Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Last Spring Break ever

I treasure my Spring Breaks. Why? Because I never had one during undergrad (except once, sort of, when they needed the students to clear out for the Olympics). I remember thinking it was really great that we got out of BYU a week earlier and whatnot, but I sure am glad AU doesn't follow the same policy. With this in mind, I've tried to make the most of the two Spring Breaks grad school has bequeathed to me.

How do I take advantage this year? I go to Fort Lauderdale to meet up with David after his work trip, kick it with Leslie and Alex, and get Scuba certified!

We had so much fun hanging out with Leslie and Alex. They took us to Miami (bienvenido) for Cuban food, and they practiced one of their taco truck dishes on us (I think it was borrowed from Lori?). T'was divine. If I could find a taco truck here that sold this dish, I would go there every day. Just saying.

We also got to spend a little time on the beach by their house.

Turns out there's a pirate alley on the beach with a pirate gift shop, pirate bar, pirate wax figures, and a pirate photo op. Of course, we had to partake.


Obviously, David makes better pirate faces than me. I'll have to practice.

Leslie also took us for an airboat ride in the Everglades! Trivia for you: Did you know the Everglades is actually an extra-wide and extra-slow-moving river?

On our way down, we tried to figure out the difference between Okeechobee and Okefenokee. Mostly because they're just fun to say. Do you know the difference? Without asking Google?

We saw a lot of birds and one single alligator. Then we celebrated when we got back to land by sampling some fried gator. They did the same thing at the Mamba village I visited in Kenya. Both times, I was a little disturbed that they show you the wildlife and then feed it to you. Both times, I partook anyway.


Scuba certification is something I've had every intention of getting done before now - but I didn't. David thought it might behoove me to get that taken care of. In case I might need it. In a couple months. For whatever reason.

In short - I loved it. It was a surreal experience. Once I figured out the buoyancy, I felt so freeeeee! On the open water dives we saw sea turtles, lots of tropical fish, a couple of nurse sharks, and a lobster - which my instructor, Erin, proceeded to catch with her bare hands.
Even though the paces are completely different, I would compare the sense of freedom to how I feel when I'm skiing. And that says something! I can see myself getting hooked on this hobby. Or maybe I already am?

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

You are my Muse


This semester's round of midterms were the most intense I've ever had. Fitting, I suppose, since it's my final round. For about a week straight, I spent most of my waking hours studying and reviewing (except for my blessed study-restricted Sunday). After all that, I still felt like I needed several more hours each day to feel like I was actually prepared for all five of my exams.







I knew, going into midterms, that things would be this way. So I scheduled in a few moments of mandatory respite. Because sometimes, you just need to burn off some stress, else you just won't make it out with your sanity intact.








One night I took a cardiovascular respite, and I ended up swimming a mile. I've only gone that far one other time ever, and it's been awhile since that happened. Apparently I had more to burn off that I realized.




An unscheduled moment of respite was brought to me by the reliable ingenuity of a old quality standby, OK Go. Their low-budget, creative music videos (like this one and this one) never fail to impress and bring a smile to my face. I'm always wondering, what brilliance will they come up with next, and how can they possibly outdo their last vid? Answer: They'll recruit a high school band to remind me that this too shall pass. Well timed, boys. Well timed.

And then there was Muse.



Oh, delightful respite of wonder and bliss. How I love thee and thy awe-inspiring musical abilities. When I saw Muse open for U2, all I wanted was for them to come back and headline in a smaller venue. Wish granted!










I actually neglected to bring my camera, which only enhanced the experience because I wasn't constantly interrupting my experience to document it. I was only able to catch a few shots and low-quality snippets on my phone - and leave a fun voice mail for traveling David. (I don't regret that he had to miss Midterms-Crazed Abby, but it is a shame he didn't get to partake of the goodness of Muse.)






I had some pretty seriously high expectations. Unsurprisingly, Muse delivered. If they're coming to a city near you...go. See them. Run, do not walk, to the ticket office and get some seats before they sell out. Please. And you're welcome.







And you know what? Thanks to the reprieves and lots of prayers, I survived the mighty midterms. Queue the wind-down (my favorite respite of all - details forthcoming)!