confession.

ok, people. my heart is pounding from the adrenaline of writing this all. I'm so excited to finally be able to share this news!

Husband and I are moving to Taiwan.

[take a moment to breathe.] yes, you read that correctly. we are moving to Hsinchu City, Taiwan. this is the adventure I've been gearing up for and dropping hints about for... a long time. and finally I can come clean about it.

some basic FAQ that I've been receiving about this recent development:

why are you moving to Taiwan? moving abroad is something Husband and I have always talked about, always wanted to do. this particular opportunity came at the right time in our lives... and so we're going. we looked at a lot of locations, but as things progressed it all just fell into place that Taiwan was where we would go.

what are you doing there? Husband will be teaching high school [in English, to students who understand English] and I have no idea yet what I'm doing. there's a chance I could teach English as a second language, or take classes to get a certification to teach middle school or whatever and be an actual teacher. currently undecided, suggestions welcome.

you really don't know what you're going to do? no, and it's both the most exciting and terrifying thing to me. thanks to cost of living and Husband's situation with the school I won't need to work. but if I'm able to, everything I make will be savings for when we come home... aka down payment on a house.

will you be blogging? yes. I'm working on setting up a new blog. I'm hoping you kids will follow me over there once I get it together. still trying to figure out how to break it to these people that I won't have an oven in my new apartment. but I want to take this opportunity to reinvent myself, and of course share our adventures through pictures and words.

when are you leaving? Husband's report date to the school in Hsinchu is August 1st, which means we will have to fly out a few days beforehand. from mid-May to mid-June [between when I leave my job and when husband is done] most of my time will be spent elbow deep in packing boxes or driving down the PA turnpike moving our stuff back to MI. mid-June to end of July we will be hanging out in the mitten with friends + family. exact itinerary TBD.

what next? I'll still be blogging here for a while, so stick around for more updates. [likely I'll spend a lot of time procrastinating packing by blogging.] I have a feeling I'll start some kind of "to-do before Taiwan" bucketlist, and who knows what other kind of projects. I tried to cover the basics here, but if you have any other questions feel free to ask away!

xo

mind-bending and clock-melting

while we were in Tampa for the bowl game, we also took a trip to the Salvador Dalí museum in St. Petersburg. I didn't know much about Dalí other than he was Spanish and the guy responsible for the melting clock painting. I love museums. when I lived in New York, my favorite place to hang out was the Met (ok, second to Central Park). I've never been to a museum that was solely the works of one artist. it was interesting to see the progression through the years and to be able to totally immerse yourself in the mind of the man.

I highly recommend the guided tours that are offered. we started with the architectural tour which went all around the incredible building they built specifically for the museum. I won't spoil it- but they really put a lot of thought into designing this place. The docent tour through the gallery was also great. we stopped at most of the major works, some of the minor, and the docent gave us explanations and interpretations direct from Dalí's own notes. I would have enjoyed looking on my own, but I never would have picked up on all the little nuances and hidden meanings he pointed out.

I also have to say I really enjoyed the lunch we ate in the museum cafe. they served authentic Spanish fare instead of your typical overpriced American museum food. the tortilla española and ensalada jamón were to die for. it's been a while since my trip to Spain, but I could have been eating that lunch in Valencía overlooking the Mediterranean. I would go back for the food alone.

another unique touch I really enjoyed was the wish tree. at the end of the tour thy encourage you to write a wish on your wristband and tie it to the strings hanging from this tree. every few months when the tree is full, they take the wishes down and post them online.

visiting the Dalí museum wasn't how I planned to spend my New Year's day, but it turned out to be a mind-bending and spiritually cleansing experience.

one year later: places to go, pyramids to see

A year ago today, I lost my Grandma Austin. I'm still healing, but writing this helps...

One night when I was home Thanksgiving week, my Dad busted out the “Austin history book” he had compiled. For years he has been collecting family photos and organizing books for my Grandma- so she would have something to look at and help her remember. Last thanksgiving when we went to see her, the last time before she passed, we sat and poured over the volumes from my grandparent’s early years. The history book, however, is filled with documents and letters and this kinds of things that don’t belong in a photo album.

We read through birth, marriage, and death certificates of three generations of ancestors. There were property titles and love letters, clippings from news articles and my Grandpa’s Michigan State master’s degree. There was a family tree tracing back to Augustus Austin who lived “somewhere in Connecticut” in the later 1700’s.

But the thing I loved most in that book: a paper my Grandma wrote when she was in high school. It was an autobiography of her life. She was fifteen when she wrote it, so it must have been before she met my Grandpa. I was struck by how grown up she sounded. I guess back then, 15 was a lot older than it is now. She talked about her younger years and the various pets she had. She talked about her Auntie who had helped raise her. But mostly she talked about travel.

My Great-Grandparents were fairly wealthy for their time, and they loved to travel. At age fifteen, my grandmother had been all over the country: Baltimore, Washington DC, Niagara Falls, the World’s Fair in New York, and twice to the fair in Chicago. She also wrote about the places she wanted to visit. When I saw what was on the of her list my heart stopped for a minute. The place she wanted to visit most in all the world? Egypt.

I don’t know if I’ve blogged about it here before, but I have a fascination with Egypt and it religious, cultural, and architectural history. It started when I was in 4^th grade. I read an article in national geographic about King Tutankhamen and I. was. hooked. Right then I changed my mind and decided that instead of being a paleontologist who dug up dinosaurs… I wanted to be an Egyptologist and dig up mummies, climb pyramids, and decipher hieroglyphics.

Over the next few years, I became obsessed with all things Egypt. I wrote no less than 3 research papers on the pyramids of Giza, read books and encyclopedias, and even taught myself how to write English words in hieroglyph sounds. [I know- nerd alert] When I was applying for college, I desperately wanted to go to the University of Chicago. Dad wouldn’t spring for that kind of tuition, so I applied for the program at the University of Michigan instead. I justified it as “if I have to go to a school I hate, at least I can go for something I love”. Obviously that didn’t pan out and I ended up at Michigan State taking a different path in life. But to this day, my favorite book series of all time is about a fictional Egyptologist, her family, and their adventures in Egypt.

Seeing, in my Grandma’s own handwriting, that she wanted “to climb the pyramids and float down the Nile”, was like an eerie sense of déjà-vu. Don’t mistake me, I love that I’ve discovered yet another thing that my Grandmother and I had in common. But it’s a little freaky to see something on paper, written half a century ago, that could have come straight from your own mouth. The baking, I knew we both loved- she was the one who taught me how. It took me a while to make the connection about photography, but then again it took me a while to realize myself how much I love it. The fact that the place she most wanted to visit was Egypt? I feel like it gives us another great connection. It makes me sad that I never knew these things while she was alive, but finding them out is a way to carry her with me.

Someday, I will go to Egypt. I will sail down the Nile river, and climb that pyramid. And Grandma will be with me, in my heart.

packing + procrastination

I am the worst at packing. the worst. I take forever. I get anxious about not bringing the right things, because I always seem to end up forgetting something. or having wayyyy to much. I waste a lot of time washing things I don't end up packing, and trying on outfits.

so I'm happy to report my suitcase is full [minus what's drying overnight] and my sister's wedding gift is wrapped and in the car. I tried on about 12 thanksgiving dinner outfits before settling on the above. and I'm sure I won't wear half of what I've packed. but, I'm packed.

Beau was absolutely no help. when he wasn't napping, he was jumping in my clean laundry piles and hiding in my suitcase. or fighting with Rocky. they always get cranky when they know I'm leaving town. punks.

 for now it's time to relax... beverage and pedicure, chopped marathon on food network, maybe a little pinterest-ing. then a good night's sleep and a 10 hour drive back to MI!

week 29: in the mountains

Colorado. a morning fresh and full of possibility.

hiking solo through the most gorgeous wildflower-covered mountains. 

Nikes on my feet and blue skies overhead.

rocks and stumps and branches and signs made makeshift tripods.

I slowly wandered down a trail unknown, breathing it all in.

stopping to see. stopping to be thankful. stopping to worship.

I discovered a stream, ice cold from melted snow.

so I plunged in my feet until they went numb.

I sat and pondered the great mysteries of the universe.

then I let the sun dry my feet, put my shoes back on and left.

a taste of Maine

fourth of July weekend, Husband and I drove up to a friend's place in Maine. some of my favorite memories growing up took place on a lake [at my family's cottage in Michigan] and it was great to escape for a while. I really miss being in nature, and Maine did not disappoint. I was a little lax on the photos this trip, but managed to snap a few instagrams while still spending good quality time with Husband.

1. we of course had to get lobster... it's cheaper than chicken by the pound up there! I didn't have any [I'm allergic] but the general consensus seemed to be: delicious.
2. we spent a lot of time on the boat, in the sun, enjoying the views. I also made a grand return to the world of waterskiing [and was sore for 3 days after!]
3. the lake was just plain gorgeous.
4. we also got to play with Chloe and Max, our friend's two [very energetic] dogs. Husband and I have been talking dogs a lot lately... I'm not sure this is the breed for me.

1. one of my favorite things in the world: waking up early, sitting on a deck, and drinking coffee while watching the mist burn off the lake as the sun comes up. everything is so peaceful, bright, and full of possibility. I haven't been able to do that in years.
2. other than coffee, we consumed a LOT of delicious beverages. maine root root beer is my new favorite. AND I think I can find it in NJ!
3. went to a pub which proclaimed to be "beer heaven" and it certainly lived up to the name. they had a bottle list thicker than a Bible, and had one several awards for best craft brewery selection in America. seriously. right in the middle of nowhere. beer heaven.
4. we did have some rainy weather part of the trip, but sitting inside with the windows open playing cards and listening to the rain was almost as good as lying in the sun by the lake drinking a beer.

twenty-four-five-six

a quiet morning with a good book and coffee.

a windblown sunset and a kiss from my love.

an unplanned stop for popsicles and smiles.

it's the little things in life...

gone fishing

still behind on catching up, and it's going to stay that way for a while. tomorrow I'm heading to Charleston with Husband for our anniversary trip, followed by a 3 day work week and another weekend getaway to Maine.

then he leaves me for 6 weeks. I'm going to miss him, obviously, but he's got a pretty good excuse: he got a Fullbright scholarship to go to Turkey this summer! [why yes, I'm bragging. why not... my Husband is amazing!] so while he's gone I'll have plenty to occupy me, but until then I'll be busy accumulating more memories and photos to add to the pile...

PSA: Tybee Island beach photography

please pardon the interruption...

but I've been cranking out photos from the Tybee/ Savannah trip...

and felt the need to share a few beachy scenes.

more to come... this has been a photographic service announcement.

[I can't give tumblr all the photo love!]

the meaning of the word home

our vacation together in Michigan was blissful. usually these trips are far too brief, but we had a whole 3 1/2 days this time. [I know- that's a long trip?]

thursday morning after we landed, we headed to our meeting with the financial planner. sounds kindof boring but, I actually found it interesting. we talked about our current assets, and where we were heading in the next few years. the planner applauded my current investment plan: 401k contributions up to the match point, then excess funds into an IRA Roth. maybe that's why I enjoyed it- he told me I was doing the right thing, and that the two of us were going to be just fine.

lunch with Papa and the rest of the fam, a much needed nap for me while Luke did Crossfit in the garage. then we headed up to meet Luke's mom for a "joint" family dinner. the next morning we packed up and drove to TC. 4 hours is a long time to spend in a car, but I love driving through northern Michigan. in fact, I just plain love northern Michigan. everything smells of green and the freedom of childhood summer.

the race... for some reason I'm not ready to write about it in gory detail. I rocked it, and that's good enough. afterwards we drove back south to Luke's house. I was understandably sore, so I took a luxurious and relaxing bath while he and his Mom went to pick up dinner. I slept like a rock that night.

sunday we held a little bbq gathering. most of my favorite people were able to be there. we caught up on life and gossip and just... hung out. Husband grilled some burgers and sausage. I drank Oberon and other delicious MI microbrews. an evening storm rolled through but didn't stop the fun. we just moved indoors. normally I would have taken a thousand pictures, but I was content to just be, and enjoy the moment.