I'm having a sad day

But it's ok... so I'm trying to remain positive. Here are 3 pictures that I took while in Paris last summer. I have them as 4 x 6 in one frame right now and it looks so good that I wanted to blow them up and make them big posters. So I did. I just ordered them last night and should get them in the next couple weeks. They'll be 11 x 14 and I am trying to figure out if I should get frames or what.




I think they might be a bit cliché, but whatevs, I like them.

One Year Older

I was being all sentimental and looking back on the past year and I realized that I have had A LOT going on. Last year I:

graduated with a college degree


went to Europe

got a new sibling


got my first apartment


got my first real job


chopped off about 8" of hair


went to New York for the 1st time


was accepted into my top choice for grad school


and managed to stay with my baby after about 2 years

All in all, I think I had an eventful and successful "year off." I'm really excited about starting grad school this year and I can't wait to see what 23 feels like and what fun things are in store for me! I have had so many close friends and family to help me get through all the changes and I want you to know I love you all!

My Trip to Portland, OR

Since I'm a fancy adult now, I got to travel for work! This past week I went to Portland, OR for a conference. Portland was gorgeous. It reminded me a little bit of Austin, except much more compact and with mountains. I know, it doesn't sound similar, but it really feels similar when you're there.

In case you need to know how far away Tipperary is...

These water fountains were all over the city. They're really pretty but I never tried drinking from them. They don't look all that sanitary.

There was art all over the city. I liked this one.

While there I got to visit with my Auntie Pat. She's my grandfather's older sister. She is in better shape than me and she just celebrated her 80th birthday!

Auntie Pat met Natalie and me for dinner when we got into Portland.


I went to her apartment the next day for lunch and got to see Auntie Jeanne too!

We stayed at the Hilton and the view from our room was GORGEOUS!!!!!! On Monday, my co-worker, Natalie, and I got to visit the Chinese Gardens.

It was so peaceful and all the flowers, architecture, designs, waterfalls, etc were incredible. I would have really liked to just hang out there the whole day. But I guess we were there for work or whatever.

I have more pictures up in my Picasa Web Albums so feel free to visit and look at them. I'd really like to go back again to visit and spend more time just hanging out in the city. All the people there were really friendly. We met a few crazies which was fun (I have stories to tell if you care), but for the most part the people were tripping over themselves to be nice and accommodating! I can't wait to go back.

I Hearted NY

So I went to NY last week to visit my wifey and had a blast. We went to Boston for St. Paddy's Day. It was too short but we had so much fun at Dick's Last Resort. Our waitress was a total baller and I had so much fun watching her be a "twat" (in her own words!).

Jasmine was such a great tour guide. I really enjoyed getting to see where she lives, meeting her fun friends, and trying to pretend like I'm not an old lady. J and her friends were "champs" and could stay out till like 6. Man I'm getting old. We went to the Gin Mill a couple times and had a lot of fun there. Here are some pics of the trip.

In Times Square. So fun!!!


The GORGEOUS view from the Staten Island Ferry


The ridiculously yummy paella at Havana


HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASMINE!!!!


J and her crazy friends celebrating Jasmine's birthday

The whole partying gang after a crazy night. We were eating some hotdogs that Ron insisted I have before I left NY. This was after we had already gone and eaten pizza! I just wanted to go to bed and take off my heels, in that order. They were really yummy though.

Thanks to J for sharing her bed and showing me around. I loved being able to spend time with her, talk about stuff that I can't talk to anyone else about, and for being such a great wife. Chica knows how to have a good time. I hope she had a good Spring Break and a GREAT birthday. I love you girl!

I missed my baby while I was gone though. He was very patient and understanding while I was gone. We didn't get to talk a whole lot and I really think he was just happy to have some free time and some peace and quiet while I was gone. But I know that he secretly missed me a lot.

I hope that's a preview of what's to come while I'm in grad school because it was a lot of fun. It makes me kinda want to go tour around Austin to see the stuff I never took the time to do. Anyone want to join me?

My Picture, My Thoughts

On this dreary, cold, wet, and rainy day, I thought this picture was so appropriate. This was taken from my cousin's window in Stockholm. There's not really much to say about it. It's beautiful and it makes me smile.

My Picture, My Thoughts

So since I am obsessed with pictures, I thought I would start posting a picture every once in a while that I took and really like or think is interesting.
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Some people that I've showed this picture to were disturbed by my love of it. I know cemeteries can be depressing or scary, but I didn't feel sad or weird when I entered the Kilbrin Cemetery. We visited with our Irish family in Cork and Nana walked in like she owned the place. She had no fear, no unnecessary reverence or pretense. She showed the graves of some of the Field family members. Our cousin, Michelle, said a few prayers by some of the headstones, but overall I was amazed by the beauty. It was a gorgeous day and we were surrounded by the overwhelming greenness of Ireland, but I couldn’t help but feel that the cemetery had its own kind of light. Nana wasn’t sad about visiting the graves of her deceased family members. She was excited to share their memory with Jessica and me and eager to pay her respects.

I’ve never wanted to be buried. I don’t mind other people wanting to be buried, but I feel like I would be taking up space. I know that it’s more for the people I leave behind, but it’s my life and my death and I feel like I should have a say in how it is celebrated or mourned. And if I am cremated and have my ashes spread somewhere, my family could visit that place. And depending on how many family members I have that care about me, they could spread my ashes in multiple places so they could visit me more easily. I’m all over the freaking place now when I’m alive, why not when I’m dead too?

Overall, I just really appreciate the way this cemetery made me feel hopeful about death. That sounds weird, but I guess I’m just so used to death being a depressing subject. I hope to someday be like my grandmother. She wants us all to throw a party and be happy when she dies because even though she will miss us and we will miss her, she will be in heaven and that is where she wants her journey to end. Death can be sad, tragic, unfair, and emptying. But I think it can also be beautiful, natural, relieving, and joyful.