the cheese to my macaroni.

I love my family.

I don't have that much to say here, but do you get much better than this "stone cold pack of weirdos." How did I get so lucky?

~ciao~

senioritis.

I thought high school "senioritis" was bad, but let me tell you straight... college senioritis is 3735735 times worse.  & it's not that I am anti-work, rather I am itching to get out & take what I've learned & turn it into something real.  It's a scary thought though... this REAL WORLD enigma.  Most would probably describe it as a love/hate relationship.  You see... we don't want to go, but we don't want to leave.  We are in a state of limbo, caught between the comfort we feel in our (most-likely) paid-for apartments, with our close-by friends, our Nike shorts & big t-shirt combo, our "free" guidance counselors, the proximity we have to "pizza by the slice" & Chipotle, our weekly allowances, our flexibility to do as we please & 24/5 libraries with a Starbucks!

But the real world isn't this comfortable.  There are bills, there are the numbers 9 & 5 that become awfully repetitive, there are real consequences, there are scary (Sigourney Weaver-esque from "Working Girl") bosses, there are new people... & lots of them, there's actual commitment & there's real rejection.

For me, I am in denial.  I am denying the fact that in a few short months I will be turning (or feeling *Shout out to T-Swift) 22, that I will be signing up for my final semester of college, that I will be graduating from the University of Florida with a real college degree, that I will (hopefully) be leaving Florida & starting a career.

Although I am ready & I have stretched my wings in preparation for my flight out of "The Swamp..." I am scared.  Everything I know is here.  It's so scary stepping out of my comfort zone.  I know I'm not the only one who feels that way, but sometimes it just feels like a #personalproblem.  (Yes... I did just hashtag on my blog. "NO RAGRETS").

Anyway... there are a couple things that I feel lucky enough to have as I reach my final months of childhood (& I say child because... let's be honest) & they are:
1. My Mom
2. My Dad

The parents... aka, the rocks.  I know no matter where I go & what I do my parents have my back & will be there for me.  I am so lucky to have them in my life, especially now as I take the biggest leap of all... REALITY.   

Thank you so much for being more than just motivators & figures of respect, but also my friend.  I love you both so much!

Now I just need to get past the "slowness, the procrastination, the... blah blah blah... too lazy to write it all... blah blah blah... apathy" symptoms of sEnIoRiTiS!

~ciao~

spontaneity.

There is a well-known expression, “not all who wander are lost,” but sometimes you just are.  

This week, my mom & I flew to St. Louis to visit my grandpa after his heart surgery.  We spent the 3 days showing him the much-needed love & hanging out with other family members until returning home to Stuart. 

On the way home, our flight to Chicago was delayed & therefore, our connection home was missed.  If you know the Harvey clan at all than you know we have had zero luck in airports lately, stuck in a land my mom likes to call “airport hell.”  In the past 2 years, every storm across the country & every issue a plane could have left us in another lovely airport hotel.  (Shoutout to AC for providing Marriott love when the going got rough & the airport wasn't able to help a sista out).  

Anyway… here we were, “Mommy & Rachele together at last without those icky boys” stuck in Chicago for the night with a 9:20 am flight.  After the initial disappointment of landing in Chicago after our flight home took off in front of us, I came up with the most brilliant beyond brilliant of plans.  What if we took advantage of this sucky situation & spent the following day exploring the city?  Make lemons out of lemonade, right? 

Now I know everyone approaches their moms differently because moms are known to self-destruct at any time, especially when under unnecessary stress, but for my mom, you just have to work that pros list, mix in a little chutzpah, smile uncontrollably, & make her laugh.  It only took me 4 hours to work my argument until she was calling American Airlines herself to change our flight to 6 pm the following day.  She may have whined along the way in her little exasperated struggle that usually gets me to stop heckling her, but I didn’t budge, & if I hadn’t, this blog wouldn’t exist.  

When moms go rogue take 1.  

Of course when I called AA at first, a woman answered, who could smell my fear & lack of domineering chutzpah, & told me changing our flight to a later departure time would cost us $200 a person.  I hung up feeling defeated after fighting my mom for 4 hours to simply consider the idea of “spontaneity,” but I convinced her to use her feminine wiles to change their minds.  The truth is… my mom’s got talent.  I am pretty sure she could smell the fear on the operator and he had no choice but to give the woman what she wanted.  6 pm flight, no charge, plenty of seats, badabing badaboom.

