winter wonderland.

The view from our condo

Nothing says December like our classic family (minus Daniel, unfortunately) vacation to Snowmass in our little getaway on the mountainside.  Nestled in aspen trees & white, unadulterated snow, our mountain condo screams Christmastime.  I know what you're saying... Rachele, you're Jewish & in the words of my mom as a child, "I'm not a 'Chrisco' girl."  But in my defense, I am really Jew-"ISH."  Emphasis on the "ish" (in case if you were wondering).  Not only does Christmas run in blood on my dad's side, but it might just be my favorite holiday.  How can you resist?  It's just so happy!

And you know what makes it even happier?  1 word: Snowmass.  & I am predicting a rather white Christmas this year!   Yipee!

I have spent the last 15+ years of my life warming up to this cool place, which is now one of my homes.  Whether it's skiing down "Naked Lady" or "Sneaky's," or throwing snowballs at my dad, or sitting by the fire, snuggled up with a blanket & a new Dan Brown book, or drinking sachet after sachet of lemonade because it tastes so darn good here, or eating the fudge in Pitkin County Dry Goods, or taking selfies by the Maroon Bells, or building the annual snowman, or feeling the Christmas spirit in Aspen, or feeding that sneaky fox that roams the streets of Top of the Village, or walking into our favotite stores because it makes you feel so good, or listening to Amy Grant, or eating those amazing meals, or making cookies in the high-altitude kinda way, or dealing with every "worst part" of getting ready to endure a long day on the slopes (which in all reality are better than any best days anywhere else), Snowmass is 100% perfect every time.

One of my favorite parts of wintertime... especially here in Aspen, is getting to wear those adorable winter clothes!  It doesn't get much better than beautiful boots, crazy, warm socks, llama sweaters, & fun pants!  I don't know about you (no... I am not going to say "but I'm feeling 22"), but I love the feeling of loving what you're wearing.  When you feel confident in your outfit, you can feel confident in your day!

Florida doesn't provide that appropriate weather for winter attire.  I mean I think we all saw that ugly, ugly, ugly picture that was floating around on Facebook... & if you didn't, I have provided it here for you so you can gasp in it's ugliness.      

 
Yep... it's exactly what it looks like.  While the rest of the country is enjoying a change of season, Florida is melting, people are going to the beach, & winter clothes are out of the question!  The comment, "We hate you FL" I think is actually jealousy in the eyes of those subject to cold, but in my view (the right one), we hate Florida because there is absolutely no chance of cold in that radar.  Therefore, Colorado it is!

Anyway, what made this trip more interesting is when you randomly run into friends on the slope.  I mean 743645634 miles away in a tiny, slightly deserted resort, I run into a Kappa sister!  I love serendipity... what a "happy surprise!"

Anyway... there are still several days left of our wonderful vacation here & it's time to go out & enjoy last night's snowfall!  Powder... here I come!  Every snowboarder's dream! :)  

Ciao-
 

circa 1977.

Circa 1977: UF Homecoming Parade

Over 30 years ago, 2 people met for the first time at the Country Village pool in the muggy heat (as we all know) of a Gainesville summer.  My mom, exhibit A, looked stunning in a lime green bathing suit en route to law school & my dad, exhibit B, was a handsome nerd planning on attending medical school in the near future.  Even if the "spark" wasn't immediate, they instantly liked each other & (I'm going to get real cliche here & tell you...) the rest is history.

My parents were just kids at the time... to be exact they were about my age (scary I know... I always forget that my parents had a life before me.  I guess it just wasn't a good life yet) attending UF, just like me.  Well anyway, they met, went on a few dates... blah blah blah, a few years went by... blah blah blah & then they got married in 1980; had a few kids, moved to Florida, lived their lives, became world travelers, discovered the cure for cancer, & fell in love with Colorado.  You know, the usual.

It is amazing how time flies by.  33 years later & my parents are still best friends.  I know because I can see it in their banter.  They make fun of each other... the proof of a great relationship is being able to laugh at yourself.  My mom asks stupid questions (i.e. "Where are the SWISS Family Robinson from?" or "I wonder what state the Colonel who started KFC (everyone & their mom, except mine apparently, knows what that stands for!!) is from?") & my dad says sub-par jokes & puns about EVERYTHING, but in the end it's all about compatibility.  And sure, it wasn't always easy, but that's just life & the way it is, & it's more important to look back at those hard moments & know they just made you stronger & a little bit closer.

