A Week in Photos: Week 17

As I said in my last "Week in Photos", I had been in a picture taking rut. This last week though, I was seeing new places and getting out of my typical box and thus, I have MANY photos to share! I hope you all enjoy!!

Sunday 4/21: So if you've read my blog at all, you know I'm a book fanatic. Two things are happening in this photo that I'm wanting to point out. 1) My boyfriend is reading a book. This never happens. The last book I think he read was The Giver. In like second grade. This is a miracle. 2) I have found out that my boyfriend is the worst thing you could be as a human: a book bender. I will never loan him a book for as long as I live. This is an act against humanity. No spine or page should ever be bent this way!! I was so appalled that I had to take this picture. A little part of me dies every time I look at it.

Monday 4/22: I saw a picture on Instagram the other day that I knew I had to copy when I was flying out to Florida. My sorority sister Jamilynn took a "What's in my Bag" picture before heading to Europe which had gorgeous composition and I felt like I needed to do the same. These were just some of the things that I took in my bag with me to the East Coast.

Tuesday 4/23: In order to get to Orlando at a reasonable hour, we had to fly out of Portland at a completely unreasonable hour. 6:00 AM flight meaning 4:30 airport arrival meaning 3:30 wake up. It was a painful day. But, it was the first time Ryan and I have flown on a plane together, so of course that meant we had to snap a photo!! This is as good as she gets.

Tuesday 4/23: I think like anyone who flies, I get majorly anxious that we're going to miss our flight and end up having to spend a lot of time and money trying to correct the mistake. I wind myself up and get into panic mode when really, everything is fine. Over the years, I developed some inflight traditions to help me unwind from the pre-flight panic attack. For me that includes tomato juice and sprite (or ginger ale if they have it). There is something soothing about this combination for me even though I don't drink these beverages at any other time.

Wednesday 4/24: Even though my internal clock must have been way out of whack, I still managed to get up at 7:30 AM the morning after our flight. I knew that I had until 1:00 PM when my training started, so I took full advantage of sitting by the pool. I spent all morning reading The Princess Bride, communing with the wildlife (lizards and squirrels) and warding off amphibians (literally a snake 3 feet long and black as sin slithered through the pool area, close to families and children). It took a while to get used to the natural inhabitants of Florida, but I was able to find some peace and some sun.

Wednesday 4/24: For those of you who have been to Orlando before, our hotel was situated in the Lake Buena Vista area. For those of you who haven't, it basically means we were on Disney's doorstep. There is an area of the Disney Resort that is called "Downtown Disney" which is home to restaurants, shops and gimmicks galore, so naturally we had to check it out. Upon arrival, the first (and only) thing that Ryan noticed was that there was a Lego store. My 25 year old boyfriend is still such a kid at heart. So upon entering the store, he started (literally) squealing like a little girl when he saw the Lego Death Star. Not only is my boyfriend a child, but he is way into Star Wars. This is him oogling said things:

Wednesday 4/24: Ever since Disney acquired LucasFilm (yes, I know that random Star Wars trivia thanks to the character pictured at the left), Ryan has been obsessed with looking at the things Disney is producing. This Mouse-3PO that Ryan is donning is by far one of my favorite things. Both times this past year we have been year any of the Disney franchises, we have considered purchasing these. At almost $25 a pop though, we've decided to let that dream go and just live with the picture as if we did purchase them! Good enough for me.

Thursday 4/25: For the first time ever in my life, I got sent away for a business trip. The real reason I was in Florida to begin with was for a CARF 101 Accreditation Conference. For those who don't work in the Behavioral Health field, CARF is an international accreditation board that certifies outstanding health care facilities. With working at a brand new treatment center, my executive director has given me the title of Continued Quality Improvement Coordinator (CQI for short) and handed over the accreditation process to me. This will be a year long adventure that I'm sure will take up a lot of my time, some sweat and a few tears, but I'm excited to be implementing some solid changes to our newly founded treatment facility that will have the person served at the forefront of everyone's minds. This is a wonderful program and I can't wait to get started!

Friday 4/26: After three long days of all day training, it was time to cut loose. Before I left for Orlando, my clinical director, Mel, told me that there are gators in every lake around the Orlando area. She knew this from previous living experience. So for me, being from the PNW, it was like a game of Where's Waldo for every lake we drove by (which in Orlando is like thousands). I tried mating calls, doing the gator chomp with my arms like they do at University of Florida, and yelling out "chick-chick-chickennnnn!!!!" (because everyone knows gators love chicken) to no avail. I didn't spy a single wild gator. So naturally, as a tourist, I talked my party into going to GATORLAND!!! And naturally, as a tourist, I got to sit on a half-dead-tranquilizered-up-gator. This picture ensued:

Friday 4/26: Apparently Gatorland has been around since the dawn of time, or like 1977, which is why they have this HUGE stucco gator mouth out in front of their establishment. By no means is this the most technologically advanced, coolest gator mouth you have ever seen, but this thing has some history on it, so of course Ryan and I had to get a picture to prove we were there.

Saturday 4/27: In order to get ready for the big day we had ahead of us, I thought I would try to burn off some of the head cold that somehow managed to take hold in my body. The times that I get to sit out at a pool early in the morning before anyone else is around is probably one of the most relaxing things for mind, body and soul for me. I'm at ease and at peace, the only thing that can enter in my subconsious at times like these is, "where is that mother #$%&ing snake!?!" Which then is quickly followed in my head by, "Snakes on a mother #$%&ing plane!" (welcome to my head).