We ate a deep-dish dinner at Gino’s Eastside to maintain our figures & then woke up to a day in Chicago.  We began our spontaneous adventure with an architecture boat cruise through the city, a trip down memory lane for my mom & a practically brand new memory for me (I had visited Chicago once before circa 1998, but due to recent budget cuts in memory & in iCloud storage, I have very little space in my brain for vacations pre-2001.  They gotta be there somewhere though, right?).  

Anyway, the water cruise was beautiful & the city has buildings like no other.  Apparently after the 1871 fire that Ms. O'Leary's cow started, Chicago created an architecture competition to rebuild the city.  Therefore, it is a relatively new city that grew right alongside Lake Michigan.  The buildings tower alongside the river that snakes through the heart of the city & what is even more special is that a walking path has been preserved all along the river for pedestrians & joggers to enjoy.  

After the end of the tour, we walked along the river walk & up to the street level on Michigan Avenue where we explored.  The eclectic architecture between modern, classical, & impressionism was fun to look at & the size of everything around us was much larger than anything we’d ever see in Stuart, obviously.  Fun Fact: the only hill in Stuart used to be a landfill…  

Once we walked up & down the “Magnificent Mile” a few times, we crossed the river toward Millennium Park to see “The Bean.”  This strange curvaceous structure is fairly new to Chicago, but is an interesting sculpture because it reflects the view of the city & yourself & it is shaped like… you guessed it, A BEAN!

Our walkabout Chicago was short-lived, but definitely a positive compared to being stuck in “airport hell” with a displeased attitude.  We felt like Ferris Bueller for the day… skipping out on reality to a day in the city.  Maybe we didn’t have a random parade to “twist & shout to” or a visit to the impressionist museum to stare at tiny dots for hours, but we did have our spontaneous outing that was 100% out of character… maybe not for Ferris, but for us!  

I have known my mom for a little over 21 years now, & I will admit she is pretty fantastic all-around, but specifically what I can say about her is that she can plan.  Whether it is a safari in Africa, a RV adventure through Alaska, a Spring Break trip to Costa Rica, a ski trip to Colorado, a summer getaway in Europe, a tour through China, a road trip up the east coast, a casual visit with Daniel, or my Bat Mitzvah in Israel, my mom has an itinerary planned out & sent to family, friends, pets, the police station, & any acquaintances in the tri-state area.  She is more organized than most people I know & can plan a trip like a ninja on steroids.  Her keen sense of travel is what has made my childhood such a perfect adventure & has given us all such wonderful lives.  

So… I guess what I am trying to say is that my mom has always been a planner.  This, of course, is not a negative, but is an attribute that I believe highly describes her motivated self.  That is why this spontaneous layover in Chicago was a wonderful surprise to me.  I have to admit I did not think I’d win the argument, but I guess that is what is great about my mom… she always puts myself & Daniel & Scott first because she loves seeing us happy.  

I don’t remember where I heard this story… it may have been a question Daniel asked or just some oral tale passed down among knowing mothers, but I was told that a child turned to his or her mother once on Mother’s Day & said, “why isn’t there a kids day?”  The mother than replied with, “because every day is kids day.”  & it’s true.  How lucky are we kids to have a day devoted to us almost every day of the year?

But today is her day.  Happy Mother’s Day to the most devoted & wonderful MAMA BEAR around.  I know I have written posts before about how lucky I am to have a mom like mine, but sometimes she just goes above & beyond… like all the time really.  I love that you can laugh at yourself & your stupid questions, I love that you call me “Baby Bear,” I love that when you smile your face does too, I love that you listen, I love that you are sensitive like me, I love that you have specified “off duty” times of the day, I love that you recycled that vest that you loved so much (you know what I’m talking about), I love that you like to travel, I love that you can talk to anyone & to walls, I love that you have chutzpah, & I love that you love me (PS: Everyone else out there who is reading this should be SUPER jealous that she is not your mom because she is awesome & you’re missing out!!!).  

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU LOVE ME! (& it is possible…).

-Ciao

21 resolutions.

21st birthday dinner at Rocco's Tacos!

In the words of Ferris Bueller, "life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."  I'd say Ferris was pretty right... per usual.  Because just yesterday, I turned 21 after only a few blinks of the eyes.

All around the house I see pictures covering the walls of us 3 kids in the days I don't remember: pictures of me running around in a diaper & a little blue hat, days when dressing up in a hula skirt with a coconut bra was completely acceptable, the pictures of vacations that are somewhere in my heart, the day Daniel held me wearing his "I'm the big brother" shirt & Scott next to him in the "I'm the middle child" shirt when I first came home from the hospital, pictures of me torturing our cat in a stroller (if you catch my drift), ones of the 3 of us cheesing for a photographer, & countless other forgotten, but not lost memories of my wonderful childhood.

