcz7sJm7GubP04XKE0U/s640/blogger-image--143935017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXq5YrZKkVPYGYCYm0vjNcC_hITwgyoUr73VadagJ1spmKBRdvXjAOJKHFDd0QJEOkPaYd4sESSuVqyUxa39E_uJuz7hyb4UlzdIk1Gvg4Gwgt7jfV5drWfPBXcz7sJm7GubP04XKE0U/s640/blogger-image--143935017.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Ati also made me this awesome hat. Gotta protect the scalp. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRAjdB3-x_X_ZWDRssF-n5AOOBVpJZs53xG7JsNrac66BV1kCyFci-6pqiNw1vu6IROJE0r8kRiEl6WvG7KRYHsbp0R2NxpnlMA3IQA2_Lbg-zU41EzsHHgduDv0tcDzPCOmBGWI3RGY/s640/blogger-image-1933624865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRAjdB3-x_X_ZWDRssF-n5AOOBVpJZs53xG7JsNrac66BV1kCyFci-6pqiNw1vu6IROJE0r8kRiEl6WvG7KRYHsbp0R2NxpnlMA3IQA2_Lbg-zU41EzsHHgduDv0tcDzPCOmBGWI3RGY/s640/blogger-image-1933624865.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Throughout this whole trip Ati teased us about being American and that he was a superior Romanian, living off the land. Whenever we would move on to the next activity/meal, Ati would rhetorically ask "They don't have that in America I bet!" He would say this about absurd stuff like watermelons or waterfalls. At first, we thought he had no clue what was in America, then we thought that he was making fun of America (which you just don't do, especially if Angie is around), then we realized he was just having fun with us. So we eventually played along with him. We became so comfortable with these people--they made it so easy. Anyway, the waterfall was gorgeous. On the way back, Ati put Mihai on his lap and would let Mihai steer the jeep. Mihai would jerk the wheel back and forth, while we were on mountain paths! Ati wasn't worried in the least, but we were a little nervous in the back seat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKW2xY2Q8RgzZiNJN4EMhyphenhyphen_FQulbwQkt9vIDrFq_g38ofEIz58Bkju_C4lNXF9NHVM6PMBULXgaNU_DO1a4baprI0Phrmh_hRVRLwUWdA1uDf2ff-m-fwBtMpNEdT8He08SZ0UEqn5AA/s640/blogger-image-884420726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKW2xY2Q8RgzZiNJN4EMhyphenhyphen_FQulbwQkt9vIDrFq_g38ofEIz58Bkju_C4lNXF9NHVM6PMBULXgaNU_DO1a4baprI0Phrmh_hRVRLwUWdA1uDf2ff-m-fwBtMpNEdT8He08SZ0UEqn5AA/s640/blogger-image-884420726.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUjyfjDMNh7jOoofZgjIw50vnG0OdUnluUij73-El88te03oD-XuH32GU5lSn95iFMEq24GHhMwWS-sOcbAlCqbnrtPd8CyQlNr048ECKElzxWjSqcc2VJ8MH63vU1ckkAcJZTLTUYYI/s640/blogger-image--2080288723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUjyfjDMNh7jOoofZgjIw50vnG0OdUnluUij73-El88te03oD-XuH32GU5lSn95iFMEq24GHhMwWS-sOcbAlCqbnrtPd8CyQlNr048ECKElzxWjSqcc2VJ8MH63vU1ckkAcJZTLTUYYI/s640/blogger-image--2080288723.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Then it was time to say goodbye. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We made our rounds of goodbyes and promised to stay in touch. We made sure to save Tavu and Tusi for last. They surprised us with a three course meal before we left. For real? Amazing people. We had ciorba (sour broth soup) with dumplings, stuffed peppers in the most scrumtrulescent sauce, and cherry pastry dessert. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmmm! They said that they wouldn't dream of sending us off with empty stomachs. They both served us each of the courses, while not eating themselves. When we asked them to sit and eat with us, Tusi said that they would wait until we left so that Tavu could feed Tusi bite-by-bite in privacy. "How romantic!" from Tavu. We just love these people!</div><br></div><div>Here are a few pics of saying goodbye to some of the family. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9y1qqd3mWw2z4NKK50uBsMetGvY8ILhKq1OKwInuIa3hH4wzUmIsYvIG8_xS7lu5ew4DL-VIg2w2eDMrs-l8yDRIqjPyui51Gi0pcPorGdNM44YXuu-ht_c5skCfpptnB3m8iHe19k0/s640/blogger-image--988295072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9y1qqd3mWw2z4NKK50uBsMetGvY8ILhKq1OKwInuIa3hH4wzUmIsYvIG8_xS7lu5ew4DL-VIg2w2eDMrs-l8yDRIqjPyui51Gi0pcPorGdNM44YXuu-ht_c5skCfpptnB3m8iHe19k0/s640/blogger-image--988295072.jpg"></a></div><i>Back row: Onut, Angie, Robbie, Gabi, Tusi</i></div><div><i>Middle row: Vali (our driver friend), Ati, and Tavu</i></div><div><i>Front: Mihai</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Saying goodbye was rough. On our way home we visited an aunt of Gabi's. she was this cute hard working chubby lady that had a huge garden and farm. Here are some pics:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpSRonIcz7AIlDDpDOr6qjNKY3FbOSgYHmW0DDwzA0IemozSLpFzqeS7X8r2Xe9HDF-_JpQNe3flUp_v93INuO_ZH82_Xku4oxVvGx3aVOftQJ92CytMT0Yjckc6sP7RqfSg8asuV9PY/s640/blogger-image-1648902537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxpSRonIcz7AIlDDpDOr6qjNKY3FbOSgYHmW0DDwzA0IemozSLpFzqeS7X8r2Xe9HDF-_JpQNe3flUp_v93INuO_ZH82_Xku4oxVvGx3aVOftQJ92CytMT0Yjckc6sP7RqfSg8asuV9PY/s640/blogger-image-1648902537.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgGAmI4_JxaKpPmokIhhNeTbawaHB9ZUfaV_ctf2CHBAyUHVAtsDvqT7Z6Opzy6Njg46Lnv7cmLKPwkaZDVjyYhHlbxu3uvOqhlS64P_Hfyoa4MLNVh9DOdVTdaYop6NGt5JbFixt_tQ/s640/blogger-image-340893816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgGAmI4_JxaKpPmokIhhNeTbawaHB9ZUfaV_ctf2CHBAyUHVAtsDvqT7Z6Opzy6Njg46Lnv7cmLKPwkaZDVjyYhHlbxu3uvOqhlS64P_Hfyoa4MLNVh9DOdVTdaYop6NGt5JbFixt_tQ/s640/blogger-image-340893816.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomcVxMBzGYUocmizsR6gYLkjXlMyRmFXyREN3kmxuFYAtj_YDXWEs7wkqmYAYKK8upgZzGDp6WLAK5WtxVQEOZ4FvDJEIkojb7zQ6N_z3G14OXps7jxFda3xzvLCMC3nZpyU55Ov-n4g/s640/blogger-image--1811642287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomcVxMBzGYUocmizsR6gYLkjXlMyRmFXyREN3kmxuFYAtj_YDXWEs7wkqmYAYKK8upgZzGDp6WLAK5WtxVQEOZ4FvDJEIkojb7zQ6N_z3G14OXps7jxFda3xzvLCMC3nZpyU55Ov-n4g/s640/blogger-image--1811642287.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjBEyUCeB1itJS4sBCnolFw-A57viYz9D1W6Bv-p8MhpXeUGdUzO1qbJk5290xW9_jTE7hdK26t-Q_e4zWatggWILc_NOucntoKar9CDg2swEkdutvkIuORUxSqlLLGswjYUPM8bxwJw/s640/blogger-image-1704530396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjBEyUCeB1itJS4sBCnolFw-A57viYz9D1W6Bv-p8MhpXeUGdUzO1qbJk5290xW9_jTE7hdK26t-Q_e4zWatggWILc_NOucntoKar9CDg2swEkdutvkIuORUxSqlLLGswjYUPM8bxwJw/s640/blogger-image-1704530396.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Piglets and chickens! Cool. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Without even asking for any of the fruit that was growing in the farm, Gabi's aunt gave us two buckets worth of plums and tomatoes. She also gave us tons of garlic, peppers, onions, and everything else. As we left and were driving away, I wondered how Gabi would be able to get through all this food by himself. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thirty minutes later we arrived in Arad and were at the home of some more of Gabi's extended family. He gave them all the food he had received from his aunt. Just when you think there is an end to Gabi's giving, he surprises you again. But this is just how he is, and how so many Romanians are. Blows us away. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Tomorrow is Arad, where Angie served! </div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01511355854407587187noreply@blogger.com0