by Krista | Feb 14, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Brrr! It’s a cold, damp night in Washington and I’m writing you by candlelight, snuggled up under a cozy blanket.
There are times when I really love living here. Winter, alas, is not one of them. Although it is still stunningly beautiful, the incessant gray and abundance of rain can be rather vexing to body and soul. This winter seems to be worse than usual and instead venturing out for my usual hikes and treks through the woods, I want nothing more than to stay dry and toasty warm indoors.
So today I decided it was time to remind myself why I live here. Inspired by my fellow Washingtonian, Nicole Durbin’s, Washington post last week, I decided to go back through my photos of this area and find reasons to take heart and press on through these few months of icy, gusting, pouring misery. And I found them.
Here, dear ones, are a few photos from one my favorite places to hike: Fragrance Lake. It’s a gloriously secluded spot tucked away in the woods above Chuckanut Drive near Bellingham, Washington.
I’ve been here in winter, summer, and fall, and it never fails to calm and inspire me. The glassy lake mirrors the sky beautifully, and there’s always a fallen log to perch on to take in the inspiring surroundings.
This particular hike my friends and I arrived just as the sun was setting behind the hills. There was nary a soul to be seen and we ambled along the shore catching our breath from the steep climb in, feeling that every aching muscle in our legs was worth it to be in this gorgeous place.
We finally tore ourselves away as the sun disappeared entirely, and hoofed it back down the mountain in the gloaming.
Tonight I shall ignore my soggy environs and remember days like this when the sun is shining, nature is at her very best, and dear friends are tagging along to make any adventure delightful.
Do you have a peaceful place you like to visit?
by Krista | Feb 11, 2011 | Fabulous Friday
Hello, luvs. 🙂 I’m writing to you this evening surrounded by library books and back issues of Victoria magazine and Christmas cds and flickering candles. A hot cup of sweet orange tea is brewing as I huddle under a quilt and heating pad to keep warm. It’s a wonderfully cozy night. The sort of night I hope to have many of in the months and years to come.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since I got home from my travels. I learned a lot of things on these trips, not the least of which was that somehow I had well and truly become a workaholic. In my attempts to get out of debt, pay mounting medical bills, and meet unnecessarily lofty expectations I had for myself, I had taken on one full-time job and four part-time jobs. To do it all I was getting 4-5 hours sleep a night and working myself silly.
R.I.D.I.C.U.L.O.U.S.
Needless to say, when my brother Ryan sent me a ticket to fly to Amsterdam to spend Christmas and New Year’s with my family, I cried. 🙂 I was so happy, but also exhausted, worn out, utterly done in. All I wanted to do was sleep, stare out the window and wander aimlessly doing anything but work. So I did.
I enjoyed every bloomin’ moment of that trip: blizzards, long walks in the icy dunes, eating my siblings’ delish homemade food, visits over foamy coffee, playing Settlers of Catan, watching old movies, meeting new and old friends for good ol’ chats, and wandering the streets of the Netherlands and Germany. It was wonderful.
When a dear friend gave me a plane ticket for Australia the day after I got home, I cried again. 🙂 I could hardly believe such kindness.
By then I was starting to perk up. After a couple of weeks on my Aussie friends’ farms eating fresh eggs and fruit, going for walks and getting lots of sleep, I could think about work again without cringing, and felt my creativity and enthusiasm coming back. Instead of plotting out jobs, assignments and goals, I realized how much I missed reading good stories, listening to new music, watch great movies, just sitting and watching the sunset, going to bed early, taking walks, spending leisurely time with dear ones. I wanted to live beautifully again.
Instead of a To-Do List, I started writing a Dream List – the one I told you about here earlier this week. It wasn’t so much about what I want to accomplish, but more how I want my life to look, feel, and be. I don’t want to be a workaholic. I don’t want to be constantly worrying about finances and debt. I DO want to live a happy, peaceful life with people I love and who love me back, with enough to meet my needs and share with others.
Now I’m back home in Washington, learning how to live what’s in my heart. I’ve thought long and hard through my priorities and responsibilities, and a lot of things have been shifted into the “Not Now” and “Maybe Never But That’s OK” piles. I’ve looked at my budget and figured out ways to cut costs so I don’t have to work so much.