I must say it was a pretty great childhood.  I was pretty lucky to end up where I did; in a loving home with 2 great parents & 2 older brothers, who sort of liked having me around... I guess.  I was the baby... clearly most loved, most adorable, & definitely most favorite &, the truth is, it is still true today!  2013 was pretty great for me, but I am willing to accept this 2014 business...

So, as I sit on the cusp of 2014, with an astounding amount of new-found wisdom with another, more mature year on my belt, I think it is only appropriate to make 21 resolutions in honor of my short 21 years.

2014 RESOLUTIONS:
1. Run a half marathon.
2. Learn to make a new favorite meal.
3. Make straight A's!
4. Figure out my life? (possible?!?)
5. Volunteer more around Gainesville.
6. Become the first female president. (casual)
7. Get out & meet new people!
8. Speak Italian for an entire day.
9. Run at least 3 times a week        
10. Lose 8 pounds.
11. Successfully control my portion sizes at meal times.
12. Find the cure for cancer. (winner)
13. Talk to my relatives more often.
14. Clean out my closet. (I am a hoarder... the truth comes out & the first step is admitting to my problem.  I am Rachele & I am obsessed with clothes)
15. Learn to like tomatoes. (Why must they be in everything?!?)
16. Plan a spring break adventure with friends.
17. Make my bed every day. (EVERY day)
18. Read at least 10 books for pleasure.
19. Continue writing in my blog.
20. Embrace the future.
21. LIVE IN THE MOMENT!

Ciao & have a safe & fun night!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome 2014!

my kinda cardio.

Thelma & Louise

Some people say shopping is easy, but I'll tell you up front, shopping is tough stuff.  I mean, we have all heard about those brutal Black Friday stories... some are practically on a whole new level of horror, but those shoppers we speak of are professionals. My mom & I are just 2 rather experienced, but not quite professional (yet) shoppers on a mission.  Partners in crime if you will.

But shopping isn't just a mindless game... it's war; it's exercise.  I'll have you know, just on our short outing to the Palm Beach Gardens Mall, my mom & I took 7,952 steps, burned 1,780 calories, & walked just over 3 miles. Ladies & gentlemen, the truth is out... shopping ain't easy.  Actually, shopping might just be the ticket to a healthy lifestyle.  Not only are you buying things to look good & feel good, but you look good doing it.  & it is easy to track it all with your handy (well, actually, wristy) Fitbit!  Shout out to AC (Aunt Cindy) for always picking out the perfect holiday presents!

Anyway, you got the legs when walking from shop to shop, you got the arms when carrying the merchandise like barbells, & you got the core from the crunches you do while taking your shoes on & off in the dressing rooms.  & sometimes (like on a Black Friday kind of important shopping day), you have to throw a few punches, kick a little, & huff & puff past the slow pokes to make moves in the nice shops.  Shopping is total body, kickboxing, & an ab workout all in one.  So don't feel guilty when you make that side trip to "Chick Fil A..." you deserve it!

I'm not kidding around either... you should have seen the sweat I broke while trying on sweaters today.  It took a lot out of me I'll have you know!  Especially when trying on winter sweaters... & in this Florida heat.  I mean the people up north have it easy because at least when they try on sweaters the weather is "fitting."

Not only do you get all this accidental exercise, but you are working the mind too.  All those numbers & sales & difficult style decisions... I mean those decisions aren't going to make themselves.  With all these sales we are really saving SO much money... it's a steal.   

So I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that shopping is not only important for your closet & your physical, outward appearance, but it is also crucial for your physique & mind.  Retail therapy is real people, but what you didn't know was that it's therapeutic to the body as well.

Who needs treadmills when you've got the runway down the Nordstrom's dressing room?  Or who needs weights when your lifting J-Crew, Anthropologie, & Gap all in one hand?  No one... this is a 2 in 1.  Shopping & exercise all in 1 package.  So ladies (I know I'm speaking to the heart here!)... GO SHOPPING because "shopping is our cardio."

& last, but not least... What does the Fox say?     

This is a T-Shirt... I think the Fox would say: "I'm honored to serve this country's malls & provide healthy living."

Shop-ping-ping-ping-ping-ping-ping!
Shop-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-ping!
Shop-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-ping!
... I had to.

Clearly a steal.

You heard it here first, but definitely not last! Ciao-

thanksgivukkah.

Happy Thanksgiving Break everyone!  But more importantly, Happy Thanksgivukkah!

Thanksgiving formally began(ish) way back when the Puritans were running the New World & when the most important part of the year was the harvest.  In honor of the goods of the year, the Pilgrims prepared a feast.

This is real.

Now, as an elementary schooler you probably remember that you would always have a Thanksgiving pageant, where you would get assigned a part in a play as a pilgrim or a Indian... you know, wearing that traditional bonnet & long skirt garb.  You probably also had to sing a few songs & finish off the event with a giant feast with an awesome, inedible turkey at the center.  & of course, it wouldn't be the Thanksgiving Day play without the beautiful friendship that was formed between the Indians and the Pilgrims & saying all you are thankful for.
  

But did that actually happen?  Did the Indians & the Pilgrims actually sit down to a civilized meal in Plymouth in about 1621 because of the awesome harvest?  Were the Indians really happy that their land was being invaded & that they were catching diseases from Europe?

I mean... I guess they still had that RIDICULOUSLY GREAT harvest to be thankful for, so it was worth it, & honestly... I am just glad we do celebrate it because I have a lot to be thankful for & it is nice to dedicate a day for how lucky we all truly are.

1.  I am thankful for my brothers, who are always there for me.  We may have had our disagreements growing up, but as kids go, we were pretty awesome.  I loved growing up with you guys even though I don't remember it all since my memory is a failure, but I know there were some amazing times in there.  Like the time we built the fort in Daniel's room, while Jerry was painting the walls to look like blue jeans, or all the times we played "monster under the blanket," or the times I volunteered to be Scott's personal slave so he would like me.  I mean... life would have been pretty boring without you 2 around.  Thank you for being my siblings & loving me as your "baby blister."  (Yes... I did say blister.  Don't ask... but if you want to ask, ask Daniel).


2. I am thankful for my mom, who is MY BEST FRIEND & the greatest mom that has ever existed.  She always goes above & beyond in all circumstances to make me & the rest of my family happy.  She is the role model that I strive to emulate & she is the goofiest in the most perfect of ways.  I love you & am truly thankful for you every day because you treat me like royalty even when I don't deserve it or for no reason at all.  The truth is, you are the queen & we should be treating you like royalty.  <3

3. I am thankful for my DAD, who is probably one of the most selfless humans I have ever met.  All he cares about is the happiness of his family.  Growing up my dad would bring me a glass of water EVERY night before I went to bed (the truth is... he still does it when I am home from school) & when I was younger, he would read me a bedtime story... usually "Bread & Jam for Francis" or "Where's Mickey's Red Ball."  My dad was the "monster under the blanket" as well as the "monster in the water," but he is no monster at all.  Thank you for your wonderful spirit & dedication to us.  I always say... if you had asked my dad as a child, "what do you want to be when you grow up" he would have responded with: "a father."  You are probably the best father out there. 

& 4. I am thankful for the role models I have in my mom & her 2 sisters.  They may fight & get in arguments over stupid things.  They may cry. They may get defensive & stressed out, but I know they are always there for one another.  These 3 women have some of the best memories together: the trips from Hong Kong to the states during the hot, Florida summers, the vacations in Chicago, AFRICA, watching the nieces & nephews grow up, throwing parties on the forbidden white carpet (even though Phyllis caught you), crying out for your younger sister in the night because the darkness is scary, sharing clothes (unwillingly), taking Phyllis to the Academy Awards & us watching it (& you) on TV, going to each others' weddings, the Goldsmith on a Quiet Street that NEVER existed, Tybee Island, laughing at each other, taking silly pictures, being confidants, being role models, learning stuff from one another, being "so glad we married Fred," flying from California all the time, & just being the perfect set of 3 Musketeers.  You always hear about how sisters lose touch as adults & rarely see one another, but not these sisters.  Almost without fail these 3 talk at least once a week & share a special bond.  I know this may sound cheesy, but it's the truth.  Life is hard & sadly, people tend to respect their family & close friends less than strangers.  You just get comfortable & forget to take a second to show how important they are to you.  I am so proud to have these 3 in my life because I hope to be half as amazing at keeping in touch with my brothers as they are with one another.  They are 3 incredible, independent women, who have all taught me amazing things.  I wouldn't be who I am today without the "fun Aunt," who called my "Butterfly Princess Heart Flower" until I was 3636454, the "silly Aunt," who always has something comical to say & the "perfect Mom," who taught me the importance of sibling bonding.  I may be partial to the latter, but without the other 2, you just don't have the Goldsmiths.  The LOVE is there... just don't forget.  & especially don't forget to "live in the moment" because you only get 1 family.

Maybe we can all learn a little something from the Puritans & the Indians circa 1621... even if that friendship wasn't real.
  

Ciao & Happy Holidays!

chapter 2: in a nutshell.

