Ladies and Gentlemen...
I have done something many have done before me.
I have experienced something I once believed to be foolish and dirty.
I have lived in a new way.
I have been camping!
Yes, I was a camping virgin before this past weekend, and let me say, it sure felt good! I had been once before with my family years ago, but it wasn't real camping... more like playing the game " just the tip." Yeah, it doesn't really count, but you still have to mention it.
Many people have asked that after living in beautiful NM how had I not been camping before- that it was bizarre. My response: "Ugh, bugs, duh!" I"m not a cutesy gal with painted nails and worried about getting my hair wet, but nature and I haven't always gotten along. I approached the decision that I was grown up enough to be keen with mother earth and got my behind to Ute lake and did some camping! Yes, there were tents and sleeping bags and lanterns, oh my! There were 30 packs of beer, and hot dogs, and jet skies galore. There were friends and sunblock, and sunburns, too! Unfortunately, there were no s'mores...thanks a lot fire ban.
And you bet I didn't even shower. Yes friends, I was a dirty stinky camper with crazy hippie mandles (the Jesus Stomper kind, very REI), and loved every minute if it. I sort of prefer peeing in bushes and behind trees; very rustic. I could have gone without the trillion other campers who all seemed to have young offspring on Saturday, but after a beer or 8, it didn't matter.
Because of my new found affection towards the wilderness, The Boyfriend and I have decided to take a detour on our road trip to VEGAS and conquer The Grand Canyon. (Mandles will be necessary). We may swing on to Laughlin post sight seeing and do some pre gambling before we hit Sin City...assuming we both don't have 3rd degree burns from the wondrous earth's crack! I tried combining camping and Grand Canyon and suggested we throw the kibosh on a hotel and just pitch the tent (and by we I do mean I will watch Man set it up), and then I realized drinking on The Colorado River surrounded by millions of tiny flashing neon lights would be much more fun than sleeping shore side by lantern light. I think that this may be more cammperriffic than I am prepared for.
Conclusion: Camping is fun when surrounded by friends, lake, food, and leisure activities such as drinking and throwing water balloons. Camping at National Parks is way out of my comfort zone and may result in ugly sunburns and crying.
I'll post a hot picture of the Mandles soon. (Of which I was very apprehensive about purchasing for reasons of shallowness and being too vein to wear them- I caved)
Hasta Luego
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Responsible Gin
I'm Courtney and I'm a Blog-Aholic.
I came to a conclusion at about 5 this morning when I awoke to find all of my clothes still on, my eyes on fire from desert like contacts, and the faint smell of gin leaking from my pores. To me this seems rather normal, however, when I got up, instead of regretting the final gin cocktail, I chuckled to myself wondering who turned my lights off and my fan on. (Thank God for younger sisters). The problem I ran into after consuming a gallon of water and reminiscing about my evening was not that I became too intoxicated to take off my own pants, but rather I was thinking about how I could fit this into blog format.
I was pleased to set a good example and elated to know that I chose to drink to excess in a responsible manner. I actually kept it quite tasteful and paced myself. The downfall came when my sister called and offered to pick me up. Almost immediately my drink was full and I was safely on my way to Hammered-Ville.
After arriving home thanks to the 17 year old sister who relieved me from my bad habits, I decided it was a fine idea to make a phone call. Sadly, the person on the receiving end of the line did not care to hear about my responsible drinking. Shortly after that, my sister has just informed me that I passed out- one foot on the floor, one arm above my head, definitely drunk-passing-out-pose!
The most exciting part of my shenanigans is that currently I am sitting around drinking coffee and am headache/ hangover free. I was positive that aging and excessive drinking did not go hand in hand, yet I have been proved wrong- and I like these results!
So even though I have apparently matured, it's obvious not by much because here I am ranting and raving about a drunken escapade like I'm a freshman in college! The only thing this blog needs is a self important "Myspace" pic.
