Clouds

"Just for a moment, let's be still."

Look at those clouds. Absolutely amazing. I never get tired of the beauty I find in Tucson, often as I ride my bike places. Today was odd--like the weather didn't know if it wanted rain or sunshine. So the light and the dark clouds meshed together. It was so cool.

Ghosts of Halloweens Past

Halloween is very stressful. You have to figure out an unique, creative, cheap, and easy costume to wear. And make sure people actually get it. Here are two of my favorite costumes I ever wore. Boot life living last year, I was a garden gnome and I loved wearing the beard. Plus I was warm walking to "events." And people loved it. It was 100% KB. Sophomore year of high school, we were running at cross country states the next day so I dressed up as my coach. I literally stole an old pair of his sneakers. My friend Courtney almost burnt the hotel down as I was burning cork to rub on my face. 

So hopefully you like my costume this year. I'm super proud of it but it's a surprise until tomorrow!

What I'm Listening To: "Hello"

I'm really hating Cody right now. She essentially coerced me into listening to Adele's new single "Hello" and now I can't stop. Since Friday afternoon. So thanks a lot Cody. But in all seriousness, it's so good. Take a listen. You get all the feels. Okay? Don't blame me, blame Cody.

5:15 Wake Up

So I spent my morning volunteering at a half marathon in Tucson. There's really only one hill (or mountain) in Tucson and the marathon went right up it. Luckily, all the runners got to see me on their way up, as I ran out of motivational things to say after 3 minutes. I was at mile 8 so I resorted to "Looking great at mile 8." I didn't get many laughs.

Care Packages

Big shout-out to my mom and aunt who somehow told the postal gods to have both packages arrive on the same day. I was pleasantly surprised to see two package slips in my mailbox and even more surprised to see the contents. So thank you! My mom bought me a shirt from the National Gallery when she was in DC last weekend. I had just mentioned in passing the Calder mobile that I liked and look, it's on the shirt. And Aunt Michele and Uncle Jerry sent me a ton of goodies--I'm especially looking forward to those Peanut Chews. All of this is getting me excited to be home in 3 weeks!

Andrew McMahon Concert

So awhile back, I mentioned that Andrew McMahon was performing in Tucson at the Rialto and tonight was the night finally. On a side note, it's almost November. Where has time gone? The Rialto is about a mile or so from my apartment so it was an easy walk. Although it had rained earlier so I was worried about that. But then it would have been perfect--"Pouring rain in Tucson, Arizona, checked into the Congress Hotel..." Anyway, Lolo opened for The Griswolds (who played a wonderful cover of "Riptide") who opened for New Politics who opened for Andrew McMahon. New Politics put on an awesome show despite me only ever hearing their one song. I just wanted to dance the whole time. And Andrew McMahon was amazing. He played some of his older stuff but it was still wonderful. "Cecilia and the Satellite" was my go-to song last semester and it really means a lot to me so getting to hear it live was unreal. Honestly, it was a really cool night. And the Rialto was a great venue so hopefully I can go back soon.

What I'm Listening To: "Drunk Off Your Love"

Some people have had the pleasure of hearing about this song already from me. But like last week's song, I heard it from a friend's playlist a few weeks ago. It's been stuck in my head all week. But can you imagine the juxtaposition of this and "1965"? I find it funny. I've been playing it in the morning and I'm grooving in the bathroom while I'm brushing my teeth. And I'm not one to dance, as most of you know. So this is one special catchy song. Take a listen.

Sunset Reflections

"The future lay in our hands, uncertain, yet promising." 

-Goodbye Lenin

Just a little reminder. Things can seem tough. Things are tough. But the future is not written in stone (unless you're a determinist or whatever they are called). What you do now can affect what happens later. Always saying "what if" will just bog you down. Try not to worry about the future; just try to do your best now, in the present. 

