Latitude Adjustment

Tumblr!

2015-06-14T20:05:00.004-05:00

I will be making my move over to Tumblr!

Come follow:

http://latitudeadjustment.tumblr.com/

Update: DIY Laundry Detergent

2015-04-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

Back in October 2013, I made my first batch of homemade laundry detergent.

Well, it's now April 2015, and I am running low and have had to make a new batch!

Yup, this stuff lasted me a year and a half- doing about 1 to 3 loads a week! I think this stuff works very well in getting our laundry clean and smelling fresh, hence why I wanted to make it again.

I am using all the same ingredients as last time, except this time I'm using a bigger tub of Oxi-Clean and a bigger bottle of the Purex Crystals. So this batch has cost me a little more than the last batch.

Here is the breakdown of the ingredients and prices:

Pure Baking Soda - 1 (4 lbs. box)                        $2.24
Super Washing Soda - 1 (3 lbs.7oz. box)             $3.97
Borax - 1 (4lbs. box)                                            $3.97
Oxi-Clean - 1 (5 lbs. tub)                                     $9.47
Purex Crystals - 1 (48oz bottle)                           $8.96
Fels Naptha laundry bar - (2 bars)                       $1.94 ($.97 each)

Total: $30.55

All you need to do is grate the Fels Naptha bars and mix everything in a big bucket and that's it! (More details can be found on my first batch post.)

This batch costs about $7 more than the first, but I found that using a smaller container of Oxi-Clean and a smaller bottle of Purex Crystals like last time works absolutely fine. The reason I got a bigger tub and a bigger bottle was because I had a little extra cash. But either way, it'll work out great!

Please let me know if you have any questions/comments/suggestions/etc!

Other DIY posts on Latitude Adjustment:
Laundry Detergent (1st batch)
Homemade Deodorant
Self-Watering Seed Starter Pots
Recipes

My 2014 in Instagrams

2014-12-30T20:32:00.000-06:00

I post quite a lot on Instagram. It's probably my favorite social media site. I wanted to share a few of my favorites from this year:

Links:
My 2014: In Review
Follow me on Instagram
My 2013 in Instagrams

Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy New Year!! xoxo

2014: In Review

2014-12-28T16:41:00.000-06:00

Whoa. I know. I've been on a hiatus since July and all of a sudden, here I am at the end of the year with a blog post.

But don't worry, I am still very much alive and kickin. I've just been ... doin stuff, being lazy, etc. etc.

But I am back today. Like I've mentioned in my 2013: In Review post, I like doing these "in review" posts because it helps me keep track of things we've done each year.

2014 was quite good to us. It wasn't as "traveled" as 2013 was, but it was good nonetheless.

Here's a summary of what went down in 2014 for J & I:

We still live in Nashville. I'm still working at the same place, but now in a different preschool room. Jason has been working very hard this year on his music and is getting closer and closer to his goals and dreams. I am very proud of him!!

If you're interested, you can listen to his songs here:

We had a few family and friends come visit us this year. First, our longtime friend from our hometown came to visit. We only got to hang out for a few hours, but it was better than nothing! Then J's niece came to spend her spring break with us. We took her to a few of our favorite places and ate... a lot! Then for Thanksgiving, she came back to visit, along with her mom (J's sister). It was a fun Thanksgiving. We were happy and excited to spend the holiday with family.

In August, we moved! Hallelujah! We were living in a pretty sketchy area. Now we live right in downtown and we love it. It's so close to everything -- the central bus station, the Farmer's Market, Broadway... lots of other stuff. Our new place is a lot smaller, but we do not care one bit. We are just happy to get out of the other place. Of course, living downtown has it's downsides -- like parking -- but we're making it work and enjoying our new place and plan on being here a while.

In May, we went to Aruba for my sister-in-law's wedding. It was such a beautiful event and such a fun trip with the family. Aruba is beautiful and we really enjoyed it. I wrote a small post on our trip that you can check out here: Aruba (part 1). I am aware that I was supposed to put up a part 2, but never got around to doing it. My bad.

We went on two hiking trips this year. The first one was in August for our 3-year wedding anniversary. We went to do the Whites Creek Trail, Irish Wilderness in the Mark Twain National Forrest in Missouri. It was pretty rough. It seemed like it hadn't been hiked for a while and trails were hard to find and follow. We even got lost for a few hours on our way back, climbing up steep mountains and whatnot. We eventually found the original trail-- thank goodness! For the second part of our trip, we went to Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park in Missouri. That was a much more pleasant experience and we really enjoyed swimming in the "shut-ins."

After that trip, we thought, "Why do we always go on hiking trips in the summer when it's so hot and miserable? We should go in the Fall!" and so we did. Our original plan for August was to go to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but there was a big storm headed that way, hence why we went west to Missouri instead.

