2015 Reading List

Did I hit my goal of 40 books read for the year? No, no I did not.

• Generation Kill by Evan Wright
• Gold Boy, Emerald Girl: Stories by Yiyun Li
  
• Three Junes by Julia Glass
• Yes Please by Amy Poehler
• Unbroken: A World War II Story of  Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
• Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
• Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie J. Davis 
• An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny by Alex Tresniowski and Laura Schroff
• The Weight of Silence India by Heather Gudenkauf
• Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa by Dambisa Moyo
• Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Jam on the Vine by LaShonda Katrice Barnett 
• Blame by Michelle Huneven
• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
• The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler
• It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario
• When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor... and Yourself  by Steve Corbett
• Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
• However Long the Night: Molly Melching's Journey to Help Millions of African Women and Girls Triumph by Aimee Molloy
• Eye on the Struggle: Ethel Payne, the First Lady of the Black Press by James McGrath Morris 
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
• Rising Strong by Brene Brown
• Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness by Suzy Favor Hamilton
• Bebe Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
• Dime by E. R. Frank
• The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
• The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed by Jessica Lahey
• Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." Dr. Albert Schweizer (The Gift of Failure)

A Colorado Christmas

If one can have a spirit state, mine is Colorado. Husband and I spent this Christmas in Boulder with his family. And if anything can distract me from missing my family and traditions, it's nature and good food, both of which exceeded my expectations on this trip.

With an extended vacation on the horizon, I have no time off work. On Christmas Eve, I was up and working at 6:30 am (after arriving late on Wednesday) at Boxcar Coffee Roasters to stay on par with Eastern Time. As a morning person, I much enjoyed these hours. Plus, it provided an excuse to try a couple Boulder coffee shops—something I relish when traveling. (And an excuse to pass on running, though I brought my gear, the weather was frigid.) I should also mention caffeine is a mandatory additive when you travel at my pace. (We later sampled coffee at The Cup Espresso Cafe and Oxo Coffee Co.) Alas, all the coffee and hard work on this particular morning called for a breakfast at The Buff, where dollar Bloody Mary’s were on the menu. Yes, please! The food was quite yummy. Though as I proceeded to eat my way through Boulder, nothing disappointed me. There was my favorite salad at Christmas Eve, made by my mother in law. There was eggs benedict for Christmas breakfast, Yorkshire pudding for dinner. A diner breakfast at The Village, where the slogan captured my heart: "890 sq. ft. of reality surrounded by Boulder." The dinner at Jax stole the show. Oh my goodness, heaven on plate after plate—a true food experience. The next morning we whipped up a mighty fine pre-outdoors breakfast with Christmas leftovers. And what does hunger call for at the end of a long day? Margaritas at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant! On our last day, when I should not have been able to fit in my clothes, we squeezed in one more scrumptious lunch at Fate Brewing Company. That meal was nearly eight hours ago as I pound away on my keyboard on the flight home and I’m still not even mildly hungry. True overindulgence. I had no idea Boulder had so many delights waiting for me. Every time I thought I had experienced a Rocky Mountain high, something better touched my palate.

While we were there, the temperatures did not rise above 25 degrees, which was quite the contrast from the way Washington, DC has been. The bitter cold definitely brightened the holiday spirit! And in a town like Boulder, no one is slowed by the chill. We were out for long walks—along Boulder Creek and through University of Colorado’s campus. We hiked Wonderland Lake Trail, Buckingham Park, and Chautauqua Park. We saw the sights along Gross Reservoir. And we snowshoed in Rocky Mountain National Park, an obvious vacation highlight!

All the eating. And all the nature. 

Holiday Traditions

I admittedly am overwhelmed by the holiday season. I probably always have been to some degree; I remember being called Grinch at a young age. As I have grown up, I understand myself much better. I can feel the stress coming. With practice, I have become better at managing my anxiety during this time of year. I’m nowhere close to perfect or even where I’d like to be but progress has been made, I think.

Growing up, my parents set the traditions, some of which I still enjoy to this day. With less time and flexibility during the holidays, I have a lot more control over my fate. Though dating and recently marriage have added a level of complexity to holidays—blending traditions, new traditions, and holiday travel. (My family traveled once over Christmas during my junior year of high school and swore off holiday travel for all eternity imm.)

