Nicaragua

“Live in the present moment.” You’ve probably heard this phrase before…seems like a pretty basic concept right?!?!  But how often do we truly find ourselves there?  More often than not we are caught up in the day to day experiences we call life. We are influenced by others, whether it be positively or negatively and our interactions and experiences with them create ”moments.”  Life is a series of moments so it is important to make each one count….you with me so far??

I find my happiest moments when I am helping others, when I am surrounded by positive energy (i.e. positive people), when I am traveling, when I am surfing, ultimately when I am doing things I enjoy….

I was recently told that I should feel blessed for the experiences that I have had.  I am blessed, without a doubt.  Traveling has brought me  perspective and experience.  It has afforded me the opportunity to meet new people, experience new culture and provide nursing care to those less fortunate.  It has allowed me to step back from the “day to day” and truly enjoy being present.  It has allowed me to create these “moments” that are my life.

This last trip to Nicaragua was amazing.  The purpose of this trip was to surf and for me there is no better way to feel present.  When I am in the water I am happy, content. I am creating moments that I will remember for years to come.  As I reflect upon this year I feel fulfilled.  I feel fortunate. I feel blessed….  I can only hope that next year is just as amazing. 

Here are a few photos from our trip…enjoy!

San Juan del Sur

Catarina

San Juan del Sur

View from Christ on the hill

San Juan del Sur

Quality time with the locals

Rad sunsets in San Juan del Sur

The beaches!!!!!!!!!

“The road is long and in the end the journey is the destination.”

A brief encounter with the Pacific Northwest

This past week I got to travel up to the Pacific Northwest for the first time. A nursing conference in Seattle…sounds fun right?!?! Why not extend the trip a little, throw in a road trip to Vancouver and travel with one of your best friends (who also happens to be a nurse). Now we’re talking fuuun!! 

First stop Seattle….

There is something I love about being a tourist in another city, especially when it’s a fun city like Seattle.  In typical tourist fashion we hit the major attractions:  Pikes Place Market, the Space Needle, the original Starbucks, the Waterfront, & Kerry park. Fortunately Seattle is not very large and on foot we are able to see most of the city in a day and a half. Here are a few photos…

Pikes Market Place – Started back in 1907 this market is a great place to find local fish, fruit, coffee, wine & honey.  It has become a tourist attraction and is open year-round.

if you ask really nicely these fine fisherman will let you catch one of those lil guys

proud moment

Space Needle – This landmark was originally constructed in 1962 for the World Fair and now serves as one of Seattle’s top tourist attractions.  For &18 you can ride the elevator to the top and get a 360 degree view of Seattle.  Eating or drinking at the top is a little pricey and unless your starving I would recommend eating somewhere else around the city.

Kerry Park – This park is on the south slope of Queen Anne hill at the corner of 2nd Avenue W. and W. Highland Drive. On a clear day the view from the park encompasses downtown Seattle, Ellliott Bay, Bainbridge Island, the West Seattle peninsula and Mount Rainier.  We were lucky enough to hit Kerry Park on a good day and got to see Mount Rainier off in the distance.

Starbucks – The original Starbucks located on first & Pike, opened its door first in 1971. 

Vancouver – For a first time visit to this city we couldn’t have picked a more perfect time of the year.  It was overcast, cool & rainy most of our time in Vancouver, but it was still insanely gorgeous.  The fall colors were vivid and a stark contrast to the lush green that was scattered throughout the city.  Here are just a few pics I took on our walk along the Sea Wall en route to Stanley Park.

Wanderlust

By definition wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world. Hmm….sound like me?!? The more I travel the more I want to travel. I am itching to go somewhere exotic…warm water, good waves, delicious food. But time is money and I lack the two so I decide it’s time for a road trip. Road trips are simple right?!? Vehicle. Road. Go.

So here it goes….

Traveling along the coast of California with no real plans and no final destination I find I am completely and utterly at peace.  I am happy, content.  Cliffs, the ocean, redwood forests, fog and rolling hills all rolled into one.  A little surf, some camping, quality time with my amazing husband, endless opportunities to take pictures…sounds perfect right?!? We end up in Santa Cruz stopping many times along the way. 4 days, 1100+ miles…

Here are some pictures from my journey…….

essential

Morro Bay

A small fishing village located in San Luis Obispo.  Hoping for some waves, but settling for a picture of the big rock.