We ended up going to the Smokys in October and it was beautiful! All the leaves were changing. The weather was cool, but not too cold. We hiked in the Cataloochee Valley. It's one of mine and J's favorite hiking trips we've ever been on. Just so pleasant with great trails to hike. We didn't see any bears, but we did see a lot of elk. We loved the colorful leaves covering the trails and seeing more when we looked up. The trails were well marked and well maintained. People were friendly. The creeks and rivers were plentiful. The backcountry campsites were maintained and easy to find. It was just overall a great experience and we're looking forward to going back!

J and I celebrated our 3-year wedding anniversary on August 27th. We had a relaxing day filled with food (of course) and a massage - which was much needed after our hiking trip in Missouri!

Before we knew it. December was already here. Early in the month, I received some heart-breaking news that my grandmother in the Philippines passed away. I am still very saddened by it, but I know that she is in a much better place with her husband and best friend. She will always be in my heart and watching over me. I will always remember her for being such a strong woman and for her sense of humor. I am very grateful for her for supporting my mom in moving to the States to marry my father. I'm sure that wasn't easy for anyone involved, but her blessing I'm sure made my mom feel better. My parents were able to fly back for the funeral. I wish I could have been there, especially for my mom, but she knows I was there in spirit. Miss her so much.

Then on the 23rd, I celebrated my birthday. I was leaving it up to J to plan it out for me. And he actually had a few things planned, which I thought was sweet because he is not big on celebrating anything. We started the morning out with breakfast at the Pancake Pantry, which has been on my list of places I wanted to try since before we moved here. I had their sweet potato pancakes. And they were amazing! We never thought pancakes could be so good... and they were.

After breakfast, I got my hair cut and highlighted. It was really overdue seeing how the last time I got a trim was on my birthday last year. I wanted to do something pretty drastic, but not too crazy because I was entering a new decade in my life. I think it came out pretty good. Here is the before and after:

It's a definite improvement, right? I think so. After getting my hair done, we went shopping and I got a whole outfit that J picked out (plus a few extra things). He was so patient and opinionated the whole time, I was impressed.We worked up an appetite -- shopping can be tiring! - so we ate a late lunch at Cheesecake Factory. For being a chain, I think their food is pretty darn good. And their cheesecake -- oh my goodness their cheesecake! We had a delicious meal there then went home and just watched movies. I had a great birthday and J spoiled me. I enjoyed it very much!

Our Christmas was quiet, relaxing, & lazy. We wish we could spend it with family, but it just didn't work out. Hopefully next year! We just stayed in all day, opened our gifts to each other, made a huge ham lunch/dinner, and watched movies all day.

Now we're here. The end of yet another year. 2014 was pretty good, but we have a feeling 2015 will be even better.

I'll try and blog more, but we'll see. I am making no promises.

I hope everyone had a great year and that 2015 will be good to you all! Cheers!

Monthly Photo Journal: March - June 2014

2014-07-02T07:15:00.000-05:00

Wow. It's July. Already. So cray.

In June, I really slacked in posting. Sorry, but not sorry. I blame the World Cup for distracting me on the weekends.

I've also slacked on my Monthly Photo Journals for the past 4 months. Woops. So here I am, catching up.

Here's what happened in March, April, May & June in a few snapshots:

March

We ate some pretty good hotdogs & onion rings from The Dog of Nashville. // We tried out a Honduras Restaurant. We weren't too impressed with the food though, unfortunately. // Weather was warming up in March, so a couple of my co-workers & I went to Jenni's to eat some ice cream for lunch! // J and I had a little Sundate breakfast and walked to downtown to grab some breakfast at Dunn Bro's Coffee. They have really good sandwiches, muffins & coffee there!

April

Our niece came to visit us for a week. We did a lot and had a ton of fun! We took her on a hike around Radnor Lake. And we ate A LOT! Places we went to included: brunch at Mad Donna's (The Captain's French Toast & a pomegranate mimosa pictured -- both really yummy!) // tacos from Taco Mamacita (the Loaded Gyro & Korean BBQ tacos pictured above, with their Mexican street corn-- I highly recommend the Korean BBQ taco & the street corn!) // delicious burgers & sweet potato fries from Gabby's Burgers (their milkshakes are BOMB, too!)

Enjoying a nice Spring afternoon at Dragon Park. // Making a pitstop during a bike ride around town for a bushwhacker from 3 Crow Bar . // On my quest to find some good fish tacos in Nashville, I found some at Oscar's Taco Shop!

May

Enjoying some free, live music (gotta love Nashville!) during Musician's Corner at Centennial Park. // Ice cream stop at Maggie Moo's -- yummy ice cream!! // Stopping by the park for a snow cone during a bike ride.

