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| New Years - Me, Bill, sister, her BF, brother, his GF |
2012
started out the same as every other year. Waking up from a food coma, lying
in bed scrolling through half blurry pictures of last night’s festivities and
wondering how you’re going to spend the first day of the year. I typically end
the first day riddled with confusion of resolutions, goals and things I wanted
to accomplish by 2013. At the time I had no idea what lay ahead with Peace
Corps, I had just started a new job, and my relationship was going strong. As
any previous turn of the year, companies were blasting advertisements of
things to come by December 2012. New iphones, gadgets, e-readers, laptops, etc.
are being sold and advertised everywhere. Just another time of the year for
American consumerism to show its face once again, only a week after one of the
biggest shopping holidays. While all this white noise if happening, my older
brother, who I have been very close with since we both realized that just
because we are siblings we don’t HAVE to fight, he decided it was time for him
to move out and in with his girlfriend. Thus begins the chaos that I have been
living in and preparing for Peace Corps with.
He and
his girlfriend found a really nice place in a town nearby and spent about a
month preparing to move – this meant a lot of distractions, packing, stuff
everywhere, excitement and some sadness ; this is the first of our family
beginning to grow apart (in a normal, healthy way). My brother
continuously packed up his car, and had several trips to make – and then there
were four.
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| My Sister and Me at Fenway |
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| My Sister and Me |
At this
time, my sister started looking for an apartment in the city to live with her
friends. They were looking for an apartment to move into in September. This was
quite the process and ultimately found something for August 1st. Despite
the overwhelming sense of the unknown on my part with Peace Corps, I was really
excited for both my siblings to be making steps forward towards more
independence and living the life of young professionals in a young, vibrant
city.
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| The city she will now call home. |
Around
this time was when I was finding out about when and where I would be spending the
next 27 months of my life. I can imagine my parents’ reactions to the whirlwind
of 2012 thus far. I found out that I would be leaving about 3 weeks after my
little sister moves out and before my parents would start fixing up the house
to put it up for sale…WAIT, WHAT?!?!
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| Just the Begining |
Yes, if
all this change isn’t enough, in April my parents’ tenants in our house in
Florida told us they would be moving to NY in June. This was the perfect
opportunity for my parents to not re-rent it and open it up for the family to head
down there when we could. Before I knew it, my mom was at Home Depot purchasing
more boxes than I could count and sorting through old dishes, clothes,
appliances, and 10948198 other necessities for an empty house. As days and
weeks flew off the calendar, our house was the definition of chaos we are ALL
preparing to move and spend time together at the same time. Everywhere you turn
there are boxes. A moving truck finally came this past Monday to take
about 35 boxes and 10 (give or take) huge pieces of furniture down to Florida.
This is actually happening – All before June even started.
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| My Family taking a swim, and Trocolis (my dad invented this cocktail) at our house in Florida! |
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| Bill's Home until October |
As we
packed up, my boyfriend, Bill, was packing up to make a huge move up to Maine
where he would be living in a tent for 6 months for his new job. We have been
together for so long as both realized this would be a good transition and good
practice for what is to come with my Peace Corps service. Helping him pack and
throwing him a going away party were all thrown in the mix there as well. He
left just two days before I found out my departure date – he really wanted to
be there for that so I took a video of me opening the BBP!!
For
some time it was hard to believe this was all happening. Too much change in too
little time. Who knew that as we rung in the new year with appetizers and
cocktails at a popular downtown bar, that all this was coming!
We have
all been spending time together, mostly bonding over packing lists, furniture
and give away items and at times I try to escape to my brothers apartment to
just chill. For now I will continue to find peace in organizing my things,
running, meditation and getting excited for adventures in the DR!!
I'll take this opportunity to share other 2012 adventures!
ICELAND - February 2012!!!
Bill and I wanted to cross something off our bucket lists prior to possible separating for 2 years so we decided to explore the glaciers of Iceland. We hiked up a glacier (first thing on my bucket list), witnessed and awed at the Northern Lights (first thing on Bill's bucket list), swam in the blue lagoon, road tripped it to find beautiful waterfalls and landscapes, witnessed the geyser's, and found an inactive volcano to climb!!
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| After a swim in the Blue Lagoon |
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| Me in the Blue Lagoon - incredible experience |
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| I don't feel this requires any explanation... |
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| Getting our Glacier Hike on!!! |
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| Capital City - Reykjavik |
MEXICO!! April 2012
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| Exploring Tulum |
Bill and I took a trip to Mexico to learn about the Mayan ruins inThe Mayan Riviera. We stayed at a small hotel in Playa del Carmen. We Took tours of Tulum - Mayan ruins on the water and Coba - the only ruins in the jungle in Mexico and the highest pyramid you can climb of the ruins. We took the ferry to Cozumel where we rented an moped and rode the perimeter of the island stopping at beaches and taking our time exploring! thanks to bill for being coordinated enough to maneuver it for both of us!
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| Tulum - Ruins on the Carribean Water |
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| Climbed the tallest Mayan Pyramid in Coba |
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| MoPed in Cozumel, Mexico |
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| One of many stops on our ride around the island of Cozumel |
Happy Reading!!!!
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