A Breath of American Air

Hello from Dallas, my layover before Japan! My stay at home was brief but sweet after a truly unforgettable time in Costa Rica with some of my oldest friends. More later, but as I venture onto the next adventure, here is something eloquent and beautiful I found while relaxing along the beach. It's from "En(trance)" by Chris Arthur in The Best American Essays of 2009.

"Memory's version captures a truth about [place], not merely as it appears, but as it was felt, played in, dreamed of, as its lineaments intertwined and pulled on mine, delicately adjusting the sails of childhood to catch the breath of meaning that emanates from things - things that, to an adult's rigging, have only the unbreezy weight of the ordinary about them."

Bon Voyage

All possible essays are written for now and I'm packed up, ready to go. Yesterday night I drove to Chicago and this morning, I'm leaving for Costa Rica with the 515 Housies for a week. Then after less than 12 hours at home, I immediately fly out for my tour of Asia with JJB. We've dubbed it "Asian Invasion 2010" or AI2010 for short. I've been perusing photos I've taken of past trips and I am seriously so excited. I actually look through these when I'm feeling sad and they never fail to cheer me up.

Cusco, Peru

Berlin, Germany

Smoky Mountains, North Carolina

Blogging will be sparse and intermittent. But I will have lots and lots when I return on the 19th of August!

PS. My sister is leaving for Ghana (yes, that Ghana) the day before I get home from Costa Rica. We're sad that we'll just miss each other, but she will be doing some amazing things there. I assume my parents are simultaneously sick with worry and rejoicing their freedom. Wish us luck!

Stop Motion Goodies

 

I love stop motion videos. See? This one by Oren Lavie is so mesmerizing. Charming and sweet. The tune certainly doesn't hurt either.  Wouldn't something like this make a unique engagement announcement?

It reminds me of the Kindle commercial that I love so much. If you also like its song, you can actually download it for free from Amazon! Enjoy!

All The Faint Lights

Greetings again after a brief absence. A few balls are currently up in the air so life is a little harried right now. Here's Steve Moakler's All The Faint Lights for anyone else who might be needing a mid-July pick-me-up. The lyrics only get better and better.

Trapped inside my flesh and bones

But if I let go of everything

The stars compose a song to sing

A song for all the faint lights

Quotability

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

Anais Nin

Vintage Gold Details

Be still my fluttering heart.

A few of you may recall my arguably intense penchant for all things wedding from the summer of 2009 (Thanks, Mrs. Finley!). It's lessened considerably and I only regularly check my favorite wedding blog, Once Wed. There I stumbled on this wedding and fell in love with the dress which the bride purchased off the rack and then added these vintage gold details herself! I am such a fan of her vision and talent! Isn't this absolutely gorgeous? I also love weddings that use fun fabric held up by a clothesline as a backdrop for photos.

(photos via Once Wed)

Hyperbole and a Half

Perhaps some of you have already heard about this site, but Hyperbole and a Half is seriously hilarious. Allie pairs exaggerated depictions and MS Paint-style illustrations that literally make me cry with laughter. The pictures are so spot-on! And as the girl who used to be called "The Walking Hyperbole" in high school, I feel like Allie and I might have been great friends. These are some of my favorites:

from a story about a fish

from a story about health

from a commentary on grammar