Of course, the highlight of our May-- actually of our 2014 so far -- is going to Aruba! What a paradise. // We took a lot of fun sunset pictures on the beach there (more to come!) // While in Aruba, I also had some of the best shrimp I ever had in. my. life. !!(more on that later)

June

One of J's friend came to visit and we ate at a place called Marché Artisan Foods. Pretty good food, but a little too boujee (fancy) for my taste. Pictured here is the Brasstown Beef Hamburger -- but their menu changes seasonally. // We hit up the farmer's market, something we hadn't done in a while, and grabbed some coffee first. // One of my kid's parent gave me a bag of peaches straight from Georgia. And they were so good! I am now a believer that Georgia peaches are the best peaches! // Warmer weather means more cookouts with friends. Yay!

Well, I hope to be better at this blogging thing and do it more often now that the World Cup is almost over! I hope everyone State-side enjoys their 4th of July weekend!

Aruba (part 1)

2014-06-30T06:44:00.000-05:00

In May, J and I traveled to Aruba for his sister's wedding. It was a week of paradise and good times. And like with any vacation, it was extremely hard to come home.

In a later post, I will talk about some things we did on the island, but for now, enjoy a few photos:

Aruba part 2 will be up soon, so stay tuned!

The Sunday Currently, volume 9

2014-06-22T11:28:00.000-05:00

Hello! Yes, I am still alive over here. I have just been, you know, living life. And recently, that has involved putting this little 'ol blog on the back burner. Plus, with the World Cup, I am even MORE distracted! But, I hope to find the motivation to start back on blogging more often again. I do still owe you guys an Aruba post!

In the meantime, here's a quickie:

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

R E A D I N G blogs... catching up on my Bloglovin' feed!

W R I T I N G down names-- more specifically dog names. While watching the World Cup, I've come across some 'cool' names and I think "hey, that'd be a good name for a dog!" because my dream is to have a dog (or 2, or 3 ....). Who know when it's going to happen, but when it does, I'll have my list of names ready!

L I S T E N I N G to Stromae "Papaoutai"

T H I N K I N G   about how hot it is... I kinda forgot how hot and sticky Nashville summers are.

S M E L L I N G no specific scent at the moment

W I S H I N G    I was back on the beach ... in Aruba ....

H O P I N G J and I find some goodies at the Farmer's Market today!

W E A R I N G my bathing suit, shorts and tank top.

L O V I N G   that we have friends that have a pool! Can't wait to be in it later!

W A N T I N G   Costa Rica to win the World Cup! My Spain is already out of the tournament, but my other faves are still in! And in case you were wondering, "my teams" include Spain, Costa Rica, and Argentina. And no, I am not cheering for the US team... for several reasons. But I won't get into that. Let's keep this post happy and positive =)

N E E D I N G my tan I got from Aruba to stay forever and ever.

F E E L I N G hot, but happy!

C L I C K I N G on "Proof that Messi is the most perfect human being on Earth" -- he's my favorite player! Oh, and also, for the ladies: "The 30 hottest bearded men of the World Cup" -- a pretty good list. I do love me some facial hair!

I hope everyone is having a great start to their summer! Hopefully I won't be a stranger.

One year in Nashville

2014-06-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

It was about a year ago when we had spent a month in California after coming back from living in the Philippines. We then packed up my car and headed east on one epic roadtrip. After about a week on the road, we ended up at our final destination: Nashville.

We've been living in this city for about a year now. So in celebration, I want to share some of my favorite things about "Music City":

- The size of the city. It's pretty perfect-- not too small and not too big.

- There is always something going on. On any given day of the week, you can always find something to do. There is also a lot of free things to do.

- Music is everywhere. It's not called "Music City" for nothin'. Whether there's a major act performing at the Bridgestone Arena or songwriters performing at open mics in small cafes, you can find live music with no trouble at all.

- Registering and titling your car is a breeze. And I'm only mentioning this because I had to go through it recently. It was pretty hassle-free (especially compared to California's DMV!). You just take your car through a drive-through smog place (which takes a few minutes), then take the paper they give you to the county clerk's office, pay the fee and just like that, they hand you over your new Tennessee license plate-- you don't even need a TN driver's license!

- The vibe. When we go out to places for a drink or whatnot (we're big fans of going out to east Nashville), the vibe is definitely a lot less "Hollywood". People are a lot friendlier, egos are not as big, etc.

- Speaking of friendlier people: for the most part, people are friendly. There has been countless times when I've been walking around and random strangers have said hello to me or struck up a conversation while waiting for a bus to arrive. Again, coming from California, that was new to me-- but I have gotten used to it and find it quite nice.

- Music City Bikeway. A 26-mile bike route that goes through Nashville. We've biked most of it and it's really nice.

- Radnor Lake. I really like this place. It's a great place for hiking and there are different trails you can do that are at different experience levels. Whenever someone visits us, we always take them here.

