Interesting Reads: Night Road

This book came as a slight surprise to me. My mom had borrowed the book from one of her friends and devoured it. I was lacking a book to take to work one day and my mom handed me Night Road. It was brilliant. It read like a young adult novel but dealt with adult feelings and decisions. 

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.
Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm’s way. It has always been easy-- until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.
On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.
Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, Night Road raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.

- Book Description

I enjoyed the writing style of this author and plan to read some of her other books in the future. I also enjoyed that it was set in Washington state. This made it very easy to identify with the setting and even, to some extent, with the characters themselves. The fact that the story spanned such a long period of time also made it easy to grow with the characters and their m8tivation behind some of their decisions. There were a few plot points towards the middle/end that I did not agree with but the author made them work with her storytelling.

Any new books you recommend? I'm always looking for an interesting read. 

Happy Travels!
-B 

Blogger Book Club: Me Before You

I had never heard of Me Before You by before Kay at The Best of Intentions named it the first read of the Blogger Book Club (BBC) read.  I am really glad I came across this when I did because it enabled me enough time to read the book as well as digest what had happened in it and think it through before writing out my thoughts. 

This was not a book I would have usually picked out to read but I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the dialogue that Moyes wrote and the depth that the characters had. The story was a little slow to start but it was beautiful. It showed just how much one decision and knowing one person can change our lives for the better or for the worse. 

I identified the most with the main character Louisa or Lou. She had become comfortable with her life and then was given a life change that she did not expect when the business she worked for closed. This left her floundering to find her calling in life. This was really the part of Lou that I liked most. She took what life gave her and made the most of it. 

The end of this book was slightly unexpected and throughout the story I required an occasional tissue. I am glad that I read this book which is out of my usual reading box. 

Bottom line: I recommend this book to everyone who wants a good read that requires them to think. What would you do in this situation?

 

As always... Happy Travels!

-Becca 

A Love Letter to My Grandma

Blogtember topic for the day: Write a public love letter to someone in your life. (It doesn't necessarily need to be romantic.)

Dear Grandma,

I know it has been a good long while since you have been gone and I miss you every day. You were always there for me when I was young. You were my best friend. I can't eat ramen noodles without thinking about you and there usually has to be cheese on top just so I can think about the many times we ate it the exact same way. My love of books and fairy tales is as strong as ever thanks to the books that you read me. One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes is still one of my favorite Brothers Grimm stories. I can still remember going to the library with you to pick out a new Faerie Tale Theater to watch as a special treat. (I now own the whole series on DVD and watch them when I'm feeling blue.) The same goes for Anne of Green Gables. I always can turn to Anne for advice and you're the one who first introduced her to me. There are so many things that you gave me that have influenced me into who I am today.

I wish you could have been there to see me graduate from High School and then graduate from College. I wish you were here so I could tell you about my life and see what you thought I should be doing. There is so much I wish we could do together but will never be able to do. 

I think you would be proud of me and everything I have accomplished. I would give almost anything to have just one more day with you. But I know you are in a better place and I know that you have given me strength over the years to better myself and to be a better person. I wish you could see me now. I know you can.

Grandma I will always love you. Now and forever. 

xoxo
-Becca

September Goals

Alright! I am going to take a whack at posting my monthly goals. I always operate better when I have goals but I always seem to forget about that fact. I'm ridiculous I know.

- Continue job searching (hopefully I'll find one soon)
- Plan a plausible vacation to go on while job searching 
- Stick with my Dopey Running Plan
- Simplify my life starting with my room
- Try to keep my life more organized
- Set mini goals to help achieve my monthly goals
- Pay it forward
- Read 3 Books
- Blog more regularly 

I think that is all for this month but we'll see how that goes. I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend and is starting to enjoy the fall like weather that seems to be wide spread. 

Happy Travels!
-B

Being Afraid

Prompt: A story about a time you were very afraid.

Blogtember

Afraid: (adjective) feeling fear or anxiety; frightened

Fear: (verb) be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening 

Being afraid is a really human response to many different situations. It is our fear that makes us aware and reactive. I find that when ever I am entering into a new situation that I find myself to be afraid or experience anxiety. Most recently I felt this when I picked up my life and moved to Florida. I went knowing only a few people and very little else. Having graduated last June I decided to apply for the Disney College Program. This had always been a dream of mine and to my excitement I was accepted and picked a move in date of August 29th. On August 28th I board a plan and flew to Orlando, Florida to wait in an airport for my future roommate. A girl I had only met online a few months before. It was the longest few hours of my life so far. I was sitting thinking about all the crazy stuff people tell you about meeting people online and about meeting them in person etc etc. Her plane finally got in and we officially met. (FYI: She wasn't a crazy person.) We then got on a shuttle to our hotel where we would continue to meet people we had met online and would be spending the next couple of months with. The next few days were filled with many new and exciting adventures but I was terrified. I was so scared that at any point someone would turn to me and say that I wasn't really meant to be there that I was a fraud and there had clearly been a mistake. (Yes I realize this is nonsense.) This moment never happened and I slowly realized that this is real life. Great reward comes with great risk (or great fear).

Great Reward Comes With Great Risk. 

Don't fear the future embrace it.

Happy Travels!
-B

Remember Who You Are

A Happy Morning to You!!

As part of Blogtember today I will be passing on some advice that I have always tried to live by. Now this might sound cheese but my...

I realize that this is from a Disney movie. However, it does not make it any less important or influential in my life. In the film (if you haven't seen it) Simba has lost his way and forgotten who is and where he came from. A vision of his father appears to him reminding him that he must take up his place as king and "Remember who you are."