I always make the analogy, but I think it works here as well: when watching a soccer game & you look back at the goalie's performance, you always remember that shot he or she missed, & you ignore the amazing saves that were made.  Why when we look back do we always remember the bad stuff?  It doesn't make any sense because behind every bad(ish) thing that happens there are 4748657634 good things screaming for attention:

Like the time Daniel made an actual funny joke about "fins to the left, fins to the right" when there was scuba equipment in the trunk, or the time Scott just "didn't know when he was almost done," or when Suki was a surprise for Hanukkah, or when we had a family flan fight in the kitchen just because, or when we went to almost every European country in a span of 10 years, or when just spending 1 night in an RV in an Alaskan parking lot was "the best vacation ever," or when we went to 47486 soccer games across the state, or when we celebrated Christmas in the snow, or when we had snowball fights in the Steamboat hot tubs, or when we saw dad's face in the skydiving video, or when I signed all my cards with 008 INC. because I am a super spy who loves the number 8, or when you sent the Thanksgiving menu & included graphically where the goat cheese came from, or when mom started painting again, or that time in Africa when everyone knew who "DEBBIE" was, or when we bought our Snowmass condo & turned it into our haven, or when we were all together again this summer for the first time in years, or when you won the lottery (just kidding... I was just seeing if you were paying attention), or when you just lived this amazing life with the best set of 5 people there is.

When you think about all that life above, you know that you created something special: a family.  Just 2 kids who met sometime in 1977 grew up & formed this incredible family with incredible aspirations & futures.  If it weren't for that lime green bathing suit or my dad's guts, this post would not be happening right now... which means I wouldn't be happening right now & neither would Daniel nor Scott.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is this: thank you for meeting, getting a cheese plate at the Mad Monk's Inn, marrying, staying together, loving each other every day & us kids, looking at each other as if not a single day has gone by since 1977, being involved in our lives, taking us with you when you became world travelers, making room for all 3 of us in your busy & professional lives, giving us EVERYTHING we ever wanted, giving up single life & work for our futures, being the best parents that ever existed, & sending me to UF, where hopefully I can wash, rinse, & repeat.

Here's to the best couple & their UF alumni status (even though my mom is wearing garnet... oops!) & all the things/years in between!  

Parents weekend: 2011

LOVE,
Rachele (008 INC.)

birthday bex.

This is a story of a Floridian meeting a Bristolian & how they became family.

I am going to start off this post with a big HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY to my socially awesome, happy & smiley, traveling obsessed, & friendliest friend, Bex!  I hope you have a great birthday with lots of family, friends, fun, & favorites!  Wish I could be there to celebrate it with you!  You deserve the best day ever!

Well... I will start the story now.  In 2009 my "real" family & I went on a cruise to Scandinavia (I know... casual), anyway, if you have ever been on a Royal Caribbean Cruise before than you'd know that there is a section on the ship for a club of teenagers called "fuel," where I found myself a lot.  I didn't know many people, & for 2 whole weeks I was forced to be social & meet new people.  Going on a European cruise truly helps you meet people from all over the world: Canada, South America, & mostly... you guessed it, Europe!  I really enjoyed getting to know everyone & I liked them all a lot, but you know how it ends... "blah blah blah, I hope to see you again someday/let's get together another time" (embrace), & you walk off thinking, I will NEVER see those people again!  Usually you're right, but sometimes you're not......

Our only picture together from the cruise... rough, but reality 2009

6 months goes by & thoughts about the cruise have waned, leaving me a normal kid once again until one day I got a facebook message from my friend Bex from the cruise explaining her huge plans to visit the United States over the summer & wondering if she could stay a few nights here along the way.  I asked my mom & surprisingly she complied, but as the dates began to get closer & closer, she became more worried that Bex could be a mass serial killer planning a heist along the East Coast.  The truth is... she never actually thought Bex would make the journey over here.  But once again... Bex proved us wrong & she flew into Orlando with a new doo, a bright red pack, knee highs with converses, more color than anyone around, flailing her arms, & with no serial killing on the mind!  She was here & she was awesome!

I have to admit... I was a little worried myself since I had never hung out with her unless there were 475464 other people there too.  I couldn't help, but wonder... would we get along?
        