- And last, but definitely not least, the food: there is an abundance of restaurants in Nashville, ranging in all kinds of food. Some of my favorite restaurants in Nashville include Edley's Bar-B-Que, Mitchell's Deli, B&C Melrose BBQ, Pfunky Griddle, M.L. Rose, Gabby's Burgers, Calypso Cafe, Pupuseria Salvadorena, Thai Kitchen, Bombay Palace, Chicago Style Gyros... just to name a few. We're still trying to discover other places as well-- there's just so many places to choose from!
My only complaint though is that there isn't a good Mexican place. We've found one that was pretty good-- but our standards are set really high. J and I just decided to set the bar a little lower because let's be honest-- nothing beats Mexican food in Southern California. So far, our favorite Mexican restaurants have been Oscar's Taco Shop and Las Fiestas Cafe.

I can't believe it's already been a year since we've lived here! A lot has happened in this past year-- I guess time just flew on by. We don't know how much longer we'll be living here-- but then again, we don't even know what our plans are for next month, let alone the next year.

In any case, we are really enjoying Nashville!

The Sunday Currently, volume 8

2014-05-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

I've been on major lag status on my blogging grind this month. This is only my 5th post of the month. FIFTH! And last month I only did 8 posts.

It's one of those "I'm sorry, but not sorry" type of situations. I've recently been taking a lot of time to focus on myself. And a big part of that has been off the computer.

Maybe I'll get back to posting more, maybe not? The weather will probably be getting too hot for me to go outside on weekends, so I'll be inside a lot, and I could see myself taking time to post more. I guess we shall see!

Since it's been a while, I decided to do a Sunday Currently today.

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

R E A D I N G nothing at the moment. Boring.

W R I T I N G nothing at the moment. Also, boring.

L I S T E N I N G to the soft hum of the laptop.

T H I N K I N G   about how amazing Aruba is going to be! We leave in a couple of days!!

S M E L L I N G   this freshly brewed cup of chai tea I just made. Yum.

W I S H I N G    these cramps would just chill out. Ugh.

H O P I N G all goes smoothly this week!

W E A R I N G lounge-around-the-house-on-a-Sunday type of clothes.

L O V I N G    the new swimsuit I got for our trip and the dresses & shorts my mom sent me! (She is the sweetest!)

W A N T I N G   a big, fat carne asada burrito con todo!

N E E D I N G a new set of eyeballs. Mine suck.

F E E L I N G great!

C L I C K I N G on 12 Hiking trails that will take your breath away.

Well, we're leaving Wednesday and this little part of the blogosphere will be looking bleak for a little while. I will be digging my toes in the sand of beautiful beaches, snorkeling and exploring the ocean, and enjoying time with family!

I hope everyone is having a lovely May!

Linking up with Lauren.

Boy Behind the Blog: The final one!

2014-05-15T05:12:00.000-05:00

I was pretty bummed when I read Mal's blog and saw this would be the final month of the Boy Behind the Blog link-up. It's been really fun doing these every month.

Although I am sad about it, J is not. He is quite relieved. (As you can tell from his short answers, he's pretty over it, lol)

So here it is, the final Boy Behind the Blog:

1. What was your first job? Washing dishes for $5.35/hr.

2. What is the biggest risk you've ever taken?

Majoring in English at university.

3. What is one thing you can't live without?

Water.

4. What is your least favorite food?

American "cheese" singles.

5. If you could time travel, where/when would you go?

Barcelona in the late 1920s.

Well, it's been fun! We-- excuse me-- I had fun participating each month. It will be missed!

Read previous Boy Behind the Blog posts here.

Traveling the Rainbow: Orange

2014-05-13T05:49:00.000-05:00

O R A N G E

"Orange, the blend of red and yellow, is a mixture of the energy associated with red and the happiness associated with yellow. Orange is associated with meanings of joy, warmth, heat, sunshine, enthusiasm, creativity, success, encouragement, change, determination, health, stimulation, happiness, fun, enjoyment, balance, sexuality, freedom, expression, and fascination.
Orange is the color of joy and creativity. Orange promotes a sense of general wellness and emotional energy that should be shared... The meaning of the color orange is stimulating, vibrant, and flamboyant." -- From Color Meanings

Porto, Portugal.

Caterpillar! South Korea.

Jaco, Costa Rica.

Gibraltar.

Grand Canyon.

Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.

Nashville, TN.

Palau, Micronesia.

Legazpi, Philippines.

Philippines.

Spain.

Other Traveling the Rainbow posts:
Purple
Yellow
Pink

Swimsuit Season!

2014-05-08T08:57:00.000-05:00

I feel it, y'all. The weather is warming up. I'm getting a lot more sunshine in my life these days. And it feels great! Warmer weather means summer is around the corner! And with warmer weather upon us, it means it's time to hit the beach!