Cheers
I came to a conclusion at about 5 this morning when I awoke to find all of my clothes still on, my eyes on fire from desert like contacts, and the faint smell of gin leaking from my pores. To me this seems rather normal, however, when I got up, instead of regretting the final gin cocktail, I chuckled to myself wondering who turned my lights off and my fan on. (Thank God for younger sisters). The problem I ran into after consuming a gallon of water and reminiscing about my evening was not that I became too intoxicated to take off my own pants, but rather I was thinking about how I could fit this into blog format.
I was pleased to set a good example and elated to know that I chose to drink to excess in a responsible manner. I actually kept it quite tasteful and paced myself. The downfall came when my sister called and offered to pick me up. Almost immediately my drink was full and I was safely on my way to Hammered-Ville.
After arriving home thanks to the 17 year old sister who relieved me from my bad habits, I decided it was a fine idea to make a phone call. Sadly, the person on the receiving end of the line did not care to hear about my responsible drinking. Shortly after that, my sister has just informed me that I passed out- one foot on the floor, one arm above my head, definitely drunk-passing-out-pose!
The most exciting part of my shenanigans is that currently I am sitting around drinking coffee and am headache/ hangover free. I was positive that aging and excessive drinking did not go hand in hand, yet I have been proved wrong- and I like these results!
So even though I have apparently matured, it's obvious not by much because here I am ranting and raving about a drunken escapade like I'm a freshman in college! The only thing this blog needs is a self important "Myspace" pic.
Cheers
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Bienvenidos Estados Unidos
Hello America!!!
It is true, I have returned! I was welcomed to The States with a lovely 10 hour layover in DC while holding tight to what I thought may have been Swine Flu. I somehow managed to inherit a massive viral fungus that felt like it was eating away my insides. Nothing tops off a 10 hour layover like a 10 hour flight with explosive bowel movements. Too much info? I think not! To be quite honest, I am not exactly sure how I was let into this secure country we call The United States, seeing that other individuals were being scanned via inferred light to check for high temperatures. Lucky for me, I purchased an array of drugs similar to the mix of Vicodin and Cyanide. As a matter of fact, I believe I floated onto the plane.
After becoming acquainted again with American culture...IE Starbucks and obesity, I crashed out with the return of my fever on some chairs located near gate D17...also known as gateway to Beijing, and survived my 10 hours in the airport.
Sadly, I do miss the South American world I was living in, yet, it was refreshing to watch television in English and actually understand everything that was going on in customs. I decided that I have about 2 months where I can use the line "I just got back from Argentina" before it stops becoming true and I have to actually get a job. In the meantime, I have begun to visit some old friends, travel around NM, and I will even make my way to Vegas for a wedding. (No, not my own). I'm planning on living off the little savings I have left, mooching off my parents, making several trips to the lake, drinking cheap champagne and tasty gin, allthewhile (one word?) keeping up with this Blog. I may even try and seduce the loan office where my student loans are to be payed. Apparently if people are late on payments, these people get turned over to the collection agency...Boo!
So stay tuned for more awkward updates on life in The States, living with the fam, and my continuous yelling at dogs in Spanish!
It is true, I have returned! I was welcomed to The States with a lovely 10 hour layover in DC while holding tight to what I thought may have been Swine Flu. I somehow managed to inherit a massive viral fungus that felt like it was eating away my insides. Nothing tops off a 10 hour layover like a 10 hour flight with explosive bowel movements. Too much info? I think not! To be quite honest, I am not exactly sure how I was let into this secure country we call The United States, seeing that other individuals were being scanned via inferred light to check for high temperatures. Lucky for me, I purchased an array of drugs similar to the mix of Vicodin and Cyanide. As a matter of fact, I believe I floated onto the plane.
After becoming acquainted again with American culture...IE Starbucks and obesity, I crashed out with the return of my fever on some chairs located near gate D17...also known as gateway to Beijing, and survived my 10 hours in the airport.