2010: Bristolian attacks Florida with enthusiasm

Well... the answer is, yes we did & so did she & my parents, & she & my friends, & she & my pets, & she & EVERYONE!  You can't not like this girl.  & that is how she became my Bristolian sister & my mom became her "American mum."  We kayaked, mini-golfed & had batting practice, wind surfed, ate Hershey bars & Butterfingers, swam, tanned, & everything that is apparently "American" & needed to be crossed off the bucket list.  Most importantly... Bex taught us a few things.  The chicken is the most dangerous animal in Europe.  OKAY!  Stop picturing giant, evil, human devouring chickens with huge claws & menacing snarls... we were talking about salmonella, duhhh.  & no... that is NOT what I pictured when I heard this bizarre remark!  Well...     

Did I mention a week later she met us again in New York for a short time?  Well she did.  You can't help but admire someone with the guts & personality to fly half way across the world to meet up & backpack with people you just barely know.  More than admiration... wonder.
 

Me, American Mum, Bristolian Sister taking on the Big Apple

So the summer passed & Bex & I stayed in touch reasonably well planning our next summer's adventures.  It was my turn to check out her digs & since I know "knew" someone in England, I could travel alone.  Again... you don't think that plans would solidify, but they did & I traveled to Bristol in 2011 to visit Bex & her home.

2011: Bath

We went EVERYWHERE! It was awesome to travel around England with Bex & her mum, meet her friends, & learn the hip lingo.  We went to Bath, where I coined the rather (I thought) impressive phrase "Bex, Bath, & Beyond," we saw Stonehenge & thought about alien intervention, saw the city where my family is supposedly from, & went to see the double feature of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2.  Yep.  It was a good time.  Again... most importantly, Bex doesn't lie. Chickens really are dangerous!!  Who would have guessed? 1-0 Bex.

That vacation ended with Bex & I closer than ever.  We made a deal we would plan on seeing each other every year at least once for as long as we could keep it up.  In a way, we are pen-pals because we keep in contact: sometimes through letters, mostly through facebook, & annually in person.  It is hard to stay in contact with people sometimes, but that is what is so amazing about having a friend like Bex... she makes the world seem small.

And that's when she decided to study abroad in Mississippi (pronounced Missipee) & became a Southerner.  Did they play quidditch in the South?  Well... Bex did.  Bex did it all & became a true Southern Miss Golden Eagle.  "To the Top!"  She just never slows down!

And luckily... since she was so close, it was easy to plan a vacation over Christmas Break to Colorado.  & Bex came too!  Wouldn't want to have it any other way.  It's funny... because my brother Scott also met us out there & he had never actually met Bex before, but said, "It feels like I already have."  That's just the way Bex is.  You just feel like you know her even when you don't. 

2012: Snowmass, Colorado

After just barely making it in 2012, Bex made a trip down to Gainesville in 2013 on her way down to the Quidditch World Cup in Orlando.  We even wore matching shirts & toured our way around campus taking pictures as Gators.

2013

So far... 5 years... 5 visits... 0 murders... 10990394754 memories.

As I told you up front: this is a story about how Bex became family & I'd like to make one last shout out to her for being one amazing person!  Thanks for being such a great friend/sister all these years & Happy Birthday!

Love,
Rachele

colorado colors.

Colorado literally comes from the Spanish word meaning, "colored red."  The name is basically derived from the deep red sandstone that cakes the mountains during the summer time.  However, when I think of Colorado, I see so many other beautiful & bright colors that play a major part in what makes everything so perfect.

Such as the color WHITE in the winter...

Or the color YELLOW in the valleys...

 
Or the color BLUE in the sky...

Or the color GREEN in the trees...

 Or the color PURPLE in the flowers...

And, of course, the colors ORANGE & BLUE everywhere for both the Broncos & my Gators...

I am a Gator Girl

Colorado is the land of colors.  Not only does red appear in the sandstone on the mountains, but in the Indian's paintbrush on the hillsides, the Aspen leaves in autumn, & in my heart all year long!

"Home is where the heart is, & my heart is in Colorado."    

green.

Colorado in the Summer... wait, what?  I barely recognize the place!  There is so much green!  I already love it!  What a contrast from my last location... old, stone buildings with small, winding streets, no greenery, and people everywhere to serene and natural Snowmass Village, Colorado.  What a change of pace.