Oh wait... Nashville doesn't have a beach. Bummer. BUT, we are going to be spending a week in the Caribbean at the end of this month. And I am really looking forward to it. I miss the beach. And I'm sure the beach misses me. =)

I've been browsing around the interwebs for cute (and affordable!) swimsuits. I'm into one pieces that have cute, sexy- but classy -cut outs, and even high-waisted bikinis. An important factor though, for me, is that it has to be able to keep my two ladies in place. Because an accidental pop out is not cute.

These are some swimsuits I really dig:

These are just a few I found while skimming through Google search results. If you have any suggestions as to a website that sells cute & affordable swimsuits, please let me know! Are you looking for a swimsuit too? What style are you into?

Travel-themed: Quotes

2014-05-06T07:18:00.000-05:00

I like quotes. Good quotes. Good sayings. Something profound that someone has once said. Or something I can totally relate to.

While browsing around Pinterest, I came across these quotes/sayings related to travel. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

(click on the pictures to be taken to pin)

Linking up at Travel Tuesday.

Question of the Day: What makes you happy?

2014-04-29T06:36:00.000-05:00

What makes you happy?

Well, here's my partial list of things that make me happy:

- Days when the sun is shining and the temperature is between 65 and 75 degrees.
- Date nights
- Cute Instagrams of doggies! (like here, here and here)
- When the plane touches down at my destination
- When the immigration officer stamps my passport and says "Welcome!"
- Watching FC Barcelona score goals
- Dancing to "my jam!" (I have several)
- Coming home to a clean house & the hubby cooking a yummy dinner
- That moment when I see the bus coming down the street
- When whatever I'm baking/cooking/making comes out delicious.
- Walking into a local coffee shop and the smell of freshly-brewed goodness that hits my nostrils!
- Snail mail
- Being in California
- ... and my mom-- it's her birthday today and I want to wish the most amazing, wonderful woman in my life a very happy birthday! Love you, momma!

How about you- what makes YOU happy? And if you need a little pick-me-up, here are 64 Mind-Blowing Facts that Will Make You Feel Incredibly Happy.

Liebster Award, part 3!

2014-04-28T07:26:00.000-05:00

Back in February, I was given the Liebster award from my girl Selma over at Crazy Little World of Mine -- and I am finally responding now. Only more than 2 months later. Talk about being on the late train-- my bad!

This is my 4th Liebster Award-- so I think I can consider myself a Liebster pro! ;)

I'm going to cheat a little bit here. Since this is my 4th time doing this, I am going to skip my eleven random facts (am I the only one who thinks coming up with random things about yourself is pretty difficult??) and you can read my random facts here and here.

Here are the questions Selma asked and my answers:

1. Why did you start blogging?
I used to really enjoy writing. And I would write a lot. When blogging became a thing, I got into it. Typing became more easy than writing on paper. I use it as a creative outlet.

2. What is your favorite quote and why?
I have a lot of favorites. Here's one:

{via}

3. What makes you laugh out loud?
    This.

4. What is your absolute favorite TV show you cannot miss at all?
    Mad Men, Parks & Rec, Modern Family, Game of Thrones, Girls, Walking Dead

5. What pet peeve do you have?
    When my kids (students) whine and drag out my name when they want my attention.

6. What is the LAST concert you went to?
     I can't even remember. That's kinda sad.

7. Do you get nervous before doctors' appointments? Why/Why not?
     Depends on what kind of doctor and/or what I'm there for. If I have to get any kind of shot, then yes, I get nervous. But generally, I don't.

8. What three things did you buy yesterday?
Fish tacos, a bushwhacker, and a dirty chai.

9. Do you love where you live?
    The city- yes. As for our actual residence- no. Let me just say it's not the safest place in Nashville. . .
10. What is your guilty pleasure?
     Red velvet -- cakes, cookies, brownies, cheesecake- you name it!

11. What is the ONE thing you look forward to this year, and why?
A R U B A!! Because I need it so, so bad.

Now my 11 questions for the bloggers I give this award to:
1. What is your favorite late-night snack?
2. What two animals, if combined, would make for an awesome animal?
3. What would you have named yourself at birth?
4. What is one hobby/interest you think you'll never grow out of?
5. What's one thing you wish had never been invented?
6. What's one word that should be removed from everyone's vocabulary?
7. What trait(s) do you admire most in others?
8. If you could make one thing that's legal today, illegal, what would it be?
9. How do you cheer yourself up when you're feeling stressed or down on your luck?
10. Which food item did you always despise but now love?
11. If all salaries were the same, what would you do for a living?

Now for the people I give this award to is: YOU! Yes, you-- reading this right now. I give you the Liebster Award. Now go tell us 11 random facts about yourself & answer my questions then make up 11 of your own.