And I’m happy because the things in the Important Pile, really are. 🙂
What is one thing you do each day that makes you happy?
by Krista | Feb 10, 2011 | Plucky Thursday
Normally I hate a long layover. It doesn’t matter what airport it’s in, there are few things more tedious than wiling away hours on uncomfortable seats, eating terrible food, and wishing more than anything to be tucked into a nice warm bed or taking a hot shower.
For my recent trip to Australia, I didn’t discover until after I had purchased my steal-of-a-deal ticket that I had two long layovers at the Nadi, Fiji airport: one for 15.5 hours, the other for 17.5 hours.
Now I love many things about Fiji – the people, the climate, the beauty – but the airport is definitely not one of them. There is one waiting area surrounded by the ubiquitous duty free and souvenir shops that at best can occupy about an hour of your time. The few places to eat may or may not be open and if you request anything hot, be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes while it is cooked elsewhere and brought bound tightly in plastic wrap by frazzled but smiling women.
It is not the place to spend 17.5 hours.
Thankfully that is not the only option.
When you exit any international flight in Nadi you are greeted by a jolly group of Fijian men in flamboyant shirts singing their hearts out in joyous welcome. At this point you can take a left to transit to your next flight or hang a right and get in line for Customs. Take the right. As the musicians serenade you, make sure you have your passport and Customs card handy. Once your passport is stamped simply pick up your luggage, get some Fiji dollars from the handy bank machine near the luggage carousel, head through Customs and grab a taxi. You’re all set for a mini-Fiji adventure.
Fiji has numerous 3 and 4 star resorts a short taxi ride from the airport. Many of them have day rooms available for a reduced rate. This will allow you full use of a room and the resort facilities (including beaches, swimming pools, and restaurants) during your stay. Since most international flights to Nadi are red-eyes arriving around 5 a.m., the use of a day room is pure bliss, giving you a chance to sleep, shower, eat real food, and explore the beaches and countryside of Fiji before continuing your journey. Make sure you call ahead to specifically reserve a day room since availability is limited.
I stayed at two resorts on my layovers.
The first was Sonaisali Island Resort, about a 30 minute drive from the airport. I stayed in an Oceanview Bure for $252.00 Fiji dollars, which works out to about $138.60 US. The taxi ride from the airport was about $35 Fiji dollars ($20 US) each way. The short boat ride to the island was free and made a crossing every 15 minutes.
View from the front porch of my room at the Sonaisali Island Resort
(it was pouring rain at the time, but you really could see the ocean when it stopped).
The second was The Westin Denarau Island Resort and Spa, about a 25 minute drive from the airport. I stayed in a Tropical Garden View Room for $200 Fiji dollars, equaling about $110 US. The taxi ride to and from the airport was also $35 Fiji dollars (about $20 US) each way.
The view from my room at The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa.
Both resorts were beautiful and graciously let me into my room around 7 a.m. (normal check-in time is 10 a.m.) and let me stay until 6 p.m.
Eating out at Fiji resorts is really expensive. I made sure to eat on the airplane beforehand and get a cheap bite at the airport after, only splurging on one good meal.
I settled on breakfast at the Sonaisali Island Resort. For $38 Fiji dollars ($21 US) I had unlimited trips to a buffet breakfast that included fresh fruits, cereals, made-to-order omelets, and a large hot food section with items such as baked tomatoes, baked beans, potato cakes, and ham, plus chutneys, sauces, and lots of juice and coffee. The dining room faces the ocean with beautiful views of the pool, palm trees and rolling waves.
At The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa I opted for lunch, ordering room service for the first time in my life. 🙂 I had succulent ahi tuna with Fijian green beans, rice with crispy shallots, and a smidge of lettuce for around $80 Fiji dollars ($44 US). My dining room was my patio where I could eat in happy solitude with views of the ocean and tropical plants.
The grand total for two full days in Fiji was about $400. That may seem like a lot, but it was worth every penny, worth every restaurant dinner, movie ticket, and shopping trip I gave up in order to save enough. It was much better than two days in an airport, spending nearly $200 on crummy food, feeling exhausted and dirty with nothing to do but wander the same halls for over 30 hours.
Instead I had two glorious days in one of the most beautiful places in the world. In addition to comfy beds, hot showers, delicious food, and first class treatment, I also got to stroll gorgeous beaches, walk through the exquisitely beautiful Fijian countryside, swim in the South Pacific, snooze in a hammock, and meet some of the loveliest people imaginable.