The Redwoods…..

Amazingly beautiful and TALL…Redwoods grow in a very narrow strip along the coast of California.  The strip is about 500 miles long and about 20-30 miles wide.  The area has frequent thick summer fog, moderate year-round temperature, and considerable winter rainfall. Redwoods can grow up to 350 feet and live for up to 2000 years. Impressive right?!?  Lucky enough to get a camping spot in Big Sur we were able to camp amongst these beautiful trees. 

Big Sur

This area includes approximately 90 miles of coastline and offers some of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen. 

McWay Falls

Located in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park this 80 foot waterfall flows year-round.

Pfieffer State Beach

A two mile hike from the road to get to this beach. Easy on the downhill, but straight hills on the way up.  For $5 you can park in the lot down by the beach.

Bixby Bridge

Historically important because it introduced automobile travel to Big Sur.  

Santa Cruz 

Steamer Lane

RESPECT THE LOCALS!!! Santa Cruz surfers are no joke.  The “lane” is by far the most famous surf spot in all of Santa Cruz.  Apparently it is the most dangerous spot to surf in Santa Cruz and people actually die out there on a semi- annual basis. Glad I’m reading this now…

My strategy…

Wait on the inside section. Be vigilant.  Wait for the bailout or the dude ripping it to fall off.  Paddle hard. Ignore ominous cliffs that stand two feet in front of you.  Work your ass off.  Try not to piss off the local chick that is paddling directly at you on every wave.  Don’t trip when a seal puts her/his face on your board.  Don’t be disappointed by wave count.

The road is long and in the end the journey is the destination….

Thailand in 10 days…

In Bangkok I might….

1. See the skyline

2. Ride in a tuk tuk

3. Visit The Emerald Buddha and the Royal Palace 

4. Go to a Muay Thai fight

5. See a cobra show

6. Eat street food/drink local beer

In Chiang Rai I would probably….

1. Live amongst a hilltribe

*A quick note about The Mirror Foundation (our connection to Chiang Rai and the hilltribes) - this organization helps villages/hilltribes in the northern mountains of Chiang Rai.  The hilltribes are denied Thai citizenship which denies them many fundamental privileges and rights that Thai citizens employ.  The mirror foundation sets up various projects and homestays throughout this region to help the hilltribes.*

entrance into the village

our home in the village

our room

school in the village

Akha Villager

Sunrise-Akha Village

In Chiang Mai I should….

1. Learn about thai culture  

2. Visit an elephant conservation center

3. Explore the city/go to the night bazaar

4. Go to the floating market

Things I learned while surfing in Bali….

1. If you want to catch a wave you should sit next to a local in the lineup, anywhere else is probably useless

2.  Breaks named lacerations, impossibles and racetracks are named that for good reason

3.  Surfing over shallow reef brings a whole new element to the game 

4.  When your boat driver hands you a shot of Arak you don’t say no 

5. When a local points at the horizon and whistles you should immediately paddle that way.   Ignore the fact that you see nothing coming.  You may still take the set to your dome

6.  Falling off the face of a set wave CAN and WILL give you whiplash

7.  Reef booties may look lame but picking reef shards out of your feet is more lame

8.  If you think you have this “surfing thing down”…go to Bali…chances are…you don’t

9.  Befriend your local Warung owner, buy a Bintang and eat whatever they make for you.  Leave your life savings in a basket by their store and it will be there when you get out of the water…no joke

10.  Walking down 600 steps to get to Nyang Nyang is definitely worth it

11.  The beaches really are beautiful in Bali….

Uluwatu~early morning

Dreamland

Uluwatu~sunset

Uluwatu Cave

Dreamland

Uluwatu Cave

12.  On your “off” day you should visit Ubud, ride bikes through the rice paddies & visit the monkey forest

 crazy monkeys…..