Gotcha. ;)

Now go have some fun with this.

Thanks, Selma, for the award!

Traveling the Rainbow: Pink

2014-04-24T07:49:00.000-05:00

The color pink is not one of my favorites. In fact, I'm not a big fan of it. But, in keeping with the whole "Spring-y" theme since it is that time of year still, I decided to pick pink for this edition of Traveling the Rainbow-- plus it is J's favorite color (seriously). For some reason, pink was the first color to come to my mind when I started writing this post. Before I even looked through my thousands and thousands of photos on my hard drive I thought, "I'm probably not going to have any pink photos..." but as luck would have it, I found quite a few!

P I N K

Pink, a delicate color that means sweet, nice, playful, cute, romantic, charming, feminine, and tenderness, is associated with bubble gum, flowers, babies, little girls, cotton candy, and sweetness.
The color pink is the color of universal love of oneself and of others. Pink represents friendship, affection, harmony, inner peace, and approachability. -- From Color Meanings

Sunset in Boracay, Philippines

Sunset in Chicago.

Georgetown Cupcakes. Washington, D.C.

Street art in Granada, Spain.

Sunrise in Nashville, TN.

Sunset in Palau, Micronesia.

Sunset by the Mayon Volcano, Philippines.

South Korea.

Other Traveling the Rainbow colors:
Purple
Yellow

And as always, please feel free to post your own photos for Traveling the Rainbow!

Dream Travel Destinations: USA National Parks

2014-04-22T07:11:00.000-05:00

In celebration of National Park Week, this round of my dream travel destinations is of national parks in the USA! There are so many amazing places that are here in my home country that I have yet to explore.

Here is a list of U.S National Parks that I haven't visited yet but hope to do so one day:

Great Smoky Mountains

The Smokies are actually really close to where we live now, so I'm sure we'll be visiting this one soon!

via

Yellowstone

Via

Zion

Big Bend {via}

Olympic

Via

Arches

Via

Channel Islands

Where I'm from in California is actually really close to Channel Islands National Park. You can even see some of the islands from the beach in my hometown. I've only been to one of the islands (Anacapa) when I was in the 4th grade-- so I definitely need to go again!

Via

Hawai'i Volcanoes

Via

Honorable mentions:
Grand Teton
Bryce Canyon
Denali
Glacier
Haleakalā

Already visited:
The Grand Canyon
Yosemite
Sequoia

Other "Dream Travel Destinations":
Europe
North America

How about you-- what US National Parks do you want to visit? Which ones have you already been to? Any tips or suggestions?

Question of the Day: Memorable interaction with a stranger

2014-04-21T07:47:00.000-05:00

What's the most memorable interaction you've had with a stranger?

I was actually going through old Facebook "notes" (remember those?) and I came across this one I wrote when I was in university about an interesting encounter I had while on my way to class:

My interesting encounter of the day...

Granted, I encounter quite a few interesting people on a daily basis, but not many that make me want to write about it. Today was one of those encounters... the type that makes me think about it all day.

Anyway, on to the story...
I was walking to the bus stop to go to school. When I got to the crosswalk, there was a guy, about my age, standing there holding a red tulip and a yellow tulip. As I approached the crosswalk, he says "Well good morning miss." "Good morning," I reply.
And the rest of our conversation goes like this:
Him: "Heading off to school?"
Me: "Yup."
Him: "Do you like flowers?"
Me: "Ummmm... sure... Yeah, I do..."
Him: "Here..." (handing his tulips towards me) "take one... please, you really should, I insist.."
Me: "Oh... ok..." (I take the red one because I'm wearing red today. I like coordinating my shirts with the flowers strange guys give me) "Thanks..."
Then as I try to cross the street, he says:
"You know, don't you?"
Me: "Wha... know what????"
Him: "Nothing..." He starts walking away, he turns around and goes "Just be careful today.." (right when he said that, I was tripping out, like what the heck is this dude talking about?!) Then he says "It's supposed to rain a lot today, so be careful.."
I don't know if he added that last part because he saw fear and confusion on my face, or he was just really trying to warn me about the rain?
Anyway, I tell him thanks. Then he tells me to have a nice day and I tell him the same. And we go our separate ways.

Now, the part that has me tripping out is when he asked me "You know, don't you?" I can't stop thinking about it. Is something supposed to happen today I should be aware about? Is something dangerous happening today? Something fun? Some party I should have been invited to? Some social, activist-type stuff going down in the streets I should know? Was I supposed to know something about the tulip? WHAT SHOULD I KNOW?? My mind was going a million miles a minute, trying to figure it out and coming up with hypothetical reasons and situations.

...then maybe I'm just over-analyzing it (as most females do in situations). But I don't want to be totally naïve about it.. because what if something does go down today I should have known about? I guess I can't say I wasn't warned.