What would be your ideal way to spend a one day layover?
by Krista | Feb 9, 2011 | Compatriot Wednesday
When my Culinary Experimentation Club chose Chinese as our theme for February, I was delighted! I’ve been craving noodle soup something fierce and knew that would be the very first thing I made. (Please forgive the blurry state of some of these photos! I’m getting used to new settings on my little camera. :-))
As everyone knows, an authentic Chinese dinner begins with piping hot Ceylon tea (brewed from whole leaves by Darren) and…
…chocolate chip cookies. 🙂 At least OUR Chinese dinner started this way. Mostly because all of our dishes took extra time to prepare and we were absolutely ravenous well before they were done!! But Mike – the maker of these oh-so-chewy and decadent delights – assured us that all was kosher since the recipe came from his grandmother who was 1/5th Chinese. We all readily believed his claim and grabbed another cookie.
The kitchen was filled with the scent of garlic and fresh ginger and all sorts of splendid spices as various pots bubbled and steamed. At last all was ready and we clustered around the dining room table to eat.
We started with my spicy Chinese Noodle Soup with Prawns. I loved it so much I came home and made another batch the very next day! I used gluten-free pasta for the noodles and they worked beautifully. The broth was rich with ginger, scallions, garlic, chilies, and soy sauce, filled with thinly sliced savoy cabbage and matchstick-sized carrots and topped with fresh cilantro. Mmm, mmm, good! Our sinuses were clear in no time flat, I tell ya!
Kat made fluffy white rice and Robin sauteed bok choy with crispy pieces of toasted garlic. Delicious!
Selwyn sliced and diced furiously and whipped up a succulent beef stir-fry with brightly colored bell peppers and snow peas.
Kat closed our evening with bowls of vivid Purple Yam and Coconut Ice Cream. I’ve never had it before but I’m huge fan now. 🙂
I can’t wait to see what everyone brings next week to Round Two of our Chinese food celebration.
What is your favorite Chinese food?
Krista’s Chinese Noodle Soup with Prawns
Ingredients:
2 quarts organic free-range chicken broth
3-4 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chunked
6-8 garlic cloves
4-6 scallions, sliced
soy sauce to taste, about 2-4 Tbsp
1 rounded tsp Chinese 5-spice
1/2 red chili (or more if you want it really spicy), seeded and diced fine
2 cups savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchstick-sized pieces
1-2 cups prawns or shredded chicken
1 package noodles (soba, angel hair pasta, egg noodles, etc)
1 cup fresh cilantro
Directions:
- Dump all but 1/4 cup broth into sauce pan and begin to heat.
- In food processor add 1/4 cup broth, ginger and garlic and blend until ginger and garlic are shredded. Add to broth.
- Add scallions, soy sauce, 5 spice and chili and bring to boil.
- Add cabbage and carrot. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15-20 minutes or until carrot is soft.
- Bring separate pot of salted water to boil, add noodles and cook until done. Drain.
- Add prawns to broth and cook about 5 minutes until prawns are pink and cooked through.
- Pile noodles in bottom of bowl, ladle over broth and top with cilantro.
by Krista | Feb 8, 2011 | Gulliver Tuesday
I awoke one morning in Fiji to find the grass outside my room sprinkled with these stunning flowers. It’s the sort of thing you dream about but never see, and I was utterly charmed.
A couple of weeks ago my friend Corrie encouraged me to start jotting down my dreams every week. Not the ones my vivid imagination conjures up at night, but the dreams that are closest to my heart, the things I would do, try and experience if I was allowed to do anything in the world.
Yesterday, as the sun finally came out in rainy Washington, I sat in my armchair in a beam of sunshine and began to write.
I confess it was hard at first. Each thought that came into my head was immediately squelched by an “oh that’s not very practical” or “you don’t have the money for that” or “so and so wouldn’t approve at all!” But I kept shushing those naysayer thoughts until my deepest desires bobbed happily to the surface. From the silly to the sublime they came, and soon I couldn’t write fast enough.
Suddenly I noticed I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. 🙂
How lovely it was to let my imagination go wild and picture such good things as being debt-free and healthy or quirky things like building my own adult-sized tree house and traveling First Class on the Orient Express while sipping Earl Grey tea and reading Agatha Christie.
Some of my dreams may never happen, but simply writing them down got my mind whirling about ways to maybe, just maybe, make them happen. I feel inspired, creative, and excited about the future, whatever it may hold. Thank you, Corrie.
Do you have any “silly” dreams? Is there one thing you could do today to get closer to making that dream a reality?