For the past several years, some traditions have emerged. I’m here to document for prosperity.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, Husband and went to Lowelands Farms to pick out our Christmas tree. This was our third (and perhaps final year for some time) visiting this farm. The owners are very kind. The honey is divine. The location is optimal. The farm is large enough to select from a couple Charlie Brown trees amongst the true beauties, though the selection has dwindled considerably in size over the past several years.

We visited the National Zoo to see the Zoo Lights in mid-December. With the exception of one exceptionally busy December, this has been a tradition of mine since December 2010. This year has been unseasonably warm, which made walking the zoo very enjoyable! The fact that we didn’t have our hot chocolate in hand was only mildly disappointing. We had thousands of children to navigate, thanks to the genius idea of going on the nicest Saturday of December.

This year, for the first time, we attended my company’s holiday party. The party was incredible. We felt like A-listers. My previous company did not have a holiday party, and we’ve had competing priorities with Husband’s party both years he has been with his company. We won’t be upset if attending company parties becomes a tradition from here on out.

We dined at Little Serow for annual fancy Christmas dinner. (In previous years, we dined at Le Diplomate and Rasika. For the record, we think Le Diplomate is our favorite yet.) The Northern Thai food was delicious and the time together was nice as always. I was able to leave work at a reasonable hour so we could queue up for the first seating, allowing us time to soak up the continuation of pleasant weather as we visited the National Tree and the Capital Tree post-feast.

This year, in additional to the holiday party bonus, we saw Matilda the Musical at the Kennedy Center. This night was an absolute highlight for me. I anticipated this night since the last time I saw Matilda, no lie.

And what's Christmas without thousands of cookies? We hosted the our second annual sugar cookie decorating party with our new neighbors. There are few things better than celebrating the season with friendship, cocktails, frozen pizza, and holiday movies and music. There was of course the products of our artistic sides to further sate our tummies.  

We then jetted off to Boulder, Colorado to spend Christmas with Husband’s family. And afterwards, we’ll do Christmas at New Years with my family! 

5 Years

Last Thursday, August 27, I felt an unshakable sadness. I immediately knew it was going to be a tough week. Aren't we through this phase? As anniversaries three and four passed with comparable ease, I figured five would follow this transgression--time heals. We all know what can be said about assumptions; this year feels impossible. Coming off an action-packed, fun-filled summer, how did my body and mind flip a sudden switch? It's anniversary time. The period to punish thou with lack of appetite and sleep while still actively forcing said person to assume societal duties.

Thursday night. Sunday night. Monday morning. Wednesday afternoon. Thursday morning. These have been the darkest times this past week. The times life felt heaviest. The periods where my heart felt truly broken. And the nights, all of the nights--sleep has been minimal, yet life marches on.

I do wish in times as these I could ease the pain. (Or at least ride the wave, as the majority of the calendar year I'm able to happily reflect on my Peace Corps service in Lesotho and the months I had with T.C.M.) My heart hurts--I want to shield myself and fix this nagging ache. I have such a strong urge to hide these emotions. I'm embarrassed by this sadness. It has persisted long past its welcome. I'm fine, I want to scream. While this event certainly altered the course of my life, I do believe I'm fine. Changed--for better or worse, certainly.

All I can do is keep walking and continue to attend to the business of life. September 3, 2010 did not mark my goodbye. This, sadly, was not the case for T.C.M.; he had no goodbyes. One step at a time. I confess this emotional day has my heart and mind in an anxious spiral. My heart and mind can haunt me so cruelly sometimes.  

Life can be so brutal. I cannot shield and shelter myself (or others) from the realities of love and loss. Everything living will pass away. In the case of T.C.M., far to early in his stay. Today, I'm feeling the weight of walking through the loss and managing grief as if it were raw and new.

Still missing T.C.M. Still don't think I'm the only one.

Jamaica Reflections

The first four days provided quick, powerful rains. I wish I had savored them even more. I was in a routine of assuming this was a daily event, and spent the rest of the vacation hoping for more. The rains in Washington, DC are ever lacking, so I relish when a good rain presents itself--no matter where in the world I find myself. I still miss the Lesotho rains on the tin roof of my school, nothing will compete with those! I briefly mentioned the Jamaican rains resulting in rainbows. I'm unsure if this was just the coincidence in the rains I saw, but how's that for every rain providing a follow up rainbow. I certainly won't forget the spectacular-ity of such events.

