The Wild Adventure Begins

When I was a freshman in college my dog Hercules died. Please. Let's not dwell on it, I still shed bitter tears over it on occasion. To fill the gaping, bleeding wound in my heart I bought a baby pine tree from Home Depot with my roommate. (Hey Meckenzey!) His name was Tiny Tim and although he wasn't my endearingly idiotic and deeply compassionate chocolate lab, he was sassy in his own tree-like way. Tiny Tim and I forged a wild and crazy relationship that resulted in a raucous road trip, flirty study dates, and possibly a Facebook profile picture?

Sophomore year started and I moved into a basement apartment which I called The Bat Cave because it was dark and awful and I hated it and it made me depressed. Apparently Tiny Tim felt the same way. He started to get all yellow and sickly so I put him outside. In the snow. At least there was sunlight out there? Long story short, I knew I needed to take him to a tree doctor or get him a bigger pot. ANYTHING to save my dear and silly pine tree. But weeks passed and my laziness turned into guilt which turned into thoughts like, "what's the point? he's dying anyways." which ended in me trying to forget him until I had to face the facts that he was dead and threw him unceremoniously into the dump.

The point of this story? This is how I feel about writing in my blog right now. My adventures yet undocumented have piled up and I just want it to update itself and leave me alone to watch Downton Abbey and care for my Chia Gnome. But I'm doing my best to correct my lazy habits. In other words, I am half-heartedly back! Woooo!

Tiny Tim and I in the Golden Days. 

So here's to being back and documenting the trip of a lifetime to New York, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and Abu Dhabi. What an adventure.  And boy, did we have a good time. 

NEW YORK CITY 

~Where I learned that we are indeed, Country Bumpkins 

~A strained first ride in a NYC cab with Rashish from Bangladesh. Elise's tragic small-talk is fully explained by my Father's insulting text message. 

~A casual run around the Lower East Side morphs into an 18 miler around the whole stinkin' island. 

~Elise wanted to see Times Square SOOOOOOO badly. When we finally got there she looked around and said, "it's just a bunch of advertisements." Yes. 

~The Freedom Tower and 9/11 memorial. Sobering, simple, and inspiring. When I was last in NYC the towers were still a pile of twisted rubble and I thought that this was a beautiful way to show that wounds can heal, but still be remembered. Highly recommended. 

~I also strongly suggest that you go and walk through the banking district because HOLY SUITS, attractive men sporting gold watches e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. Hmmm hmmm Hmmm. 

~Ended the day by limping to the subway to people watch, eat vegetarian pizza and think deep and philosophical New Yorker thoughts. 

This was a kind of pathetic travel post seeing that I used most of it to talk about my deceased pet-tree (RIP Tiny Tim). But there are more to come! They will be better? They will! I promise.