Responding to the Refugee Crisis

On my way to work a couple weeks ago, I heard the breaking news of the truck found on the side of the road in Austria with  bodies of refugees inside.  I had caught bits and pieces of the refugee crisis before, but with this new wave of realization, hearing of these people who had been seeking safety left dead and disgraced, it brought on the compassion human suffering should arise in all of us.  The next week, the photos of the drowned refugee boy went viral.  A week after that, I talked with my husband about the crisis and how there's hardly anything we can do to help.  

A Syrian refugee girl in a temporary Hungarian camp
Photo by Michael Cassel via Vice News

Happy September!

Another new month and another new start!  What do you have planned for the next 30 days?  Here's what I'm most excited for.

My two favorites when we went hiking in Chattanooga this summer

#1 September 19th is when Doctor Who comes back in season 9!!  Woohoo!

#2 Okay, okay, I'm actually more excited to be going camping this weekend with my husband and our dog.  This will be our first time camping as a couple, and while I'm a little nervous about how Mako will handle everything, I've been trying to find advice on the best way to travel with him.  Let me know is you have any tips!
#3 My sister is getting her (very late) birthday present this month!  I'm taking to a tattoo shop for her first tattoo, a fern shadow on her foot.  Stay tuned for pics and stories!
#4 My dear friend Monika is getting married!  I love weddings, I love this girl, and I love that this great guy and girl are getting together!
#5 Also, our own anniversary will come up on the 14th.  We don't have any big plans, but we'll probably head to a nice restaurant for some delicious food (one of our favorite pastimes).

Recommended with Smitten Kitchen's One-Pan Farro

 I've found another go-to recipe, y'all!

via Smitten Kitchen

 A college friend posted the link on Facebook last week along with high praise, so I tried it after my next grocery trip.  I sliced some andouille sausage and cooked that separately then combined everything once all was cooked.  This stuff was delicious!  Hearty, healthy, and best with lots of basil, in my opinion.  Check out Smitten Kitchen's one-pan farro recipe here!

Now for the other recommendations...

5 Songs I Sing Along With No Matter What

Last fall I shared 5 songs that make me happy no matter what, and I wanted to
keep going with a few more lists.  Also, though, this is a selfish request for you to tell me what songs you like to sing along to, because I'm always in the market for new tunes to add to my list.  What do you crank up on the radio and pull your hairbrush out for?

5 Songs I sing along with no matter what:

"Defying Gravity" - Idina Menzel, Wicked
I mean, how can you not belt out with Idina when this suspiciously comes up in your not-show-tunes Spotify playlist?
 

"Somebody that I Used to Know" - Gotye, Kimbra
I loved this song the first time I heard it.  I love the angst.  I love the passion.  I love that it's all in my range and that I can switch to harmonies in the final chorus.

"Livin' on a Prayer" - Bon Jovi
I feel like this one needs no explanation, it's just a guarantee that the whole car will sing along to this song.  Whenever I'd go to norebang (Korean karaoke) with my work friends, this song always made an appearance and everyone always sang as loudly as they could.

"Cosmic Love" - Florence + The Machine
This is the song I sing to when I want to work on my vocal focus and breathing technique.  I took three years of voice lessons during college, I'm now way out of practice, and trying to match Florence's powerful voice is like a challenge to do better myself.

"Distraction #74" - The Avett Brothers
This one's a throwback to college when I'd ride with my friend Millie who always had The Avett Brothers playing in her stick shift car.  This song means loud and crazy fun during some of the best times of my life.

How to NOT Spend Hours Drying Your Long Hair

A few weeks ago, my hair was very, very long.  No, it wasn't to my butt, I don't think it was even to my shoulders, but it was really long, and it took a very long time to dry.  In fact, by the time I'd got my hair 98% dry and reached the point where I wanted to give up, my body was all sweaty again after spending so much time around my hair dryer's heat!

Out of necessity, I had to find a different option, and I've actually been able to collect a few ways to make thing better!  All of these are anecdotal solutions, and I know everyone's hair is different, but maybe these will work for you like they worked for me.

photo by Morgan Sessions via Unsplash

Happy August!

How has your summer been?  After a crazy July, I'm welcoming this new month with open arms.  There are a few things I'm particularly excited about, though.

#1 My birthday is the 17th!

#2 I'm going to go to the Georgia Aquarium!  (They let you in for free on your birthday)

#3 Ton Ton (a new ramen place!) is set to open this August in Ponce City Market!
#4  My bff Millie and I are planning on getting together again this month, and I'll get to meet her brand new baby girl!

#5 Work has a steadier schedule this month, so I think me personal time will be more regular, too, which means more dancing and reading!
#6 I'm getting a haircut on the 15th, and it's been a loooong time coming.  I'm going to be going from very long hair back to just regular long hair with bangs again, and I can't wait!

#7 We're one month closer to camping plans, Coastal Carolina Fair plans, and all around general future plans!  Woohoo, onward and upward!

Thanks for following along, y'all!  I hope your August is looking great, too!

Yellowstone Vacation Recap (with pictures!!!)

We're back!

If you haven't seen on my Instagram, I took a trip to Yellowstone National Park two weeks ago.  After a killer week back at work and our awesome Demo Day (congratulations to my awesome students on graduating!!), I've finally got some time to upload some photos and share a bit!