Or maybe he was an epiphany? What if I'm supposed to explore and question our encounter because there's something I need to know, something that would be useful or important in my life? Is the tulip supposed to tell me something? I do believe things happen for a reason. Was this encounter with this tulip-bearing guy just a coincidence or meant to happen? Am I supposed to learn from this? Or maybe he just knew that I'm a socially-aware person, and that I just KNOW.

Hmmm, who knows? At least I got a free tulip out of the deal.

the red tulip

This was definitely a memorable interaction! How about you-- what is a memorable interaction you had with a stranger?

Boy Behind the Blog #11

2014-04-20T11:56:00.002-05:00

I'm a little on the late train with this one, but better late than never!

Here is this round's of Boy Behind the Blog. This time, it took several reminders and a lot of sighs from J to get him to do it, but he did it nonetheless! I'll take that.

1. Your significant other’s blog; a blessing or a curse?

Curse.

2. Do you read your wife's blog?

Sometimes.

3. What is one thing you can do better than anyone you know?

Rap.

4. What is your favorite TV sitcom from the 90's?

Seinfeld.

5. If you were opening a small business or shop, what would it be? What goods or services would you sell?

I would sell universal remote controls for televisions.

Linking up with Mal!

High Five For Friday: Fun & Food!

2014-04-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

Yo! Sorry for the lackage of posts. I've been quite busy -- but in the best way possible. Our niece came to visit! We had a lot of fun-- we're so glad she chose to spend a few days of her spring break with us!

Here are 5 of my favorite moments from the week:

1. Going to Dave & Buster's and winning big! We even won over 1,000 tickets on Wheel of Fortune the first time we played it. I think at the end of the night, we had won over 3,000 tickets! It was pretty awesome.

2. Eating at one of our fave breakfast spots- Pfunky Griddle, hiking at Radnor Lake, going to Dragon Park and Centennial Park all in one day.

3. Eating brunch at Mad Donna's and noticing who our server was:

4. Going to the Adventure Science Center and spending several hours there. It was a really cool place. I think we enjoyed exploring just as much as our niece did!

5. All the yummy food we ate!

All-You-Can-Eat pancakes you make yourself at your own table at Pfunky Griddle // Cap'n Crunch French toast at Mad Donna's // tacos & micheladas at Taco Mamacita // Grilled Cheese sandwich & burger w/sweet potato fries from Gabby's

How was your week? Any fun weekend plans? Whatever you do- I hope it's lovely and if you celebrate it- Happy Easter!

Linking up with Lauren!

Question of the Day: Celebrity Dinner Party

2014-04-08T08:07:00.000-05:00

Your celebrity dinner party. Who would you invite?

My celebrity list would probably be super long-- but here are a few that would be on it for sure though (off the top of my head):

1. Erykah Badu - because she's my inspiration & favorite artist

Via

2. Natalie Portman - because she's my favorite actress

3. Justin Timberlake - because duh.

4. Gael Garcia Bernal - because he's my fave actor

via

5. Anthony Bourdain - also an inspiration of mine

6. Jimmy Fallon - because I love his show & he just seems like a fun guy

7. Kevin Hart - one of my favorite comedians

8. Aziz Ansari - also a favorite comedian

9. Brandon Boyd - because he's amazing & I've loved him since forever

Via

10. Danica McKellar - so I could tell her all the stories about how I was constantly told "You know who you look like? Winnie Cooper!" when I was younger-- and also so we could compare in person if we still look alike.

I could go on & on. If I really had all these celebrities over for dinner, I don't know what I'd do with myself. I would probably be freaking out and they would all think I was a weirdo.

How about you? Who would you invite to your celebrity dinner party?

March 2014 Recap

2014-03-31T07:25:00.000-05:00

Really though-- is it the last day of March already?!? I am actually pretty excited about that because it's going to April tomorrow. . . which means it's almost May. . . which means our trip is almost here! Ya'll don't even know how much we need a vacation. My mind, body & soul is yearning for it!

Anyways, it's the end of the month- which means it's recap time! Here is what happened at Latitude Adjustment in March:

*Travel-related:
     - My Travel-themed Wishlist
     - Traveling the Rainbow: P U R P L E
     - Traveling the Rainbow: Y E L L O W
     - Travel-Tuesday: F O O D !

*Questions of the Day:
   - Someone Like Yourself
   - Dream Job

*The Sunday Currently:
     - Volume 4
     - Volume 5
     - Volume 6
     - Volume 7

*Misc.:
     - Recently, I've Decided . . .
     - Monthly Photo Journal: February 2014
     - New Country Music {via my husband, part 2}
     - The Boy Behind the Blog #10
     - Do me a favor?