Saturday 4/27: For those of you who don't know, I'm just going to put this out there in the open now: I love Harry Potter. I don't mean I've read the books once "love" and think they are a cute story, no. This is the kind of love where I have read every single book every summer since each came out and I know parts by heart. I have seen (and own) every movie countless times and can quote many lines and tell you where the books and movies differ. I have a Harry Potter related poster in our guest bedroom and always ask for at least one thing Harry Potter related for every birthday and at Christmas. It goes beyond love for me, it is a passion and club I'm proud to belong to, the Potterheads. So needless to say, when I first heard about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter way back when, I knew in my lifetime, I had to get myself there. This was one of those bucket list things. So the second I found out I was going to be able to go to Orlando for this training, I started figuring ways I was going to get to Universal Studios, I would have begged, borrowed and stolen to get there. I didn't care about anything else, just getting to the world of Harry Potter. This was my first magical glimpse of Hogwarts, the little girl heart in me started racing at this point. (Fair warning: All further pictures are Harry Potter related, I don't be offended if you stop reading now.)

Saturday 4/27: This is the view upon entering in the front gates at Hogwarts where the first ride is. Unfortunately, my love for Harry Potter forced me on to this ride (which tours you through Hogwarts) which is a simulator ride, which I know from previous Disney experience that I don't handle well (I almost puked on Star Tours, for real). Everything up to the ride experience was AMAZING though. It literally was like being in Hogwarts, everything I ever imagined. The line takes you through the greenhouses, a classroom, some of the Hogwarts hallways (with all of the talking/moving pictures on the wall), a common room and even the headmaster's office (for those in the HP know, they used the first actor (films 1-2) of Dumbledore as his portrait on the wall of the headmasters office as opposed to the actor who had been playing Dumbledore in the last films (3-8) which I thought was very curious). I thought this portrayal was very very well done, I loved everything about it.

Saturday 4/27: After another hellish experience on a simulator ride, I thought there would be nothing better than to cool down with a refreshing Butterbeer (for all of those who worry I had to change my sobriety date, no fear, Butterbeer is non-alcoholic). It's a delightful butterscotch drink that I would have on a regular basis if I could. Also at the Butterbeer cart, they were selling Pumpkin Juice, and further into the town of Hogsmeade, they sold Firewhiskey, which is actually an adult beverage.

Saturday 4/27: I have other pictures that show the town of Hogsmeade more, but this to me was so perfect. From the way the sign of the Hog's Head, a notoriously seedy joint, hangs off to one side, to the wood sign itself, this is really how I imagined it looking. I had a chance to peak my head in the Hog's Head, and of course it was actually a pub inside the theme park. Too perfect.

Saturday 4/27: They had a Hogwart's Express and a Platform 9 3/4. I died a little bit. It's perfect, the dreamlike quality this picture has, because it's literally something that is out of one of my dreams. I can't tell you how many times when I was reading the first and second books for the first time ever, I wished wizarding schools were actually real and that I would really be taken away on the Hogwart's Express. The world of Harry Potter seems so much simpler to me. No cell phones, computers or TV, it's about the real human connections and some kick ass magic. (Who am I kidding, I'd still like to get my Hogwart's letter in the mail!)

Saturday 4/27: After the magic of Harry Potter is over, they try not to let you down too hard at Islands of Adventure. You quickly travel to Dr. Seuss land where all of the Thing 1 and Thing 2 shirts I saw all week were being produced. Being in this place made me realize how truly deprived I was as a child. I think the only Dr. Seuss book I had growing up was One Fish, Two Fish. When I saw The Lorax this last year in theaters, that was the first time I had ever even heard of that story. Horton Hears a Who? Same thing. College was when I heard "Oh the Places You Will Go" for the first time. But after coming here, I've realized there is a whole world of good literature that I have missed out on! End rant. This is a picture of us amongst the Truffula Trees.

Saturday 4/27: And of course I had to get a solo shot because I think their reproductions of the Truffula Trees was spot on. And they're fun. And match my dress. Moving on.

Saturday 4/27: As a last ditch effort to find something to commemorate our time at Islands of Adventure, we stopped at a gift shop on the way out of the park. The only noteworthy thing was this Bob Marley rasta hat Ryan insisted on trying on. I don't know what Bob Marley has to do with Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, The Hulk or Dr. Seuss (other than I think Dr. Seuss and Bob Marley enjoyed some of the same substances), but this hat was there. And Ryan loved it.

Sunday 4/28: After a long day of traveling, Ryan and I were ready to get home to our little kitten squawks. Upon entering our abode, we found this precious sign hanging in our kitchen, it was something that was greatly appreciated and clearly made with love and care from our friend Jenn who watched our little gems while we were away!

Monday 4/29: And last but not least, this is a picture to depict how much our little fluff balls missed us. Last night, I went to sleep around 9:00 PM and was out COLD, ALL NIGHT! I never do that. It was some kind of personal record. That aside, I clearly didn't notice that I had a kitty laying on my pillow all night long until this morning when the alarm started going off. I took a couple of moments before starting my morning to give Marley some loves, since clearly he was lacking. It was a wonderful way to wake up.