13.  Your a.m. surf report is obtained from the back of your motorbike

14.  A full moon (Purnama) has a lot of meaning in Bali.  It seemed fitting that this moon ended our stay in Bali

Christmas in Indiana

I miss the snow.  Of course I’m talking about the powdery, pristine, new stuff.  I miss the amazing feeling of waking up and experiencing a “blue bird” day.  By definition a “blue bird” day is a beautiful sunny day after an overnight snowfall. It’s a perfect snowboarding day with a clear blue sky, bright sun, and fresh snow.  This past week I got my blue bird day…the only thing missing was the snowboarding part.  If only there were moutains in Northern Indiana…..

This perfect day happened to be Christmas morning and like the stereotypical little kid at Christmas I was giddy with excitement.  Here are a few photos of our perfect Christmas morning.

Simple Beauty

White Christmas!!!

deer tracking Christmas morning…only in Indiana!!

cold morning on the lake

down south for the winter????

Santa Barbara, Surf & Stuff

This past weekend we took a road trip up the coast to Santa Barbara.  Santa Barbara is only 220 miles from San Diego, but has a completely different vibe.  Wedged between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, you get the best of both worlds.  We were hoping for an epic surf trip, but only scored surf our last day.  Santa Barbara can be a finicky place for surf because it often gets blocked by the channel islands. Although we wanted to surf all 3 days this actually allowed us to really explore Santa Barbara.  If you like beautiful beaches, amazing wineries and scenic hikes, this is your place. Our last day we got to surf Rincon.  I was extremely stoked, as I have wanted to surf this wave for quite some time.  The surf was a reasonable 3-4 feet with a mixed lineup of short and longboards.  The water was a chilly 55 degrees, but that didn’t stop us from surfing for a solid 3 hours.

Rincon Point is located just south of Carpentaria and is what you would consider a classic point break. The wave itself is created by the shape of the coast. Rincon is actually made up of 3 main sections. The Indicator, the Rivermouth, and the Cove. Rincon is at its best when it gets a large medium-long period W swell. If a swell is connecting just right it is possible to land a wave that connects for almost 300-350 yards and dumps you near the rocks by the highway.

Spot details:
Best swell direction: W (260-280 degrees)
Best Wind: NE-E, light Santa Ana or light and variable winds
Sea Floor: Rock…mostly cobblestones
Best Season: Late Fall through early Spring
Crowds: You can see it from the 101…there are lots of people on it when it is breaking. It can get outright ridiculous on medium to large swells.

my last wave of the day

Another beautiful place and surf break is Leadbetter. Leadbetter is located just north of Santa Barbara Harbor. This break was within walking distance from my friend’s house. Leadbetter is a mellow wave and needs the right angle, swell and tide for it to be a desirable spot. Here are a few photos of the area around Leadbetter.

These next photos were taken at the Douglas Family Preserve.  Talk about an amazing dog park!!! The park was made possible by a donation from Michael Douglas who named it after Kirk Douglas.  The Douglas Family Preserve is located on the Mesa and has spectacular views of the ocean bluffs.

Santa Barbara County is one of California’s premier wine producing and wine grape growing regions. The region is home to more than 90 wineries and some 27,000 acres of planted vineyards. The microclimates of the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valleys are uniquely suited to growing a wide variety of grapes, including Chardonnay, Syrah, and Pinot Noir. With warm, sunny days and cool evenings, these narrow valleys draw cool ocean breezes from the Pacific, a marine influence that keeps yields low and quality high. We were lucky enough to visit Gainey Vineyard (made famous by the movie Sideways). By the way Mr. Giamatti the Merlot was fantastic!!!! We also were lucky enough to score a private room and free tastings.  Here are a few photos from that excursion…