There are crabs all over Jamaica. I've never visited a place where the crabs roam as freely. In Jamaica, I had to watch where I stepped to avoid crushing them. The land is their land, clearly And boy are the crabs shy! They're not apt to photography; I tried my level best, but routinely came up shy.

Typical of most foreign nations, the signage is intriguing. There is not a sign in Jamaica I wouldn't stop to read. I shot more than 100 photographs of various signs along the way. While I recognize I could use some schooling in grammar and punctuation, there is certainly a lack of editing prior to printing throughout Jamaica.

There are feral and stray dogs galore. While those mutts were harmless, there were unfriendly guard dogs everywhere. I did manage three runs in Treasure Beach, though I often felt unsafe. The dogs lining property fences pop out of nowhere. There were several "guard" dogs (along with strays) that seemingly just wanted to follow me, whether walking or running, but the unpredictable snarls were enough to keep me at unease and allow my mind to wander. What would I do if I was attacked while venturing around? I've never really been a risk taker, I'm less so in my late 20s.

The Jamaican tide is unchanging. There is no low or high tide. There is a shoreline (or retaining wall) that remains constant throughout the day and night. This was a first to me. I'm curious as to why the tide doesn't change, or if there are places in Jamaica where it does.

The colors - both painted and natural - made the entire country radiate energy.

There were abandoned house everywhere. If you're looking for a water-front, fixer-upper, Jamaica is the place for you and yours. While some of these houses look as though they were loved and cherished at one point, others look at those the builder/developer was distracted mid-task. The whole of it is quite bizarre.

The fish of is so, so bony. And while yummy, it's a whole lot of work, unless you're local and you know exactly what you're doing. For those of us travelers, it's a welcomed slower pace.

And despite starting the trip by vomiting my guts out after a treacherous ride and beginning the second day by ruining the sheets with a bloody nose, I hope that won't be the last of my travels with the B family.

Jamaica: Day 10

Our flight left Montego Bay at 11:50 am, but we spent the entire morning at the airport because Boyfriend likes to be prepared. We officially arrived at 9:40 am, and after having checked in and gone through the most thorough security check of our lives, we were at the gate a full two hours early. In addition to the plethora of time I spent roaming the 17-gate airport,  I was able to finish a third book on this trip.

These are some fun facts about Sangster International Airport I learned while grumpily passing time.

1. The five minute taxi ride from the Hip Strip in Montego Bay costs $18.00 (and four Red Stripe beers, in our case).
2. The departures portion of the airport is much grander than the arrivals portion. 
3. The exact same trinkets sold in the 394 stores on the Hip Strip can be purchased in the comfort of air conditioning at the airport for roughly the same cost--rates remain negotiable.
4. About every four gates, the concourse/hallway/walkway becomes a Duty Free shop. That makes about four in an itty bitty allotment of space. There isn't much more than alcohol to gawk at, and less rum that one might expect. Since we weren't checking a bag, there wasn't even a chance of shopping.  
5. Juici Patties are sold frozen in bulk. As to what you're supposed to do with 24 frozen meat pies before a flight, I'm not sure. 
6. There is a Cinnabon, Domino's, Moe's, Quiznos, Wendy's, and not one but two Auntie Anne's, Dairy Queens, and Margaritavilles in the airport (re: 17-gate airport). I was particularly excited about the DQ until I saw the cost of a mini blizzard runs $6.00 (instead of the $2.89 I recall last paying).
7. There are no water fountains to be found. That's particularly awesome, since no water is allowed through security and all flights leaving Jamaica are international (i.e., long). 

Our flight to Charlotte, North Carolina was packed with exhausted vacationers worried about the combination ice and snow storm sweeping the South. The second leg of our flight was equally packed, and we were thrilled to be on the one flight to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that was not cancelled. We were due for some good luck, and we fully appreciated it after some miserable delays last leaving Kansas City, Boston, and Chicago.

After a sluggish Metro ride, we were home sweet home in a snowy city in time for Boyfriend's program--Jeopardy.

