You're the Best...Around...

Party and tutus, and party and tutus...

Yes, this is how my friends & I roll into a race.

No, this isn't the Bay to Breakers.

For the 4th year, I competed in the Wharf to Wharf in Santa Cruz. This 10k is billed as the "best little road race in California," and I have to agree. I have more fun doing this race than most.

This year (and last year, too), my friend A & I had a goal of finishing in under an hour. I thought I had PRed (for that course), but I was mistaken...The past three years, we'd gone in the 1.02 range, which...isn't bad, but we both felt we could do better. We had both achieved that time in other races, but W2W is a little tougher -- it's super crowded, and the first mile is clogged with people walking (seriously, people, start further back and MOVE ASIDE), so it's hard to get ahead.

Reliving the 90s

Could I sweatshirts BE any bigger?

The other day I was at my mom's, and I happened upon my college photo albums. And, wow...they were a treat.

OVERALLS!

It's sometimes hard to remember what defined the 90s. The kids who grew up then often try to identify with the 80s (I became a teenager in the 80s, and identify much stronger with the 90s...kids born in the 80s are a little skewed ;-) ), so the 90s get overlooked. Which is a true shame. These pics are set firmly in the mid-90s, so are pretty much removed from the 80s fads and really are those that defined the decade.

The first thing I noticed (aside from the fact that in, about 90% of the pics, we were drinking...sorry mom, that's what I really learned in college)? All the plaid. Sometimes tucked in, often untucked, every color of the rainbow. There is hardly a picture without a peek of plaid (sometimes the shirt was tied around the waist, but it was there). And...those shirts were severely oversized. I don't think I was that much bigger in college, but my tops were at least an XL (adjusting for "vanity" sizing, I should have been about a medium back then), and this seemed to be the case for almost everyone...

Cookie Me.

It's been a while, I know.

If you've somehow escaped the song of the summer...congratulations. For those of you who have been hearing it non-stop, either on the radio or in your own head, this one is for you.

Hi, Mom, I May Be a While

This week (week 20) on the BootsnAll Indie Travel Challenge: Difficult Travel Moments.

I've been pretty lucky in my travels...there have been a fair share of issues -- like the trip where I couldn't find two of my hostels so had to wing it and hope for the best, or others where I had to manage through weird European strikes -- but nothing compared to what I ran into on my Argentina adventure in 2005.

The day after I was supposed to leave

The whole trip had been a bit rocky. The weeks leading up to it were crazy at work, so my research was minimal. I didn't realize it would be winter, so I showed up sans jacket. I also showed up a bit hungover from my friend's wedding, a bit worried about my dad being sick for the first time ever that I remembered (he had a mursa staph infection), and without the memory cards for my new digital camera.

Luckily my brother was there for the first two days of my stay, and had an extra jacket I could use (being that he is almost a foot taller than me, it was a little big, but it worked). And I was able to pick the memory cards up at the airport. And, after a few days there, I figured out some things to do, including visiting Mendoza.

Mendoza was probably my favorite place on my trip -- the weather was a little warmer than Buenos Aires, and the city not so overwhelming. I got a little sick, so likely hopped up on cold medicine on the flight back to BsAs. Who knows...the day I left was a long one; I had an early flight and forgot my bro's jacket at the hostel, so had to book it back there and get back to the airport before my plane took off. What I do know is that on that flight, my passport disappeared from my possession -- I think I maybe put it in my pocket and it fell out, or I meant to put it in my purse and missed.

The topper? I realized it was gone on a Friday night. My plane was to leave on Sunday afternoon. This was a problem.

As the Miles Stretch...

This week (week 19*) on the BootsnAll Indie Travel Challenge: The Perfect Roadtrip

View from a road trip through the Andes

Anyone who knows me knows that my perfect road trip would involve me not being in a car. When 9/11 happened, I was in Atlanta, and two of my coworkers decided to rent a car to drive back to San Francisco. Someone smarter than me would have jumped into the car with them, since in the day or two after, we had no idea when planes would be up in the air again, if ever! I however, don't wish myself in a car for too long, under stress like that, on my worst enemy. (not to worry...I made it home safe and sound the Saturday after)

But, in the spirit of this challenge...a road trip. The great American dream. The open road full of potential. When I think of road trips I think of how lucky we are -- this country is so diverse, so full of natural and man-made beauty. And even just west of the Rockies, well...something surprising to me is that my bucket list may just include a trip, via a vehicle.

To me... I think the perfect road trip would consist of three people. Why three? I feel like four crowds the car too much, and two just heightens the risk of boredom. Three means one person drives, one person can nap, and one person can stay up and talk to the driver. As someone who cannot really sleep in the car, I find this to be key. Perhaps I am just jealous of those who can, but I find it rude if no one stays up with the driver. Oh, and it would be nice if all the people in the car were friends, but that's not necessary. Sometimes it's fun to go with someone who is more of an acquaintance, that way there is lots to learn. At the very least, everyone in the car should be willing to share and answer random questions, with no topics really off limits.