Guatemala

One of my favorite parts of traveling is experiencing new culture.  This trip afforded me that opportunity on multiple levels.  Living with a Guatemalan family I got to experience culture on an entirely different level.  Mari and Leo made us feel like we were a part of the family from the moment we walked through their door.  They spoke to us only in Spanish, which forced me to practice and learn, something I am extremely grateful for. We were lucky enough to celebrate Los Dias de Los Muertes with our host family.  We were beyond excited for the meal that Mari prepared….something that takes 3 days to prepare should be amazing, right?!?  Ummm, not when your talking about Fiambre.  13 meats in a cold soupy broth with pickled vegtables….sounds delicious right?!?  After our delicious meal we walk to the kite festival which is held once a year on this day.  Every day AFTER El Dia de Los Muertes we enjoy amazingly, delicious food prepared by Mari. She provides us with a cooking lesson one night (a priceless moment).  I will attach her recipe for Chile Quila’s at the end of this post.  Leo is an amazing man.  He feels like our granddad and prides himself on teaching us about life and the ways of the world.  He does this every night and yes he does it entirely in spanish.  I think our favorite moments in the household are those spent with Mari laughing.  She has a laugh that is contagious and it is fun to watch her.  For you ladies that were there, “locos in la calle”, “el burro”, and  ”el bebe de comida”….a few of the phrases that brought tears of laughter to our eyes.

*To see more of my Guatemala photos visit my website www.evanescentphotography.com I have also posted photos on facebook.*

Antigua

dinner with our host family

at the market in Antigua

on the streets of San Felipe

a definite art form

In addition to living in a Guatemalan household I also got to work in the culture.  Our week started out in a Mayan Clinic in Sumpango.  We ended the week working in an orphanage for mentally challenged children.  The ride to the clinic was an interesting one.  If you have never rode the chicken bus it is very much like a roller coaster.  A school bus, stuffed with at least 3 to a seat, the driver accelerating at every turn. I am happy to say that I can check this off my bucket list  Working in the clinic allowed us to see the simplicity of medicine.  This also became apparent in the orphanage.  With all of our fancy bells and whistles in the states, the fundamental principal of nursing remains the same.  The nurse’s there do the best they can with what they have.  I was inspired by their dedication and the work they do at the orphanage is “saint” worthy.

chicken bus

Mayan villager in Sumpango

Mayan woman doing laundry in Sumpango

We end our trip in Guatemala by taking a road trip to El Paredon.  We meet amazing new friends there, share delicious paella, adopt a dog and name him Diego, we sleep in mosquito nets and wake up to the sound of the ocean. AND…..of course, we surf!!!! The view from the lineup is something I will never forget.  We are in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a village, we are surfing and we are watching El Fuego, an active volcano smoke in the sky.  I feel extremely lucky.  These are moments that I will never forget.

yummy!!

sunrise El Paredon, Guatemala

Chile Quila

(i will do my best with this recipe, i watched mostly and i wrote half the instructions in english and half in spanish, also all ingredients are approximate)

Ingredients

Guisquil (1-2 large)

Roma tomatoes (10 or so)

olive oil

salt

queso fresco (sliced)

eggs (3)

flour (tbs or so)

vegetable oil

water

Directions

Peel and slice guisquil, boil in about a cup of water for 10 minutes, add a dash of salt

Boil Roma tomatoes for about 10 minutes and drain.  (save water, it will be used in the next step)

Blend tomatoes in blender with 1/2 cup of water, a dash or two of salt, a tsp of olive oil and a little of the leftover tomato water. Put aside. This will be used as the topping at the end.

Place a slice of queso fresco in between 2 slices of guisquil

Using only the white part of the eggs, blend with a hand mixer until frothy.  Add yolks and blend slowing adding in about a tbs of flour

Oil pan, dip guisquil in batter, fully covering both sides, pan fry

Add sauce to the top of each guisquil after frying

YUMMY!!!!!!!!

El Salvador

A surf trip summary…..

1. wake up at 4:30 a.m., watch the sunrise, take some pictures

2. surf, swim in the pool

3. eat, then nap, stay cool anyway possible!!!

4. swim, surf again (if it’s not too windy)

5. eat, head to bed by 9 p.m.

-throw in a day trip to see the sights and an overnight trip to Las Flores and you truly have the perfect surf trip

Here are a few photos from our trip…will post more to facebook over the next week.

–Qi-x (El Tunco)–

Our home away from home…great people, awesome vibe, chill place (thank you Francisco!!!) I would highly recommend this place to anyone that is planning to stay in El Tunco!

I got to wake up to this every morning…I’m a lucky girl

–El Tunco–

A tranquil beach with a large rock that resembles a pig….full of surfers, backpackers and people from around the world.  If you’re looking for a true surf culture this is your place…..