Jamaica: Day 9

When I awoke, a part of me wished I was home. I wasn’t sure how I’d spend an entire day in Montego Bay. I felt as though I'd seen the sites (to be seen) the day before. Plus, I was warned most of Downtown and Uptown would be closed in observance of Sunday. Via a quick Google search, I was still struggling to find authentic cuisine on the Hip Strip. I set out determined to allow the day to run its course. As is well documented here, this is not something I’m particularly good at.

Boyfriend and I stumbled into Chili Pepper where the menu outside displayed items we had in mind—ackee and saltfish, round two. After sitting down, our waiter handed us a menu that listed none of what drew us in. Upon asking, she was delighted to serve the “whiteys” traditional food. The plates were hefty, and we delighted her even further by finishing every last drop. On full stomachs, it only seemed logical to stake out a place for our last dinner. We accomplished that goal, then landed afterwards at Café Tastey for a cup of Blue Mountain coffee. I simply cannot drink enough of the Blue Mountain goodness.

(Note on Jamaican Coffee: Even though I already purchased coffee to bring home, through a local roaster in Treasure Beach, I was stunned by the prices of Blue Mountain Coffee here in Montego Bay. The going rate is at least $30/lb, but, as with everything, rates are negotiable.)

Ship Day

Around noon, we bought day passes to a local beach and camped out until after sunset. Just before sunset, we treated ourselves to one last round of fancy cocktails. The crowded beach, due to ‘ship day’ in Montego Bay, was mostly deserted by sunset.

From the beach, we walked straight to MoBay Proper for red snapper prepared estovietch—still no idea as to how to define this method—with fried bammy and plantains. The meal was divine, certainly our best dinner in Jamaica! And even though we were full, we hit up the Candy Shack on our walk home for ice cream cones. There is no such vacation without ice cream in my view!

I’ll likely sneak in one more meal (and walk!) before departing, but all in all, this vacation has been capped. With that, my eighth country has been explored.

Jamaica: Happy Valentines Day

On Day 8 we said goodbye to Treasure Beach and headed Northwest to Montego Bay. Thankfully, we had one last breakfast and morning—my favorite time of day—at Lyric. We sipped coffee, worked crossword puzzles, and did a little reading. Around 11:00 am, our driver picked us up for the journey. A short two and a half hours later we were in Montego Bay, where things operate much differently than the little beach oasis we’d previously been visiting.

After dropping our belongings, we headed out for lunch at The Pork Pit. We were disappointed to see much of what surrounds us caters to tourists looking for the comforts of home. We struggled to find Jamaican cuisine of any kind along Gloucester Street, the Hip Strip. The jerk we settled for was a much longer walk than we’d had anticipated. From lunch we headed into the Downtown, unknowingly picking up two tour guides along the way. These two navigated us Uptown, Downtown, and safely back to the Hip Strip, where we’re staying. Though these two were out to make a pretty penny navigating foreigners through their hometown, they were extremely kind, knowledgeable and helpful. They taught us history at Sam Sharpe Square; guided us through St. James Parish Church, a historic site (built in 1775) and active church (built in 1775); and showed us around the food market in Uptown. Upon paying out, Boyfriend and I walked back the length of the Hip Strip to Dead End Beach for sunset. As it turns out, Dead End Beach overlooks the ocean on one side and Sangster International Airport on the other. The sun set to the drumming of airplane engines, for a unique twist.

ackee

By the time we sat down for sunset, sipping coconut water, I was overstimulated. The streets of Uptown and Downtown were packed with people, likely because it was Saturday. We showered—Boyfriend’s first of the week!—and hit the sack.

Our accommodations are so different here. The ocean is not in our forefront. In fact, the beach, if existing in Montego Bay at all, seemed to be chewed up by the resorts. Though the Hip Strip runs along the coast, the water splashes right up against retaining walls; sand is nonexistent. The mosquito net covering our bed is no longer and privacy is a concept of the past. Our room is equipped with a TV and air conditioning. There are large resorts mixed with 394 small shops, all selling the same goods, littering the Hip Strip, and while we’re not in a resort, one could get by without leaving the economically friendly Toby’s “Resort” during a stay. There is a restaurant serving all three meals, two bars, and two pools. And intermittent WiFi when dining at the restaurant. The place will more than do for the two nights where here, but I’m oh so thankful to have seen a different side of Jamaica.