The Sunday Currently, volume 7

2014-03-30T17:57:00.000-05:00

It's been a lovely Spring day today. I am loving it! J and I even walked downtown this morning for some breakfast (we love how close we live to downtown- just a 15-20 minute walk!). It was great. And also- I discovered that the best time to see downtown Nashville (i.e. Broadway) is earlier in the morning before it gets too crazy!

At breakfast this morning at Dunn Bros Coffee-- good sandwiches, muffins & coffee!

Here is today's Sunday Currently:

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

R E A D I N G Fun home : a family tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

W R I T I N G nothing at the moment.

L I S T E N I N G to my 90's hiphop Pandora station-- it's really making me feel nostalgic!

T H I N K I N G   about A R U B A! The time is almost here!!

S M E L L I N G   fresh air! I have the windows upstairs and downstairs open- our place needs it!

W I S H I N G    I had a big fat fish taco in my hands right about now!

H O P I N G my husband does well at Writers' Night this week!

W E A R I N G Hello Kitty PJ bottoms & a tank top

L O V I N G    the feeling of Spring in the air!

W A N T I N G   a big fat fish taco... I've been craving one for weeks now, I even posted in the Yelp community boards as to where in Nashville I can find the best fish tacos & got a lot of responses, but I haven't fulfilled my craving yet!

N E E D I N G sunblock. For some reason I get sunburned hella fast nowadays. I hate getting old!

F E E L I N G hopeful.

C L I C K I N G on this, this & this link . . . these so made my day! And yes- I am a total Buzzfeed addict!

As a bonus- and since I haven't done one in a while- I'm also doing today's Sunday Social! Double-whammy!

1. What is your ideal way to relax?
   Lying on a beach, sun beating against my body, the smell of ocean, suntan lotion & sea breeze in the air and with a drink in hand.

2. Where is your favorite place to be?
     Prepare for this corniness: anywhere with J. Oh- and/or in California with my fam & friends.

3. Who do you consider your biggest role model?
   My parents. All my life I've looked up to them- not just as individuals, but as a couple. They've shown me how a marriage should be like- with all the sacrifices and love and everything! They're just the best!

4. What does your life look like in 3 years?
     Who knows??? That's just way too far ahead to tell. You never know with J and I. =)

5. If you could go back and change one decision, what would it be?
   I would have gone to college right out of high school (instead of waiting several years to get my Bachelor's) and I would have gone with a better major than I did. But you know what- I have no regrets! Oh- and I also would have traveled more.

6. What is your biggest accomplishment in life thus far?
     Getting married to the love of my life and just being happy!

Linking up with Lauren & Ashley

Traveling the Rainbow: Yellow

2014-03-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

I got such a great response from my first post of Traveling the Rainbow-- thank you to all who enjoyed it! Let's keep the ride going. . .

Since it's Spring, I wanted to pick a nice, cheerful, happy color. So for this edition of Traveling the Rainbow, I picked the color . . .

Y E L L O W :

"...the color of sunshine, hope, and happiness, has conflicting associations. . . yellow stands for freshness, happiness, positivity, clarity, energy, optimism, enlightenment, remembrance, intellect, honor, loyalty, and joy..."

"Studies show that the meaning of the color yellow can be warmth, cheerfulness, increased mental activity, increased muscle energy. The color yellow helps activate the memory, encourage communication, enhance vision, build confidence, and stimulate the nervous system." --(from
Color Meanings. Thank you, Lisa, for the site!)

Guatemala

Phuket Island, Thailand

Hawaii

(Click on the captions below each photo above to be taken to original source)

The rest of these photos were taken by either myself or J:

Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines

Grand Canyon.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Palau, Micronesia

San Pedro, Costa Rica

Gimhae, South Korea

Granada, Spain

Thailand

Palau, Micronesia (a traditional Bai house)

Philippines

Please feel free to join me in Traveling the Rainbow!

Previous Traveling the Rainbow posts:
Purple

Travel Tuesday: F O O D !

2014-03-25T06:39:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before in my Food in South Korea post that when J and I plan a trip somewhere, the thing that gets me the most excited is the new food I get to try!

I am not a picky eater. I'm pretty much down to try a lot of things. I've eaten things from fried meal worms from street vendors in Bangkok, chicken intestine on a stick in the Philippines, guinea pig in Ecuador, and live octopus at the seafood market in South Korea.

J and I like to enjoy the culinary beauty of all the different places we go. As many of you already know, we have a little travel-series on Youtube dedicated to our love of food-- The Hungry Backpacker.

For Travel Tuesday- the prompt is "Food." I wanted to share our Hungry Backpacker videos to you all again because I think they best show the food we've encountered while traveling. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 1: Cuenca, Ecuador:

Episode 2: South Korea:

Episode 3: Legazpi, Philippines:

Episode 4: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: