I want a snow day ....

Hello Reader,

I want a snow day. I want to wake up in the morning with the hope of no work because the campus is closed due to inclement weather. And I want to hear the Storm Center music that means that hope could become reality.

But that doesn't happen here...it is always a perfect day.

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and there is not a cloud for miles.

Now, let me clarify, I am not complaining about the weather - every day is seriously gorgeous - I'm complaining about the lack of variety in the weather. Specifically, the kind that makes it impossible to get out of your front door so you go back to bed and curl up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

I guess what I am really saying is I miss snow/Maine, and I should probably take a day off to read a good book for fun and drink a chocolate beverage that is iced ... it's too warm for hot drinks. Maybe that is what I really want.

As for today, it was 70 degrees - in JANUARY.  Maybe, one day, that will seem normal. But for now, it's too warm and I want a snow day. 

Thanks for reading!

- M

From ME to AZ Photo Project pt. II

Hello Reader,

Here is the second installment of From ME to AZ Photo Project!

I realized as I was finishing this up that I did not include a single picture of food, which I think, for me, is quite impressive. (I'm pretty sure 90% of my posts are about food). So, maybe, over the next year I will strive to do a From ME to AZ Food Photo Project...lobster roll and tacos, blueberries and prickly pear, crab cakes and fry bread, chowda' and chili...clearly this will not be hard for me.

Well, there's no food, but I hope you enjoy the second half of my photo project.

Succulent in AZ & Lily in ME

Pedestrian walkway to the Desert Botanical Gardens & road way to home in ME

Bell Rock in Sedona, AZ & The Bubbles at Jordan Pond in ME

Tree branch over Phoenix & tree branch over Bar Harbor

This one is a bit of a stretch...

What tourists think of when they think of ME or AZ ... OR ... Cliche ME and AZ

Palm in AZ & Pine in ME

View from Cadillac Mountain & Sedona Airport Mesa

Flight to ME and flight to AZ

And, in case you missed it, here is pt. I.

Thanks for reading!

- M

From ME to AZ Photo Project, pt. I

Hello Reader,

As promised, two blog posts in one weekend!

While I was in Maine over winter break, I was asked on several occasions something to the effect of, "Is Arizona different than Maine?"  And my answer is always "Yes" with a slight undertone of "Duh." Typically the conversation will evolve from there to do I think it is better, how is it different, which do I like more, etc. My stock answer is always about how, "..you can't compare the two, they're so different, apples and oranges, really..." But as I continued to think about these proposed questions, it inspired me to complete a mini photo project. I am a very visual person, and I think we live in a visually stimulating world, so this is how I have chosen to best express the stark, aesthetic contrast between Maine and Arizona (hence my hint yesterday with my ASU and UMaine bears, get it?). I took all of these images over the past year while bouncing between the two places I call home. Enjoy part one!

Cobbossee Lake at home in Maine & the no name lake at my apartment complex in Arizona

Cacti at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix & snow covered rocks at the lake in Maine

Sun flare through the snow covered trees in Maine & over the town of Tempe

I cheated a little on this next one...but visually speaking, I think this pair makes sense. 

Tempe Town Lake in Arizona & Stillwater River in Orono, Maine.

Spiky plant life in Arizona and Maine

And one of my favorite...

Sandstorm in Arizona & snowstorm in Maine, also known as a Haboob and Nor'easter

Thanks for reading!

- M

My First Time in AZ

Hello Reader,

A year ago today I touched down in Phoenix, AZ for the first time. I arrived on a Thursday afternoon and was greeted by a classic 116 degree AZ summer day. (It was 76 degree that day when I left Maine, I made special note of the temperature.) And about 24 hours later, I was back in Maine with the reality of moving to AZ starting to sink in.

I remember the trip from the airport to the hotel very clearly. I was in awe of this new environment. The cacti, the warm earthy tones, the public art, palm trees, and the contrasting landscape of the flat valley surrounded by mountains. It was completely the opposite of my world in Maine. Not good, not bad, just different.

After my interview out here, I was waiting at an intersection for my shuttle to come pick me up and take me back to the airport. I remember trying to orient myself to where the airport and hotel were in relation to this campus - I realize now I was terribly turned around. Thank goodness my sense of direction has greatly improved daily since being here.

I now walk by that intersection daily. It always makes me smile to think that's the spot where I made phone calls back east saying, "I think the interview went really well," "I think they liked me," "I may have said something stupid in front of the dean," "one lady yelled at me to drink more water because I was from Maine" and "I think I could handle living in the desert."

Well, it all worked out just fine - obviously.

Thanks for reading.

- M

My trip with the boys ...

Hello Again,

Life in AZ is back in full swing! Classes start in nine days - I'm not ready for that - so I am hanging on to my vacation for as long as possible. I find editing photos a great way to relive all that I did.

 

(From the plane over ME)

One extra special thing about this trip from ME to AZ was I was not traveling alone ... I had two cats with me. It was memorable, let's just say that. They cried, I cried ... the three of us were a hot mess.

They had to travel as cargo (broke my heart) since I was just me and couldn't take that much carry-on. They were on a different flight than me because the Phoenix airport does not accept live animals between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. - and they call themselves America's friendliest airport - so we were separated. They had a nine hour layover in Jersey; the poor things, no one ever wants a nine hour layover in Newark!

(From the plane about 100 miles northeast of Phoenix) 

I arrived in AZ that afternoon and the boys flew in without any problems that evening. They were very confused and scared when they got here - although, that is a permanent expression on Odin's face.

I think they have adjusted fully to this place now....

Thanks for reading!

- M

Vacation In Review - Photo recap!

Hello Reader!

It's been a while, I've been busy. Since my last post I have been in Maine for 10 days, Arizona for a day, then Nebraska/Iowa for a conference for 5 ish days, and I have been back in AZ for about a week now.

While on vacation, I accomplished my to-do-in-Maine list in full - sort of, I cheated on a few but that's ok because it is my list and I can do what I wish with it - which was a great way to map out my time in Maine.

I have finally started sorting through the 1500+ photos I took while home and I thought I would share the highlights of the trip. Most of the highlights are made up of food, drinks, friends, and natural bodies of water - All things that have been missing from my life since moving to AZ!


Enjoy!


Places to Visit:
1. Tubby's Ice Cream - CHECK! (there may have been multiple checks on this in-particular one)

2. Gifford's Ice Cream - CHECK! I decided to try a very Maine flavor, LL Bean's Muddy Bean Boots

3. The coast, specifically Rockland  (I am very ready to see an ocean again, or any natural body of water for that matter) - CHECK!

4. Orono - CHECK!

5. Ampersand (I want a cookie and coffee) Homemade cinnamon buns at Chica's - CHECK!

6. Woodmans (mmmm....flirtinis) - CHECK! (twice) I forgot how good these were!

7. Pat's, specifically the Tap Room Bear Brew for guoda and roasted red pepper dip with blueberry ale on tap - CHECK!  I had never had blueberries floating in the ale either, so that was a fun surprise.

 8. Monmouth Theatre for some Shakespeare- CHECK!

9. Hallowell (On Old Hallowell Day and probably at least one other time) - CHECK! It was Hallowell's 250th birthday so they had a cake baking contest instead of the typical pie baking contest. Worked for me!

10. Slates Bakery, and maybe the restaurant but definitely the bakery - CHECK! (three times)

11. Acadia National Park - CHECK! Which also meant popovers at Jordan Pond Restaurant - CHECK! And I also got crab cakes to amp up the Maine experience!

12. Central Street Yoga - CHECK! I didn't take a picture of it because that would be disruptive to do in the middle of a yoga class. But I did go and it was absolutely amazing - Could not have asked for a more perfect yoga class in Bangor!

13. Stillwater river - not because it's beautiful place or anything but because it is nostalgic, it was my go-to-think spot for about 6 years - CHECK!

Things to do:
1. See friends (duh) - CHECK! I, sadly, didn't get pictures with everyone...

2. Dance with friends - CHECK!

3. Eat (not all at once) lobster, blueberries, whoppie pies, maple syrup (on waffles made by Mom), and other things made with things from Maine. - CHECK! Some are listed above and I also should have added Harvest Moon Deli, Wicked Good Bean Coffee, and comfort food made by mom to the list above :-)

4. Convince Mom we are writing a children's book - CHECK (ish) we started one at least. Below is the scene we overlooked while writing

5. Take lots of picture - maybe even be in a photo shoot? - CHECK! I took approximately 1500. I reached my 10,000th picture on my camera while in Orono where I took my first photo on this camera. I captured the 9999 since the camera doesn't count above that. I also taught mom how to use the camera on my iPhone which she used to take pictures of me taking picture...

6. Sit by the lake every single chance I get! - CHECK! I was joined by an incredibly friendly/vain dragonfly who I must have taken 50+ pictures of. He even landed on my camera. So I took a pic of the dragonfly on my camera in one hand with my iPhone in the other hand so the focus is bad, but you get the idea :-)

More vacation recaps to happen later this week!

Thanks for reading! 

- M