ZOMBIEZ!

I did my first 5k today! and awesomely, it was the Run For Your Lives Zombie run!

Before all clean with Allie:

By the end, it was pretty muddy:

(no copyright intended...)

Sunny time

This summer has been great (and super eventful when I look back on it). I went to DC 101's Chili Cook-Off, went to Bethany Beach, went to Glendale, Colorado (also known as Rugbytown, USA) for the Mid-Atlantic All Star Collegiate Women's Rugby team, ombre-dyed my hair, played Rugby 7's all day on Saturdays, went hiking in local national parks, went to Boston to visit some of my best friends, visited Virginia Beach for a day with the MD Exiles after a tournament, went to Puerto Rico with the parents, went on a rope swing, spent a day at the County Fair, and worked at Dynamite Gymnastics Summer Camp for 2 weeks!

Some photo highlights:

In Bethany beach - Dmitri, Rachel, Mel, Julian, & I relaxed on the beach, grilled burgers, and were entertained by "the bros" a.k.a. Oliver & his friends.












Sometime after that, I dyed my hair:

Thus allowing The MARFU All Stars to Wobble our way through all of Rugbytown in Colorado.

The most awesome hiking photo I took was on Chimney Rock at Catoctin Mountain Park:

Then for 4th of July week I went to Boston to visit Hilary & Ella...

...where we chilled on rooftops and went to free beer tastings.

Puerto Rico with Mom & Dad...

Which included some boating/snorkeling:

Came home & played on a picturesque rope swing:

Spring Break 2012, woop woop!

But first, I want to mention last year's spring break... I always forget that I have this thing so I always write about my trips way after they happen. I went to Atlantic City with Julian, Dmitri, and Bruno and even though the weather was terrible outside, the trip itself was really fun! We learned how to play Craps, my new favorite casino game, and it happened in the most movie-esque, just really really cool way. Can't explain it, you had to be there.

So THIS spring break I went on my first cruise ever with Sharifa and Katie. (March 19-23).

We flew to Miami and after figuring out how to smuggle on an extra bottle of liquor onto the boat (I won't reveal our secrets), we made our way to the port, hopped on board through surprisingly easy check-in, and got settled in. First stop was in Key West... so we had to go to the famous Fat Tuesdays on Duval St. and visit the southernmost point of the continental USA! There was a HUGE line to get a picture in front of it... which is ridiculous since you could just take a picture next to wherever everybody was waiting and it looked just as good. Fat Tuesdays is awesome and delicious and I definitely recommend going there! There's a bajillion flavor combos of rum slurpees so it's like 7-11 times a thousand.

We made our way back to the ship for the next 24 hours until arrival in Cozumel, Mexico.

I'm tired of writing so we will just fast forward and say that by the end of the trip, we had made our own group of friends consisting of 4 guys from some college, Aggie & Damien, and Claudio & Denise (and their son & daughter who joined us for dinner).

New Year - Vegas 2012.

So, obviously, 2012 is here!

In February, I had the chance to go to Las Vegas for the international Las Vegas Rugby 7's Tournament. I've pretty much only been on the East Coast except once before (San Francisco in 2009 to play in a Nationals 7's Tournament) so I was excited to go West again! Las Vegas ended up being pretty awesome and affordable... granted, the only gambling I did was at the airport on my way back home when I realized that after a long weekend in Vegas, I hadn't actually gambled.

I'm always awesomed-out (not a real phrase) by how cool being part of the rugby community is. I met a lot of people who I will probably never see again but while we knew each other it was like we were good friends! On my flight to Vegas, I ran into a group of three guys, 2 originally from South Africa. I never saw them again (I guess it's a little unreasonable to think you might run into a random acquaintance twice when there are so many people there... although that DID happen with the Peruvian national team) but we enjoyed a beer at our layover and one of them happened to be assigned to the seat next to me for the second flight. On the first flight from DC, I sat next to a nice man from Omaha with a prosthetic foot... I was studying for nursing school and I guess he felt like I might be interested... which I was because it was awesome, though I tried not to keep saying how cool it was that he felt neuropathic pain because he probably does not think it is that cool. He was headed back home and was planning on going to a speed dating event at his local library since he hasn't dated since the motorcycle accident that gave him the prosthetic foot... I wonder how that worked out for him.