It is important that no matter the situation that you always have your core self to return to, no matter what. People are always telling you to stay true to yourself and this is a great turn of phrase to help you remember what you are about. It also brings to mind the entire conversation between Simba and his father Mufasa in The Lion King. 

   


Mufasa's Ghost: Simba, you have forgotten me.
Simba: No, how could I?
Mufasa's Ghost: You have forgotten who you are, and so forgotten me. Look inside yourself Simba, you are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life. 
Simba: How can I go back? I'm not who I used to be.
Mufasa's Ghost: Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true King.

Remember who you are. 

Happy Travels!
-B

Be sure to check out others who are participating in Blogtember!

5 Places I Want To Go

Good Morning!

If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do?

If I could take off for three months with a moderate supply of money I would travel the world. I realize that this is a bit of cliche answer but I really would. I would love to see Europe in the winter. I would visit my friend in Germany and in England who I haven't seen in a while. I would also spend some of that time in the States visiting my friends who I don't get to see to often.    
There are 5 places that I am obsessed with that I would love to go to in that three months. Well there is probably more than that but I am attempting to limit myself to a reasonable number.

1. Paris - Yes I know this is a little cliche but I do really want to go to Paris. I want to see the Louvre and the Mona Lisa. I want to wonder through the streets and find some adorable little cafe. I just think it all sounds so magical especially after reading Eloisa James' Paris in Love. 

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2. Glacier National Park - Every time I have plans to go a hiccup always seems to arise that prevents me from going. One time it was a snow storm so the park was closed and the last time was because of lack of planning/time. I really want to see Lake McDonald and drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road. All of the pictures I've seen of it always look beautiful no matter how horrible the picture actually is. 



 
3. United Kingdom - I realize that this includes a huge range of places but I honestly want to go everywhere. I want to explore London, or go on a Harry Potter tour of England. I want to get lost wandering the streets of Edinburgh or to see Stonehenge. Ride the London Eye and see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. There is so much that I want to do that it would probably take me a couple different blog posts to write about it. (Maybe I'll do that at some point in the future.) 

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4. All Disney Parks - As many of you know I am a huge Disney fan, especially since I worked for them at one time. With the opening of Shanghai Disney here in the near future, my desire to visit all Disney Parks has only increased. I have all of the Disney Parks in the US covered. Now I need to make it to: Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney, Hong Kong Disney, and of course Shanghai Disney. 

I mean just look at this Castle!! It's absolutely gorgeous! Only Disney could come up with something so magical and at the same time functional. The other Castles are just as perfect for their park and the way it is set up. However, no matter how pretty the other castles are Sleeping Beauty Castle will always be my favorite (even if it is the smallest). 

5. Northern Lights - I want to see the Northern Lights. I have seen so many pictures of them and they are just breathe taking. I have a couple friends from Canada that have seen them multiple times that say they are awe inspiring. I believe that they would cause a person to stop everything and just ponder how much larger the world is than we really imagine. 


There will always be more places being added to this list. There is so much to see and experience in this world that no on person can do it all (though some have tried). Get out and explore! The world is only getting smaller.

As always, Happy Travels!!
-B

Who Am I? -Blogtember

For the month of September Jenni over at Story of My Life is hosting a blog challenge. This is the first time that I've participated in a blog challenge and I am rather excited about it. She has blog topics for every weekday between now and the end of September. It should be buckets of fun!

Today's topic is: Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.

This is more difficult for me than it really should be. I have a hard time answering direct questions about myself. I could tell you about:

• where my family historically comes from (Germany), 
• where we have lived over the last 100 years (Oregon), or 
• what my family means to me (everything).

Let's go with the last one.

My family is who makes me who I am. They are the most supportive people that I know and have supported me throughout everything that I've done, including my current unemployed state. Throughout the years they have allowed me to explore the world which has enabled me to explore myself. I love to do things by myself but I know that my family will always be there when I need them and will also catch me when I fall. 

I've been away from home before so my love of my family (and the Pacific Northwest) is real and true not just because I don't know anything else. 

Happy Travels!
-B

3 Anti-Job Hunting Activities (Or Why I Need a Job Soon)

The job hunting has slowed to a crawl. I'm trying to be optimistic but it can be rather hard in the face of all this rejection. My summer job ends after Labor Day and I would really like to have a job or something to do soon after that for three very important reasons. 
 
1. Pinterest... need I say more? I would spend way too much time searching for a new recipe that I would never use or a new craft that will never get done. Basically I like to think that I'm a crafty cook but in reality I would spend my day in a baggy t-shirt and running shorts if I was allowed to.

2. Netflix. I have a slight addiction to Netflix and their endless supply of TV shows to watch. My ever growing list of TV shows and movies is ridiculous. (Especially since I can watch Netflix while perusing Pinterest.)

3. Food. I enjoy cooking but when it's just me I tend to eat whatever is in the fridge/cupboard. This has led to interesting 'inventions.' Such as the oh so delicious pulled pork with brown rice that I had for lunch yesterday (not as good as it sounded when I made it). 

As you can see if left to my own devices for too long I would probably become one of those people you see on reality TV shows. This must not happen, for my sanity as well as for those around me. 

I am still working on finding other activities to occupy my time until I find a job but they don't seem to interest me quite as much as the three above activities. If you have any ideas or suggestions on what to do with my time I would greatly appreciate it.  

Let us hope for better days ahead. 

Happy Travels!
-B