hiatus

I'm putting this blog on the ice for a while. School is getting too busy, and frankly, I don't have anything interesting to talk about. I'm sure I'll pick it back up again some day, and I'll do another travel blog again next summer if I am lucky enough to go somewhere far and fun again.

With all the love in my little heart,
Nichole

found

As a note on my previous post, they found my dog at the neighborhood pool. Thanks pool people!

i miss my puppydog

If you are in the Lugoff area and happen to see this beautiful golden retriever, please call my family. Her name is Ginger, and she should have a pink collar with our address and phone number on it. She's run away from home, something she's never done in her 14 years with us. She's pretty old, so her hearing isn't top notch. Thanks for your help--my family and I miss her very much.

get your head out of the clouds

I really like making a list, checking some items off the list, and then losing the list. I'm a big fan of being organized in theory, which explains why my room will cycle between friendly clutter and manic neatness. Since I usually have more free time during the summer, I spend it thinking about how I would like my life to look and, in general, some things I would like to accomplish before I die. I won't bore you with my full life lists (one of which includes things to do before I die), but here are some things I'm thinking about taking on in the coming year:

• learn to play cello
  
• cook more at home and less out of a box
• learn to drive a motorcycle
• take more time to paint and draw
• keep a runaway bag ready for spontaneous weekend trips
• take my little sister to New York City
• learn Hindi
• read the news in the morning
• learn to play ukulele
  

transcendental advice

I suggest, that when engaging in staring contests with owls or footraces with butterflies, don't expect to win.

band nerd

I'm still convinced that being in the band in high school affected my brain.


Support the arts.

minimalist period packing

Currently, I'm packing for India. Unfortunately, I've inherited my mom's packing style...the one that includes the kitchen sink. I brought way too much stuff to Argentina last summer, so I was stuck lugging around my rolling suitcases and carryons, looking like a ridiculous American girl. I'm determined to be a lighter packer this summer.

In this spirit, I asked for a multi-day hiker's backpack for an early birthday present. Here is a picture of it to the side. I'm really happy with it. The goal is to fit everything I need for the eight-week jaunt in India into this backpack (and maybe a daypack for a carryon bag).

I've been learning all sorts of neat tips and tricks to fit everything into one bag. One really useful site is http://www.onebag.com I think the best piece of advice I've received on packing lighter has been to only take what you need. I always fall into the trap of taking what I might need, which can easily escalate into taking all sorts of ridiculous things.

I'm still in the process of packing, so we'll see if it all fits.