Quickly what I did in Vegas:
Watched Samoa beat New Zealand in the finals, got a few autographs from some All Blacks, went to Tao and LMFAO was there too, went to PBR and rode a mechanical bull, became friends with the most french-y french men ever, hung out with the Peruvian national rugby team, watched the USA women's team make it to the finals, ate at a really good buffet 2 times, and met the number 1 sign-spinner in the world?


That was the ADD version

& If you want to read more:
While in Vegas, I basically just ate a lot of food and watched a lot of rugby. I couldn't play in the amateur tournament due to my recent partial-tear in my MCL but that was okay. I also contacted a club promoter and was able to get all 20+ of us into Tao one night with a free open bar. LMFAO showed up later to host the party but by then we were all pretty exhausted and our feet were dying.

On Saturday, we ended up sitting pretty far back in the stands. Luckily, so did this group of the most frenchy french men you have ever seen. A le le bleu! That's what we were chanting, or at least that's what I was saying... I don't speak French.

Later, we met the Peruvian national rugby team who were in the same hotel/casino, a few rooms down. We became friends and hung out that night at PBR where some of us rode the mechanical bull! Pretty difficult by the way and it made my knee hurt but it was fun. On Sunday, we literally happened to sit next to each other in the stands for the last day.

The final match was Samoa vs. the All Blacks... honestly, I didn't care who won, it was just awesome to be there! After the game we went down to the field and got some pictures/autographs with some of the All Blacks! I got a few signatures on my hat.

That evening it was time for me to catch my flight and, of course, the supposed No. 1 Sign-spinner in the world was on my flight and obvs, I'm his biggest fan so we took a photo. Pretty sure I made his day.

I got in Monday morning and went to class to take an exam... awesome!

Things I've done since graduation:

- Bethany Beach 3 times, once with Tasha :o)
- Sandy Point with Ella and Julian
- Pittsburgh, PA for the Collegiate Women's National All Star Championships (reppin' MARFU)
- Rugby 7's with the MD Exiles/Severn River
.....- Delaware 7's
.....- Harrisburg 7's
.....- Cape Fear 7's in Wilmington, NC!
.....- Surfside 7's in Virginia Beach!
- July 4th fireworks (essentially 360 degrees of them) on a rooftop in DC
- Ocean City with the family and Julian
- Ocean City with some of the girls (Alisha, Sharifa, Katay, Natalie, Breyanna, Owoade)
- Orientation for Nursing School
- Liz's 21st birthday


... More to come :o)


Edit:

- Started nursing school. 4.0 first semester! Pathopharmacology class was my favorite.
- Had 3 clinical days at Hebrew Home in Rockville and volunteered for National Homelessness Day.
- Went to the Dominican Republic for Christmas break: had lots of rum and coke on our excursions and some mamajuana... special drink, look it up.

Christmas with the family and a new year is almost here!

G'bye, Mate

So... I leave tomorrow :o(

... BUT my trip was awesome!! & the beach walk was a great way to spend my last day here!

I'll miss Australia & Julian & the friends I made but hopefully they will come visit :o)


Thanks Julian <3

Oh, btw, the custard apple was really weird (not a fan).

Beach walk

So Julian and I went on a nice beach walk from Bondi beach (near his apartment) to Coogee beach (2 hour walk away via the beach walk trail). It’s basically a really nice (and long) walk along the coast with really pretty views and passing through a few beaches and there are benches everywhere to just sit and look at the pretty scenery. I took lots of pictures but basically you could just snap a photo every second and it would be a pretty good picture.




Isn't it beautiful?