Sadly, I do miss the South American world I was living in, yet, it was refreshing to watch television in English and actually understand everything that was going on in customs. I decided that I have about 2 months where I can use the line "I just got back from Argentina" before it stops becoming true and I have to actually get a job. In the meantime, I have begun to visit some old friends, travel around NM, and I will even make my way to Vegas for a wedding. (No, not my own). I'm planning on living off the little savings I have left, mooching off my parents, making several trips to the lake, drinking cheap champagne and tasty gin, allthewhile (one word?) keeping up with this Blog. I may even try and seduce the loan office where my student loans are to be payed. Apparently if people are late on payments, these people get turned over to the collection agency...Boo!
So stay tuned for more awkward updates on life in The States, living with the fam, and my continuous yelling at dogs in Spanish!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Traveling Adventures
My big plans to note every detail of my traveling fell through, due in part to long bus rides, lack of Internet service in rural areas, and naturally, booze. I feel now that it is my duty to share with you the divine experiences I have had on my 15 days of travels. Ill run over the main points as to not bore anybody, however, I hardly believe you'll snooze through this.
Mendoza
So Lara and I got on a bus and headed to Mendoza, land of wine! (This really should be enough said). Upon arriving, we met 2 very fun guys from the UK. Yes, their accents and striped manties (not to be confused with panties) entertained us for most of our days. There was a bike riding wine tour, which oddly enough did not turn in to the incident I had predicted, nevertheless, that same evening, Lara and I snuck( or is it sneaked?) into an Asado and ate our weight in Beef and Chorizo, and drank our livers sick. It was until after reviewing the 900 thousand photos on my camera that I realized what fun we REALLY did have. May I say, there were also free tequila shots involved....And I thought I matured after college!
Other than that, I also rode a horse through the Andes, Went to the Grand Canyon wannabe of Argentina, had a brief love affair with a leather jacket, danced on a stage, and managed, with the help of Lara, to score free nights at the hostel we were staying in, a few bottles of wine, and defeated any and all hangovers!
After liver shanking, we went up north and spent a day and a half in a place not blogworthy. Though I did whip out the trusty LICE SHAMPOO! Oh yes friends, it finally happened! And believe me, it was just as disgusting as you are imagining. Ill spare you the details but I will say that the people we traveled to this remote place with who ended up being complete jerks with heinous smelling feet may have a party in their hair in the next few weeks. Suckers!
Chile
I forgot to mention that Lara got sick while we were in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre type town and actually had the balls to go to the doctor. Everything went well and she left with all of her internal organs intact...and she even loaded up on some pain killers (cha ching). We were off to skinny Chile. Arriving at customs was a bit of a downfall when Lara, whose visa was expired, had to pay 300 AR pesos. I figured we were on a roll and we could just slide by, so I put on the cute American-Girl-Batting-Eyelashes-Charm...Didn't work. They had NO sympathy. What was I thinking, this isn't a crafts fair where I can barter my way down, this is border patrol. Shit, Lara is going to be deported! Even worse, we didn't have the money and there was no ATM located in the Andes Mountains...(Which were absolutely stunningly beautiful). The Bus driver who fancied Little Miss Germany forked it over and insisted she pay him back upon arrival in Santiago. Luck was on our side. So, other than being raped of her money and breathing through the thick blanket of smog Santiago wears so well, it was the most amazing time. We ate fresh sea food, we drank delicious wine, and the people we met were unforgettable. We even caught up with Niall and Jono (said like Bono) kids from the UK and had a very festive time. There may have been a point where a hammock got ripped, a lesson on how to blow smoke rings was given, and towels got stolen, but it sure was good fun. And yes, the English really do drink THAT MUCH tea.
We made a day trip to Valparaiso and Viña Del Mar. I got attacked by the Gypsies. They just came up to me and said, GIVE ME MONEY. Nice approach hooker, but Ive got empanadas and beer to buy...out of my way!
The tour we went on was weird and im sure the guide was drunk, but we still had fun. Only downfall was that we had to spend our day with a tag along who spoke no Spanish and said stupid things. She was surprised no one spoke English in Chile and really had that awkward tourist charm going on. I considered slapping her across the face with a nice Chilean Sea Bass. (Instead, we ate the tasty fish and lost our troubles in wine and other native cocktails).
