"You gotta do what you gotta do"

Food. Food is something that I am definitely not picky about and to think of one specific experience with it is not an easy task for me. However, I do remember one shocking experience with food when I was in Monaco, a small country right next to France. 

When you think of duck, duck, goose what do you think of? Most people would say they think of the childhood game where you pick a "goose" to chase you around in a circle. Perhaps some would think of a pond or a yellow beak. You would think that rarely could someone come up with a negative connotation for duck, duck goose. Well, I am unfortunately the rare occasion. Every time someone brings up that game; or points out a duck/goose in a pond, I am the small percentage that has the ability to automatically think negative.Why? Because of one small experience in Monaco that changed my life.

Going to Monaco was not only a vacation, it was also a business trip for my friends father who was nice enough to let me join them on this luxurious adventure overseas. Never before had I been treated like such royalty until arriving at Monaco. We took limos everywhere, stayed at the best hotel in the country, and got wined and dined almost every day.

One night my friends father had to take clients out for dinner, which was of course at one of the fanciest restaurants in the surrounding area. We arrive at this place and quickly realize this is no ordinary restaurant, we were preparing ourselves for a five course dinner, something I have never experienced. We get our first plate. To my surprise, the portion of soup I was given was small enough to have a slurp and it was something I had never tasted before. To be polite, I ate everything that came my way, including the third entree. Now this was something I had never tasted before. Not only had I never tasted or seen anything like this food, but the waiters at the restaurant spoke french, and only french. Asking them what they were serving me was out of the question and asking anyone at the table would have been rude. So what did I do? Ate this disgusting, horrid and smelly dish, hoping it wasn't anything I would regret.

The dinner ended and so did this five course extravaganza. We got back to the hotel and finally it was just my friends family and me. Her parents were like my second set of parents. They knew everything about me and I knew everything about them. Feeling awkward asking them about dinner was out of the question and were the first words that came out of the mouth once we departed from the client.

So what was this horrid smelling, disgusting third course I had? DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE! Never again will I think of these animals the same way or the game. The family and me had to laugh when it was all said and done. "Going to another country is all about new experiences," her father said laughing. They didn't like the duck or goose either, but when it comes to business, "you gotta do what you gotta do,"- her father.

The Peak of my Bodies Exhaustion or the Peak of my Minds Exhaustion?

Never in my twenty-two years of living have I experienced some activity where I completely forgot about life, who I was, where I was, and how absolutely exhausted I was. This was true until my visit to Jackson, NH, where my boyfriend's family has a vacation home. New Hampshire, through my eyes, before this springtime adventure was skiing, snow shoeing, sledding, etc. Hiking was a word in my vocabulary that was very rarely used, nor did I ever associate it with New Hampshire.

This adventure started the night we arrived at their vacation home where we  began looking through a book of trails to see which ones were a good fit (or not). Halls ledge seemed to be on the easier side and only a short three miles to the top didn't seem like a bad idea.

This bad idea didn't seem so bad until we were on mile 1.5 and my legs felt like they could collapse at any moment. This was a numbness I have never felt before, almost as if my muscles have never felt such strain. The only thing I was focused on throughout the entire hike was my next exhausting step and if I could see the top. After about every five steps I would stop, take a break, and tell my boyfriend and his dad that I felt like I could die. With each step they tried to comfort me, telling me I CAN DO IT and I just brushed it off and kept angrily walking.  I felt my heart beating in every part of my body, especially my head. I felt dizzy, light headed, and very weak. This was a three mile hike I should have never signed up to do.

View of Mt. Washington from the top of Halls Ledge Trail

However, despite all my complaints and sensations during the hike, seeing the peak of the mountain is a feeling ecstasy and adrenaline. Although I wish I had some of the pictures from the top saved on my computer, the picture above is the exact view we saw at the top. The amount of emotions I felt at the top was something I couldn't describe. Exhausted, happy, free-minded, as if nothing else in the world mattered at that moment except for the view. Looking back on the hike, I felt something I truly have never felt before. For those three hours I didn't think of one worry I had, what work I had to do, food I had to eat, water to drink, and most importantly no technology surrounding me except for my camera and taking in the beautiful views and smells of nature. My brain was empty in those three hours and the amount of exhaustion I "suffered through" helped with this emptiness I felt.

Now how often can you honestly say your brain is in a total state of relaxation. Pretty hard to do these days. I can actually say I successfully accomplished this task and found that it is possible to get away from this hectic world we live in. It's pretty amazing the power nature, fresh air, and exhaustion can have on you over any man-made object.

"Medvegas"? Medvegas!

I'm sure you are all wondering what exactly "medvegas" means or where it is. I was born and raised in Medfield, Massachusetts and loved every second of it. When our grade headed off to college some groups of people decided to nickname our town "medvegas" because we considered this small town to be a Vegas in our eyes. The place we could go back to and be with our friends again and party like we did in high school. I'll never forget the first time going home after moving into URI. I felt spoiled being in a spot that was bigger than a eight by ten room. I had a shower where I didn't need to put on flip flops to get in. I had my own closet. The list of emotions I felt that first time I stepped into my house after being at college is endless.

Convenient Store in the Center of Medfield

 Sure the physical aspects of having a home to go back to can sometimes be highlighted a bit more after returning from a dirty, eight by ten room. However, the emotional part of being home was the greatest feeling in the world. Having my parents there to talk to(and of course cook me dinner). Having Sammy, my dog, greet me when I walked in the door as if he couldn't live without me. And of course my two older brothers, asking questions about school, dwelling on the fact that they can't go back.

One out of about three restaurants in Medfield

The day before I left for college was the most anxious I have ever felt. I Couldn't wait to move into school and get out of my house that I have lived in forever. All these thoughts changed when I went home for the first time and realized how welcoming home truly is compared to college. I sure didn't arrive at school with hugs, kisses, and a dog jumping all over me.

At home I'm comfortable, stable, loved, and most of all I am able to live in more than a single eight by ten room. At home I can look out my window to acres of land instead of buildings. I can walk downstairs and smell a home cooked meal. I mean honestly, who doesn't love home and everything about it?

URI !!!

This is a picture of the University of Rhode Island... where I currently attend school for my senior year:-(