1,000 Words? Here's hoping!

While writing my thesis I kept a bit of creative writing going on the side. This second project might seem a bit crazy for someone who seemed to have an almost negative amount of time in which to finish her degree in but  I loved it! This extra material turned out to be an ideal escape that kept my fingers and mind active in the writing process while allowing me the freedom to write WHATEVER THE HELL I WANTED TO WRITE. This brief escape into fiction would keep me working long into the night

Now that my thesis is complete I can devote all writing time to this lackadaisical writing project I have brought to Vancouver. Now that I enter week three of my focused writing, the words that effortlessly flooded onto my computer screen in the fall have turned into a slow trickle. For example, last Thursday I spent the entire day writing away only to see that I had completed roughly five pages over the course of seven hours. I no longer felt as connected with my writing and it made me feel as though a close friend decided to end our friendship. I felt lonely. 

Today I decided to shake up my routine. I walked to a local coffee shop, one that I hadn't been to before, I checked email, facebook, and my favorite blogs for about a half hour and then shut everything down and got to work. I pulled out my moleskin notebook to draw up some characters. For roughly two hours I sat down with my blank book, my soy latte and my imagination and waited for anything to come words, images, thoughts; I wrote everything down. 

Before today I was always able see and imagine my characters, but after this pause to reflect I felt that these characters could now breath and think for themselves. I wrote down physical and emotional descriptions, and personal histories. I drew up a chart that connected all the characters to one another. When I finished I reviewed what I had compiled and felt an urge to look them up, see who might be similar. Turns out Anjelica Huston fit in perfectly and I could not be more pleased with this discovery.The words returned to me and to the computer screen. 

While I didn't end up finding an ideal fit for every character, it was nice to see some fleshed out versions that worked quite well. I spent the rest of the day writing with new found vigor and urgency. The writing no longer felt meaningless because I had further developed people that are now full of their own meaning and purpose. 

When PuSh Comes to Shove: Performance in Vancouver

Our arrival to Vancouver has prompted the hunt for fun and interesting performances. For the past two years I have been a bit deprived of performing arts that exist outside of the academic season (academia can do that to you). While I do cherish the opportunity to have easy access to performances year round in our small town I do believe that it is important to experience a range of art from a variety of venues.

Attending the University of Toronto was an incredible experience for a fledgling artist because I was surrounded by art that was easy to get to and offered affordable options. I wouldn't have experienced the same inspirational and sometimes bizarre performances if I had studied in a rural area with little external influence. Toronto pushed my theatrical boundaries and helped me to expand my imagination to understand what could be possible on the stage.

Three of my former classmates are currently living in Vancouver and as soon as I was in town I sent out a call to get a group together for a reunion. The PuSh international performing arts festival is being held all over the city and there is a large selection of events to experience. This Saturday, three out of the four of us met up on Granville Island to see a matinee performance of Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Canatata.

The day could not have been better but if the day had started out badly, this performance would have made the rest of the day wonderful! The show was inspired by what was found on Craigslist and Free Press. One of the patrons leaving was overheard saying, "not much dialogue but it wasn't needed" and I would agree. The entire performance is interwoven personal ads turned into musical ditties that flow in and out and sometime back around with one another.

But don't let this description take away the personal and emotional moments that occur in many of the songs. One moment I sat, giggling profusely over an ad a woman wrote concerning her tiny hats specifically for cats. Funny, yes. Weird, completely. Sentimental, yep. At the beginning of this melody represented exactly what I entered the theatre expecting, 'look at the crazy possessions people try to get ride of online! Now laugh.' but to my surprise the song became more than a crazy ad t laugh at, it highlighted the humanity behind the possessions and then the reason for the ad. The tiny cat hats represented this woman's passion and love for her now deceased cat, Snowman, and by the end of the song, this woman's loneliness is palpable.