I have never actually been to Colorado in the summertime, besides summer in miniscule Florissant, Colorado during my summer camp days.  I have only ever visited Snowmass when snow covered every surface: the trees, the slopes, the chair lifts, and every building rooftop.  Snowmass in the summer is completely green.  Birds are a-chirping, leaves are quivering, and NOBODY is talking.  It is wonderful, natural, and a great way to relax after a movement-filled study abroad experience.

Yesterday was quite the trip over... in the past year and a half, we have traveled to Snowmass four times, and exactly none of those plane trips have run smoothly.  My mom coined the term "airport hell" for out nightmarish experiences.  We have stayed in two hotels and one condo due to cancelled flights, sat in the airport for hours on end from weather and mechanical issues at our destinations, had delay after delay, missed connections, had re-routing through New York, and we were even late to school after Spring Break because of flights in and out of Colorado.  We were lucky enough last night to be the LAST flight into the Aspen airport at eleven o'clock.  Thunderstorms persisted throughout the evening... causing massive delays in Denver.  Nothing made us happier than seeing our beautiful condo still in great condition after months or renting out.

It is beautiful right now as we sit with all the windows open just basking in the silence and cool wind.  I am glad that Firenze was only hot for a week because I was born for the cool weather!  We plan on hiking the Rio Grande trail today... apparently and easy trek along the river to get ourselves acclimated!  Excited to see Aspen in the summertime with the music festivals, art shows and farmers markets, and of course the stores carrying a completely different season!

Hopefully I can keep up my Chaco tan as I head out with my parents!  Have a great day and it's nice to actually be on a more similar time line even though I am still eight hours ahead in Firenze!

As always, Ciao-Ciao:
Rachele in Colorado

my new normal.

Well, after six weeks; six perfect weeks of eating, living, smiling, and loving everything in Italy, I am back in Florida.  But don't be fooled.  Today I get back on a plane and head west to my third home in Colorado, my new normal, for about two weeks.

It is kind of cool how you accumulate homes... my "home home" will always be the house I grew up in in Stuart, Florida.  My bright orange home (Go Gators) with the bougainvillea growing up over the garage, the ridiculously long dock out back, the paw prints in the Mexican tiles, and the unmistakeable collage of windows looking out over the river.  That is my home.

My second home has become the University of Florida (again.. Go Gators).  Not even my actual apartment down 13th, but the campus.  There isn't much better than those old mossy trees, the endless fans... current and alumni, and the beautiful brick buildings spread all throughout intermingling with the students, Hare Krishnas, and bicycles (probably stolen).

My third home resides in Colorado.  To be precise, Snowmass, where we have our condo along the mountain.  The place I grew up skiing/snowboarding, the state I fell in love with the outdoors at summer camp (Sanborn Western Camps), the state I plan on moving to one day.  Even though I grew up in Stuart, my heart and soul has always been in Colorado.

And last, but most certainly not least, my fourth home became Firenze for six weeks.  Besides my stints at camp, where nothing completely felt settled, and obviously the homes I mentioned above, there has never been a place I lived longer to consider a home.  You don't describe your summer camp cabin as your house... it never takes on the possessive quality.  It's always "the cabin..." never my.  That's why this summer was something special because I actually made myself comfortable and lived.

It is already strange being back.  I still greet people with "ciao," say "grazie" when I am handed something, say "scusi/scusa" when get in the way, and still reach for the euro coins in my wallet when paying for things.

I am adjusting to my new normal again... returning to my native country where people drive more normally, where men don't come up to you with creepy greetings, where there is sales tax and tips, where there are lines in stores, where I don't have to worry about pick-pocketing, where people smile at you on the streets, where there aren't 376485456 tourists taking selfies, where there aren't creepy people selling useless trinkets, where I can run in peace, where there is customer service, where my language isn't broken, and where there isn't dog poop around every corner.

But I leave the place where I learned more than one new thing every day, where I was awed by everything, where there was gelato everywhere I looked, where there is so much history, where there are live musicians at night in the piazzas, where there are beautiful bridges and architecture, where there is so much art and love, where there are leather markets and fresh fruit and vegetable markets, where there are fresh bread shops and the "secret bakery," where I can order a glass of great red wine with no questions asked, and where I lived for six perfect weeks.  One of the best six weeks of my entire life.

I left 100% satisfied.