A lot has happened over the past 5 weeks! I just got back from a family vacation up in Massachusetts and the three weeks before that I was out in the woods restoring a historic cabin in Olympic National Forest. It was lots of fun and I had an amazing time but it was difficult being away from my family and friends for that long knowing I would only have two weeks left when I got back to Baltimore.
My time in Washington was absolutely amazing! Once I landed at SeaTac, my neighbor's daughter-in-law picked me up and took me around Seattle for the day. We went to Pike Place Market, rode the ferris wheel, and then went to the Ballard Locks and saw the fish ladder. Then she dropped me off with my cousin who lives out on a farm in Duvall. I stayed in her yurt for the night and the next day we set out on an overnight backpacking trip to a place called Gothic Basin in the North Cascades. It was the hardest hike I've ever done (3000 feet elevation gain in 4.2 miles!) but it was so worth it because the views were absolutely amazing! We camped out at the top and then hiked back down the next day. It was my cousin's birthday so we had a birthday dinner with her boyfriend's parents and their friends, and I rode a dirt bike for the first time! The next day was her boyfriend's birthday so we went out for lunch with his parents, and from there I caught a bus to the airport to meet up with my SCA crew.
Our crew was working on restoring a historic cabin in Olympic National Forest. There were 5 guys and 2 other girls in the crew, and then 3 crew leaders. We mainly worked on painting the entire inside and outside of the cabin, building pathways around the cabin to make it wheelchair accessible, and building a french drain behind the cabin. It was located in a beautiful area and if you walked down for about 5 minutes you got a gorgeous mountain view of the rest of the National Forest. Although we stayed at that cabin while we worked, on the weekends we would take day trips to other parts of the Olympic Peninsula. We went to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, hiked up Mt. Townsend in the National Forest, hiked in the Hoh Rainforest, swam in Lake Crescent, and went to the ocean a couple of times. After the crew was over, I met up with my violin teacher, who was flying into Seattle the day that my crew ended, and stayed with her and her sister in her sister's apartment. We went out for Thai food, walked around the Space Needle, and then went back and watched the Olympics. The next day, my teacher and I went to the Chihuly Museum and then got breakfast at Pike Place Market and walked along the water back to her sister's apartment. Then I caught an uber to the airport but my flight was delayed 5 hours so I didn't end up getting into Baltimore until 3 in the morning, It was fun though because one of the girls from my crew had the same flight!
It was really an awesome trip. It was so great to see my cousin, I had tons of fun with my violin teacher, and I was so amazed at everything I got to see while I was out there. I also had a great time with the crew, but I did get homesick. It was hard knowing that I was going to have only 2 weeks back in Baltimore when I got back and although I had lots of fun with the people in my crew, I wasn't really compatible with anyone there. Not that they weren't nice and funny and great, but I just didn't really connect with anyone. I never regretted going, because I got to see so much and it was awesome to be able to spend some time outdoors and without technology (they took our phones for the entire 3 weeks), but sometimes I often found myself feeling like I wanted to go home before the 3 weeks were over. Also, it was stressful knowing that I only had 2 weeks to get everything I needed to get done. Now that I'm back I realize I don't have too much to do, but it was hard to think about while I was out there.
After I got back, my family drove up to Massachusetts to visit family friends. We had a really nice time and it was good to have that bonding time with my family before getting back to Baltimore and hanging out with friends as much as possible. The family friends live in Historic Deerfield and have a beautiful house with a pool and a big backyard. We would take day trips to little towns around Deerfield but most of the time we spent just relaxing at the house and swimming with their children.
I've had tons of fun since we've been back from Massachusetts. I've been trying to hang out with my friends as much as possible before they start school next week, so we've been seeing movies, going out to eat, having picnics, biking, walking around the city, and shopping. I have a couple more things I'd like to buy before leaving (things like jeans, jean shorts, athletic shorts, and shoes) and so I plan to do lots of shopping while my friends are in school. Also, I have surgery next week! I'm having an upper endoscopy because I have lots of acid reflux symptoms but my doctors want to rule out anything else before diagnosing me. I'm actually kind of excited because this will be my first time being under anesthesia but at the same time I'm not sure how I'll feel after the surgery, and I don't want to have to spend a day in bed when I only have 5 days left in Baltimore.
Honestly, besides still having to buy some things, I'm feeling pretty ready to leave for Germany. My friends Ellsie and Sicily are already in their host countries (Switzerland and France) so I think that's making me even more excited. At the same time though I'm really excited about everything I have planned for the next week in Baltimore. My friend Jo is having a going away party on Saturday and on Sunday I'm probably having a get together with my sisters and their husbands and children so I can see all of them one more time before I go. My mom and I are going to get mani pedis the day before I leave and then I'm going to have a going away dinner that night with my closest friends. Sunday my parents are driving me to DC and we're going to have brunch somewhere before they drop me off at Orientation. Today, I'm going shopping with my friend Jo and I just came back from spending the morning at school. It was the first day of school for everyone there but I just went to say hi to some teachers and talk to my counselor and see my school's new library! Our library has been closed since my freshman year and I was on the committee that fundraised the money to have it renovated. It's been under construction and its finally done! It looks awesome and I'm a little bit sad that I won't be here this year to use it, but I'll be back senior year and by then it will probably be even better because they are still raising money for more books and better technology.
Packing!!
Oh my god was I stressed about packing. While I was in Washington sometimes I would sit down and write down packing lists because I kept remembering things that I wanted to bring. Having actually started packing I'm definitely not as stressed about it as I was before. I'm glad I am starting early because I've realized it takes a lot of time for me to find everything I need from around the house and figure out how it is all going to fit in my suitcase. I'm kind of lucky because I have some extra room since I am bringing a second checked bag. Since I'm having to bring my violin, my backpack can't be stuffed since it is going to have to count as a personal item and fit under the seat in front of me, so I am bringing a second checked bag to put everything I would have put in my backpack. However, since I don't want to pack too much I am bringing my pillow (a special Brookstone pillow that I've used for years) that takes up most of the space and that I can leave over then at the end of the year, because I actually have two. Then I also have extra room for host family gifts! I'm actually super pumped about the host family gifts. My mom is sewing up a quilt that she made to give to the mom and I haven't decided what I'm getting the daughter but I'm sure I'll find something when shopping this week.
Our crew was working on restoring a historic cabin in Olympic National Forest. There were 5 guys and 2 other girls in the crew, and then 3 crew leaders. We mainly worked on painting the entire inside and outside of the cabin, building pathways around the cabin to make it wheelchair accessible, and building a french drain behind the cabin. It was located in a beautiful area and if you walked down for about 5 minutes you got a gorgeous mountain view of the rest of the National Forest. Although we stayed at that cabin while we worked, on the weekends we would take day trips to other parts of the Olympic Peninsula. We went to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, hiked up Mt. Townsend in the National Forest, hiked in the Hoh Rainforest, swam in Lake Crescent, and went to the ocean a couple of times. After the crew was over, I met up with my violin teacher, who was flying into Seattle the day that my crew ended, and stayed with her and her sister in her sister's apartment. We went out for Thai food, walked around the Space Needle, and then went back and watched the Olympics. The next day, my teacher and I went to the Chihuly Museum and then got breakfast at Pike Place Market and walked along the water back to her sister's apartment. Then I caught an uber to the airport but my flight was delayed 5 hours so I didn't end up getting into Baltimore until 3 in the morning, It was fun though because one of the girls from my crew had the same flight!
It was really an awesome trip. It was so great to see my cousin, I had tons of fun with my violin teacher, and I was so amazed at everything I got to see while I was out there. I also had a great time with the crew, but I did get homesick. It was hard knowing that I was going to have only 2 weeks back in Baltimore when I got back and although I had lots of fun with the people in my crew, I wasn't really compatible with anyone there. Not that they weren't nice and funny and great, but I just didn't really connect with anyone. I never regretted going, because I got to see so much and it was awesome to be able to spend some time outdoors and without technology (they took our phones for the entire 3 weeks), but sometimes I often found myself feeling like I wanted to go home before the 3 weeks were over. Also, it was stressful knowing that I only had 2 weeks to get everything I needed to get done. Now that I'm back I realize I don't have too much to do, but it was hard to think about while I was out there.
After I got back, my family drove up to Massachusetts to visit family friends. We had a really nice time and it was good to have that bonding time with my family before getting back to Baltimore and hanging out with friends as much as possible. The family friends live in Historic Deerfield and have a beautiful house with a pool and a big backyard. We would take day trips to little towns around Deerfield but most of the time we spent just relaxing at the house and swimming with their children.
I've had tons of fun since we've been back from Massachusetts. I've been trying to hang out with my friends as much as possible before they start school next week, so we've been seeing movies, going out to eat, having picnics, biking, walking around the city, and shopping. I have a couple more things I'd like to buy before leaving (things like jeans, jean shorts, athletic shorts, and shoes) and so I plan to do lots of shopping while my friends are in school. Also, I have surgery next week! I'm having an upper endoscopy because I have lots of acid reflux symptoms but my doctors want to rule out anything else before diagnosing me. I'm actually kind of excited because this will be my first time being under anesthesia but at the same time I'm not sure how I'll feel after the surgery, and I don't want to have to spend a day in bed when I only have 5 days left in Baltimore.
Honestly, besides still having to buy some things, I'm feeling pretty ready to leave for Germany. My friends Ellsie and Sicily are already in their host countries (Switzerland and France) so I think that's making me even more excited. At the same time though I'm really excited about everything I have planned for the next week in Baltimore. My friend Jo is having a going away party on Saturday and on Sunday I'm probably having a get together with my sisters and their husbands and children so I can see all of them one more time before I go. My mom and I are going to get mani pedis the day before I leave and then I'm going to have a going away dinner that night with my closest friends. Sunday my parents are driving me to DC and we're going to have brunch somewhere before they drop me off at Orientation. Today, I'm going shopping with my friend Jo and I just came back from spending the morning at school. It was the first day of school for everyone there but I just went to say hi to some teachers and talk to my counselor and see my school's new library! Our library has been closed since my freshman year and I was on the committee that fundraised the money to have it renovated. It's been under construction and its finally done! It looks awesome and I'm a little bit sad that I won't be here this year to use it, but I'll be back senior year and by then it will probably be even better because they are still raising money for more books and better technology.
Packing!!
Oh my god was I stressed about packing. While I was in Washington sometimes I would sit down and write down packing lists because I kept remembering things that I wanted to bring. Having actually started packing I'm definitely not as stressed about it as I was before. I'm glad I am starting early because I've realized it takes a lot of time for me to find everything I need from around the house and figure out how it is all going to fit in my suitcase. I'm kind of lucky because I have some extra room since I am bringing a second checked bag. Since I'm having to bring my violin, my backpack can't be stuffed since it is going to have to count as a personal item and fit under the seat in front of me, so I am bringing a second checked bag to put everything I would have put in my backpack. However, since I don't want to pack too much I am bringing my pillow (a special Brookstone pillow that I've used for years) that takes up most of the space and that I can leave over then at the end of the year, because I actually have two. Then I also have extra room for host family gifts! I'm actually super pumped about the host family gifts. My mom is sewing up a quilt that she made to give to the mom and I haven't decided what I'm getting the daughter but I'm sure I'll find something when shopping this week.