In the program director Amiel Gladsotone is acknowledged for finding "within this random scattering a surprising emotional arc and unanticipated tenderness." Do You Want What I Have Got? was a wonderful surprise that  showcased the comedy and tragedy of our deepest desires as they are expressed on the web. As my friend expressed post-post performance, "it was funny, sympathetic, and fantastic." I would second her review of the show.

I hope more people go out and take a chance on a local performance! It may not pay off but you could be surprised. If you are in Vancouver than you won't be disappointed by this cantata.

Lexi

Coffee Shop: Found

The local coffee shop is required to be in my life and I will hunt one down if at first there appears to be none acceptable liking. This obsession may have stemmed from my college town upbringing, watching students pour over readings and research in a space that simultaneously allowed for privet study with a social air. This is my favorite place to work. 

My ideal coffee shop location presented itself on my first day of hunting and since then I have spent almost every day at one of their unique and very sturdy tables typing away. The coffee leaves something to be desired but the atmosphere outweighs all of that. 

Today I snagged a table by the window where I comfortably experience our first rainy day while enjoying some mint tea and a blueberry cheesecake square. 

Calhoun's, you've been grand. 

Lexi

Day 12: Home! (for the next four months)

We made it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was a really long driving day for us....not. We lounged around this morning in Richmond, BC getting breakfast at the hotel and being drawn into a few cooking shows on the Food Network. Once we collected our things and packed up the car for the last time this journey, we drove a quick fifteen minutes to meet our landlord.

We were busy settling in. After meeting our very nice landlord we got a quick tour of our basement apartment. It's small but clean and comfortable. We loaded everything in and then walked around to get a sense of our surroundings; we're definitely paying for the location because it is fantastic. Everything is walking distance including post office, bank, groceries, and tons of great places to dine. We are looking forward to our future months here.

The Eatery  is a sushi place that we ate at during the 2008 World Ultimate Frisbee Championships and it is currently an easy walk from our place. Where to go for lunch was an easy decision.

Being landlocked for roughly 2.5 years has me craving sushi like crazy! Peter wanted soup because we were feeling chilly but I pushed forward and ordered an "Andy Warhol"- mango, tuna, and salmon mayo, as well as an "Electric Banana"- Eel, avocado, and tempura banana on top. Super lunch to start things off. Check out the crazy menu at the Eatery.

Lunch gave us some more energy to plug on and collect groceries, sign up for our club card at said grocery store, and collect our bus passes for the next few weeks. We carried our purchases home, something we have not done in a long time, and got to organizing the new place.

The comforts of home, once established, can be taken for granted when everything is already in place and within reach. We soon began to realize what was missing in our home. I forgot my towel and there doesn't seem to be any around not even a dish towel. I used a frying pan to boil some water for my tea, that was a first. We don't seem to have a sauce pan or a microwave... I guess the fact that there is no kettle or coffee maker is assumed at this point. And the last realization is that Vancouver is unusually chilly at the moment and we can't seem to get a  good amount of heat flowing through our apartment. We know the temperature will change but until then we are bundled up good.

For dinner tonight we went to Yeager, a pub down the road from us so we could watch the Canucks vs. the Ducks.

Peter decided on the bison burger and I chose the baja chicken salad which was quite good.

I guess this concludes our American road trip. I was extremely pleased with how this journey turned out and it will be an experience I will always remember. Peter and I planned for the worst aka car trouble, not finding a hotel, illness, loss of insulin, etc. We are very happy that nothing on our worst case scenario list occurred and that we arrived safe and sound!

Things we learned along the way:
-BOOKS ON TAPE! I know there are some people out there that are just not interested or feel the reading is too slow or that it is hard to pay attention and I was one of those people. However, to get through a long road trip and not kill the person you are traveling with than a book on tape is a must. (go for Game of Thrones)
-Hotel coupons: We discovered this our second day on the road. Stop at any rest area and there will be some free booklets to pick up. These have day of hotel rates so you do run a risk of not finding a place to stay but that only happened once to us. These coupons are better than an AAA rate can get you.
-Stay Active: We couldn't always find a hotel with a gym and when we could they were not always the best. I would recommend hiking/walking any time you can especially if you're touring around a new city. Getting moving really helped me to get through day long drives.
-Stay Moist: Water and lip balm! It was crazy how dry I got on the road. I didn't realize it until later but I become a little dehydrated on the road which caused my lips to chap and energy to just go down. Keep those handy early on.
-Relax: Stress is the worst when traveling. Always know that there is an alternative solution and breathe.