Burrito Lunch

Midterms this week and the next two weeks. I've just been studying and running around and it's very tiring. I didn't have time to go to the grocery store so I'm forced to eat out because who wants corn and rice for lunch? Today was Food Day on the mall, with vendors selling their food and tables full of food information. I got this carne asada burrito for lunch and it was delicious. Definitely worth the $4 I paid for it. I really like how many local eateries there are in Tucson and I'm glad I'm not as much as a cheapskate as before so I'm willing to try new places and explore.

What I'm Listening To: "1965"

So I just heard this song yesterday on my way home from the 5k. I liked it instantly. I think it is so good. I really can't describe how much or why I like it. But just take a listen.

On a side note, I feel like Tucson understands my taste in music. I was out on Friday night and the restaurant played all the music I liked, and some of the more obscure songs too. So it's refreshing to hear that when I rarely had that back home.

Pumpkin Patch 5k

I went with the running club to Buckelew Farms for a 5k through the pumpkin patches and corn mazes. The course wasn't all that fun actually. The straw was slippery and the corn maze was not designed for running fast at all. I didn't run as well as last week but I'm glad I woke up at 5:45 to go. I won my age group so I got this cute lil tumbler. But it was kind of strange for me to see corn stalks and pumpkins in the middle of the desert. All while the sun is beating down on me at 9 in the morning. Very confusing.

Habitat Tucson

Earlier today, I rode my bike out to the Habitat for Humanity Tucson headquarters. The ride was miserable--don't let me get started on that. But it was well worth it when I got there. Just being around other future volunteers and listening to the Habitat mission got me so excited. It reminded me of my two trips and all the time and effort we put into making a small difference in the world. What I like most is the idea of building community. I'm going to be living in Tucson for (hopefully) five years and so this city will soon be my home.

Orchestra Night

I apologize in advance, mostly to myself, about the lack of picture. They said no pictures! My friend Karla invited me to a performance by the University of Arizona Philharmonic Orchestra. Her friend was one of the conductors. I love going to the orchestra and it's been a while since I've been so it was a really good time. My favorite part is at the beginning when all the orchestra members tune their instruments. It's so exciting because you know something magical will be starting soon. We also got free tickets (holla) so that's always a bonus. But what I'm most excited about is that there even is an orchestra on campus. I ride my bike 5 minutes and I'm there, listening to beautiful pieces of music. And it's pretty cheap to go. So I now have my own little Philadelphia Orchestra here in Tucson.

Two Month Anniversary

It seems like that I only post pictures of food. Which is mostly true. I guess I'm trying to make you all jealous so you'd come visit. This is definitely the fourth day in the row. Anyway, bless the soul of the person who gave me a Cold Stone giftcard. I've been saving it and after mass tonight, I treated myself to a large Twisted Salted Caramel. Holla. I didn't realize until tonight but I've been here in Tucson for two months exactly. Crazy how time flies. Soon enough, I'll be back for Homecoming, and then Christmas, and in five years, I'll be (hopefully) a doctor (of economics)!

Taco Night

So after a lazy a Saturday, I headed over to a friend's apartment. She has a pool and has been trying to get people over to swim for awhile. And as silly as it sounds, I needed a break from work. So we just hung out by the pool as the sun set. Neither of us had dinner so we tried Boca, a small Mexican restaurant specializing in tacos. So good and so many choices. Definitely going back for sure.

Desert Twilight

As I mentioned before, I had signed up for a 5k with the running club. So with only two workouts under my belt, I really had no expectations for the race. The ride from Tucson to Casa Grande took about an hour and we arrived a little later than I wanted but then I couldn't be nervous about it. It ended up being okay. I ran 19:57, which isn't bad as an opener. But I think the best part was being on a team again. Afterwards, we stopped at In-and-Out for burgers. I had never been before and all my new West Coast friends were in awe. So they made a big deal as I took my first bite. The burger was really good but the fries were a little cold. They were okay with that opinion. But a great night nonetheless.

Oy Vey Cafe

Treated myself to lunch today at the Oy Vey Cafe on campus. The mac-and-cheese was delicious and the portion was definitely big enough. But it was nice to get out of the Tucson heat and eat in the quiet cafe and try something new.