Currently I am in BA. I thought I would take it easy and not spend too much dough, maybe read a raunchy novel....WRONG! Again I met some great individuals and we decided to go out and eat Steak. We went to La Cabreras where its said that you can slice the KOBE beef steak with a spoon. It was delicious and worth every penny...or peso. I will be smelling of garlic for the next 3 days, but this too, I am okay with.
Ill stop here so you can give your eyes a break, but please believe there is more coming your way!
Mendoza
So Lara and I got on a bus and headed to Mendoza, land of wine! (This really should be enough said). Upon arriving, we met 2 very fun guys from the UK. Yes, their accents and striped manties (not to be confused with panties) entertained us for most of our days. There was a bike riding wine tour, which oddly enough did not turn in to the incident I had predicted, nevertheless, that same evening, Lara and I snuck( or is it sneaked?) into an Asado and ate our weight in Beef and Chorizo, and drank our livers sick. It was until after reviewing the 900 thousand photos on my camera that I realized what fun we REALLY did have. May I say, there were also free tequila shots involved....And I thought I matured after college!
Other than that, I also rode a horse through the Andes, Went to the Grand Canyon wannabe of Argentina, had a brief love affair with a leather jacket, danced on a stage, and managed, with the help of Lara, to score free nights at the hostel we were staying in, a few bottles of wine, and defeated any and all hangovers!
After liver shanking, we went up north and spent a day and a half in a place not blogworthy. Though I did whip out the trusty LICE SHAMPOO! Oh yes friends, it finally happened! And believe me, it was just as disgusting as you are imagining. Ill spare you the details but I will say that the people we traveled to this remote place with who ended up being complete jerks with heinous smelling feet may have a party in their hair in the next few weeks. Suckers!
Chile
I forgot to mention that Lara got sick while we were in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre type town and actually had the balls to go to the doctor. Everything went well and she left with all of her internal organs intact...and she even loaded up on some pain killers (cha ching). We were off to skinny Chile. Arriving at customs was a bit of a downfall when Lara, whose visa was expired, had to pay 300 AR pesos. I figured we were on a roll and we could just slide by, so I put on the cute American-Girl-Batting-Eyelashes-Charm...Didn't work. They had NO sympathy. What was I thinking, this isn't a crafts fair where I can barter my way down, this is border patrol. Shit, Lara is going to be deported! Even worse, we didn't have the money and there was no ATM located in the Andes Mountains...(Which were absolutely stunningly beautiful). The Bus driver who fancied Little Miss Germany forked it over and insisted she pay him back upon arrival in Santiago. Luck was on our side. So, other than being raped of her money and breathing through the thick blanket of smog Santiago wears so well, it was the most amazing time. We ate fresh sea food, we drank delicious wine, and the people we met were unforgettable. We even caught up with Niall and Jono (said like Bono) kids from the UK and had a very festive time. There may have been a point where a hammock got ripped, a lesson on how to blow smoke rings was given, and towels got stolen, but it sure was good fun. And yes, the English really do drink THAT MUCH tea.
We made a day trip to Valparaiso and Viña Del Mar. I got attacked by the Gypsies. They just came up to me and said, GIVE ME MONEY. Nice approach hooker, but Ive got empanadas and beer to buy...out of my way!
The tour we went on was weird and im sure the guide was drunk, but we still had fun. Only downfall was that we had to spend our day with a tag along who spoke no Spanish and said stupid things. She was surprised no one spoke English in Chile and really had that awkward tourist charm going on. I considered slapping her across the face with a nice Chilean Sea Bass. (Instead, we ate the tasty fish and lost our troubles in wine and other native cocktails).
Currently I am in BA. I thought I would take it easy and not spend too much dough, maybe read a raunchy novel....WRONG! Again I met some great individuals and we decided to go out and eat Steak. We went to La Cabreras where its said that you can slice the KOBE beef steak with a spoon. It was delicious and worth every penny...or peso. I will be smelling of garlic for the next 3 days, but this too, I am okay with.
Ill stop here so you can give your eyes a break, but please believe there is more coming your way!
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