We would like to thank our amazing hosts and friends we saw along the way, thanks to Kevin in Austin, Aunt Joan and Uncle John in Santa Barbara, and Eric and Chelsea who came out to spend time with us. Thanks also to Honda and Garmin for helping us travel safely across America. And big thanks go out to my husband Peter who was a wonderful travel companion and who kept the journey fun and entertaining.

Our next road trip will be in May when we drive across Canada. We don't have a book for the great north so any food suggestions would be much appreciated.

Until then, stay warm!

Lexi

p.s. Stay tuned for a weekly photo from Vancouver!

Day 11: We're IN!

We got a late start this morning since we were meeting my friend Chelsea and her husband Matt for breakfast in Portland. I haven't seen Chelsea in a long time and breakfast with her this morning put me in a great mood.It may have been a meal-long visit but it was exactly what we needed before our final push.

We went to a breakfast place called Down to Earth. I had the California panini with red onion, avocado, lettuce, tomato, smoked cheese and an omelet. Yum. Rating: Lexi: 7  Peter: Good.

After our great breakfast our day became pretty trying. We had some rain leaving Portland and headed towards Seattle. We waved hi to Seattle and just as quickly waved bye to Seattle. Maybe we shall return another time.

After fairly decent weather going through Seattle we ended up getting hit hard with the snowstorm we were trying to avoid. For about a half hour we stayed at a steady 40mph pace while huge chunks of snow swarmed around us. I actually became pretty sick driving when the visibility was so bad and the traffic so slow that it seemed as if we weren't moving at all even though I knew I was pushing down on the gas. Luckily we got out of it a-okay and experienced no more snow for the rest of the drive.

First snow at a rest stop in north Washington. 

We made it to the boarder and after handing over the three (pretty sketchy looking) pieces of paper that said that I was allowed to work in Canada, we were sent inside to discuss my visa qualifications. We had one more border guard look at me as though I were crazy, some muttering about paying a $150 permit fee for which Peter was ready to bolt out the door without me, a second border guard type in the magic code and I had my freshly printed work visa in my passport and we left without an extra fee; Peter decided to keep me. 

WE MADE IT INTO CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are collecting our keys tomorrow afternoon so we're staying in Richmond tonight. By the time we got into Richmond we were both tired, cranky and hungry. Our first hotel attempted failed since they were full. Our second hotel attempt failed because our GPS failed us for the first time this trip. Our third attempt was successful and so much better than paper thin wall motel of doom last night, we even have clean towels and little bottles of shampoo! 

Sadly with the cross of the Canadian border comes the end to our trusted books Road Food and 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late have come to an end since they do not cover Canada. We had zero motivation to drive anywhere else and went to the closest restaurant Mad Greek. 

I had the Greek Salad with garlic shrimp while Peter had the chicken and shrimp souvlaki. 

Rating: Lexi: 6   Peter: Good.

We made a quick dash to good old Canadian Shoppers Drug Mart for some soda for Peter and face moisturizer for my struggling skin. We're back in the room, warm, fed, relaxed and happy. Peter has the Calgary vs. LA hockey game on  and munching on a bag of dill pickle chips. I'll be headed to the hotel gym for a solid workout since I plan to tackle part 2 of the Voodoo dozen! 

Some excellent motivation! Although it does seem I'm running around in circles :)

VANCOUVER TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lexi

Day 10: Baby it's Getting Cold Outside

Okay, so we're not really talking the kind of cold that is going on out there in Ohio, but we are definitely feeling a bit chilly tonight. brrr. We left around 8am this morning and driving the winding uphill rout 5 towards Oregon.

Lovely change in scenery.

 I struggled with a bit of car sickness as the passenger for the first leg so after a few pictures I closed my eyes and listened to our third book on tape, Terry Pratchett's Pyramids.

The view was incredible and we saw our first white topped mountain.

Our ears were popping on this leg.

We started touching the clouds.

More clouds.

We arrived in Portland, OR around 3pm and headed straight downtown to stand in line for some Voodoo Donuts!

This place was incredible! There were about three of these revolving cases with all their freshly baked donuts. We had a long wait and by the time we got to the front we couldn't decide what to buy. Peter stepped up and asked for one Voodoo Dozen aka they pick 12 donuts for you. We're obviously not holding back on this trip!

We loaded the donuts in the car for later and headed off to my second local selection, Crema coffee shop. Here is my fancy Spanish latte, milk/condensed milk with espresso. Wow!

For dinner we followed Road Food's suggestion for fish and chips at Halibuts. Poor Peter who is currently on his "no beer month" had to suffer past many local brewery pubs on our walk over. We hope to return to try some of them in the future. 

Large pot of clam chowder! Very, very good and flavorful. 

A bizarre shot of our fish and sweet potato chips. The fish was halibut (of course) with sweet potato chips. This was so light and delectable, almost like tempura. Rating: Lexi: 9 Peter: GOOD!

The road trip is beginning to take its toll on us. We're pretty sleepy by the time we get to our motels and being cold again helps our need to just curl up under the covers. Portland has been grand so far. We tuned into the Portland public radio on our way to the motel and after two soundbite errors we heard "God damn it!" before that was quickly muted to silence. hehe. 

Tomorrow we're meeting up with an old Ultimate buddy of mine for breakfast before we head up to Seattle. We were hoping to stay overnight but the weather is looking a little treacherous. We need to get into town on the 15th to collect our apartment key so it looks like we'll be playing it safe tomorrow. At least Seattle will only be a 3 hour drive away! 

Stay warm everyone! Now for some Jeopardy, The Hobbit, and some of these....:) 

  

Day 9: Headed North!

As much as we fought it, we had to leave Santa Barbara. We left around 8am after a quick coffee and morning chat with aunt Joan and uncle John before heading out for the open road.

 Peter drove most of the way while I napped and listened intermittently to Mort. The drive had some brief highs and lows. High: Seeing a bald eagle fly by. Low: Driving over a massive mudflap on the road and fearing for our car. All was okay in the end and we finished our second book on tape.

Headed north

 Rolling along through the rolling hills.

 We wanted to make good time so we decided to try our first In-N-Out burger. Peter had two hamburgers and a vanilla shake and I followed the recommendations I've heard and got the double double. Shakes were great but my burger was super salty and I left unhappy after the meal. Peter rated it good and fresh and not too salty. 

 Lots of orchards along the way.

 Last view of the water. 

 We stopped in Redding, CA for dinner by following our Road Food book to Buz's Crab and Seafood Restaurant. Peter LOVED the local dungeness crab he had the day before and this place was known for their fresh crab. 

 I am not a seafood connoisseur so I was skeptical going in. Peter gave me a taste the day before so I decided to jump right in and get a half crab with butter dipping and Buz's "almost famous" sourdough garlic bread. We tied on the bibs and got to work. The bread was crunchy and delicious and the crab was very good and not to scary for my sensitive palette. The servers were really nice and even asked if we were AAA members so we could get a discount. Rating: Lexi: 8   Peter: Good.

Peter was happy as a crab! 

We're staying in Redding for the night and it looks like the 30 Rock live episode will be the entertainment for the moment. Tomorrow will be another early morning since our goal is to reach Portland tomorrow evening.

More good friends and good food in the final stage of our road trip. Liz Lemon for now!

Lexi