–El Sunzal–

Apparently Sunzal breaks 365 days out of the year…if you’re looking for consistent surf, this spot is money.  The paddle out is pretty long, but so are the rides. We surfed Sunzal pretty much everyday.  A perfect right point break with rides that go on forever I consider this the best wave I have ever surfed. The lineup tended to be crowded with surfers of all abilities.  We were lucky enough to actually see Sunzal firing, it was 8-10 ft the last two days we were there. We were warned by the locals that when the surf was big the current was strong.  This became very obvious as I watched people paddle out and drift quickly east.  I was unsure whether or not I was going to paddle out, but after watching people go out and studying the wave for about a half hour we head out.  After 3 or so exhausting hours and a mild sunburn we decide to call it quits.  Our last day and one that couldn’t have ended better…damn I’m gonna miss that wave.

Unfortunately none of these photos do this wave justice!!!!  I preferred to ride this wave, not take pictures of it But I promise you if you like a right point break and you like a long ride, this wave is PERFECT!!

–La Bocana–

A fierce left, fast, steep, and barreling on a good day….a great photo spot because the wave broke very close to the beach.  A favorite of the locals and firing our last two days in El Tunco.  8-12 ft at low tide…

–Las Flores–

Well worth the 2 1/2 hour drive from El Tunco!!! A completely deserted surf break, surrounded by jungle and absolutely breathtaking. We stayed at a small hostel/surfcamp with a few other guys from the states that were all there for the coming swell.  Our dinner was fresh fish, rice and a salad cooked by the locals, $3 for our dinner and $15 for the night.  Our room resembled a cell in Alcatraz, but the view was priceless. The night we arrived the surf was small, but the swell came in overnight and Las Flores was a perfect barrel by morning.  The a.m. lineup (5 a.m.) had at least 25 guys, all extremely GOOD surfers,  I truly consider myself lucky to have caught “A” wave there.  With no chance of catching a wave at the peak (a 7’6″ just won’t make the cut I had to wait on the inside section and find a wave without a guy on it already…haha good luck with that!!

Our place for the night….

The boat heading to Punta Mango

--Lake Coatepeque–

One of the “new” 7 wonders of the world–truly breathtaking!!!!

–Volcanos–

Amazingly beautiful and still active, here are a few of the volcanos that we saw.

–Coffee Plantations–

–Tazumal Ruins–

Part of the Mayan Ruins, this is merely the top of the pyramid.  The ruins lay in the middle of a small town and the people still actively dig to try to uncover more of this amazing site.

San Francisco

I spent this past weekend with 12 girls in what I consider one of the most amazing and beautiful cities.  12 girls???? …bachelorette party of course! I am a wanderer by nature AND I am also unable to sit still for any length of time (some might consider this borderline ADD). Soooo as much as I wanted to wait for the other girls to wake up each morning I found myself on my own exploring this great city.  My wandering led me to phenomenal coffee shops, french bakeries and some of the most unique neighborhoods.  I found myself exploring with Lina most afternoons, as it is utterly impossible to keep 12 girls together for an entire weekend. We talked to random strangers, wandered through the ghetto and projects, got drooled on by the homeless, met some of the nicest locals (yay Bill!!!) and laughed at my clumsiness…A LOT!!  My sense of direction is terrible and without Lina I surely would have gotten on the wrong bus  at least once (probably a lot more).  Lina and I travel the same….we leave early and come back late.  The house we rented merely a place to keep our suitcases.  Each evening we met up with the rest of the girls and got ready for the night. Kinda made me miss having roommates for a minute…getting ready is a lot more fun with 11 other girls  We went to some amazing restaurants, my favorite a tapas place that put Cafe Sevilla to shame….sorry, I love Cafe Sevilla, but it did.  The last night we had a serious wine and cheese spread and had a little lingerie party for the bachelorette, Colleen….your welcome Bruce!!

The weekend left me with amazing memories, love for a wonderful city, and as always the yearning for more travel.  Here are a few of the photos I took…

Chinatown….

Randomness throughout the city

Haight and Ashbury  (one morning I decided to look for and only photograph murals around this neighborhood) Here are a few…

a beautiful city…

people….

Lina….in the zone!

inside my favorite little coffee shop…

our home for the weekend…