Right now I am in the second chapter of my life: college.

It is kind of a confusing chapter where, at least for me, you feel very unsure about the next step... aka chapter 3.  You're kind of "bopping around, not really sure which way's up" & getting smart, but really just going to classes & hoping for that positive letter grade at the end of the semester.  Chapter 2 mainly focuses on your future.  You don't want it to, & you suppress & deny it every day, but sadly, it's the ugly truth.  It's a long, hard road, but in between those readings & lectures there is always room for a good-ole-fashioned study break... 

THE LIFE OF THE AVERAGE CHAPTER 2:
-You wake up tired & uncertain what the day will bring
-You probably drink a cup of coffee (or 2)
-You check your grade on E-Learning... most likely frown because it wasn't quite high enough
-You listen to music on your walk to class
-You make it to class right on time & sit in your usual seat, probably middle-back
-You half-listen/half look at facebook/buzzfeed, while the professor instills knowledge into your already beyond capacity brain
-You take some notes, but mostly doodle
-You walk out confused & hungry
-You check your grade again to see if it changed
-You eat lunch & cram for the rest of the day with flashcards, StudyEdge, & packets, LOTS OF PACKETS
-You go to the library
-You stalk ISIS & read up on your teachers
-You stay at Club West until the neon lights burn your eyes & you start making friends with the janitor & the Starbucks staff
-You send some emails
-You laugh when you see 2 guys on a scooter on your walk home & it probably makes your day
-You eat dinner & stare at your textbook for a couple more hours hoping osmosis is real
-You look at the clock & don't know how you missed the last 12 hours that seemed to fly by
-You shower & fall asleep feeling like you forgot something
-You wash, rinse, & repeat 
-SOMETIMES you see friends & sometimes you see Midtown (but on occasion, lets be real)

THE NUTSHELL:
In life, parents always tell you, "It doesn't matter how you do as long as you try your hardest."  I can tell you with 99.67% certainty that I have been trying my hardest for almost 21 years & yes, sometimes it succeeds & sometimes it doesn't (but hey, that's life & it doesn't mean you are stupid!). 

What they forget to tell you is this: "sometimes even your hardest doesn't quite get you that 4.0 that your future seems to looks at."  But the thing is... your chapter 3 doesn't know you.  That piece of paper you hand your chapter 3, often called a resume, is just a list of things you've done & your grades.  But what your future doesn't know is your personality, what makes you so... you.  The truth is, your chapter 3 is missing out because you are pretty awesome & they don't even know that.
    
My very loving mother gave me some wise advise today, she said, "In two years, that bad grade you got on that one quiz in that silly international studies class your junior year is not going to matter."  & you know what?  She is 100% right.  It may seem like THE END OF THE WORLD today, but I promise you it won't change who you are or what you will truly become.  It is just a small hiccup in your amazing life. 

Now I'm NOT saying: "Congratulations!  All this work you do in college is stupid, so you should just quit while you're ahead & maybe possibly turn into Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg & make millions & millions by being a fantastic genius of an inventor."  Rather, I am just trying to tell you that you are more than your GPA; you are a unique individual with a personality & a bright future.  You are special in your own way.

Sometimes you have a rough day, like I did today, but you just have to remember that not only do you have people out there who love you, but that you can love yourself too.  Most of all, don't forget that your parents will ALWAYS love you & most definitely unconditionally.

The thing is... chapter 2 is more than just figuring yourself out & what you want to do with your chapter 3, it is about just experiencing life & becoming a well-rounded you.  If you read between the lines in chapter 2, you will see that the margins tell you to go out & enjoy the little things:  Make the effort to see friends when you have a spare minute or 2, go out to dinner because you can, talk to people who you have never met before, take a second & listen to Century Tower when the bells go off, get Mochi, fill out that F Book you get during orientation, eat Krishna, fall asleep in Plaza of the Americas, play Humas vs. Zombies, listen to that silly priest in Turlington because it's interesting, stop & stare at those weird blue trees, volunteer, meet someone at the French Fries, apply for EVERYTHING (but don't get too upset when you don't get it), & sit back & truly listen when someone talks to you without any distractions (i.e. no phone).

But really, take a second & breathe.  This is your life.  This is your present.  Your future can wait while you live your life.  You only get a chapter 2 once... Make it count.

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.)

journey.

The top of the Ute Trail

Today was filled with some unexpected surprises.  We knew the trek we were about to take was going to be challenging, because our hiking book told us so, but we didn't know how challenging...

Our plan:
-wake up.
-act casual.
-drive up to the Ute Mountain Trail Head.
-hike for a little over a mile over steep terrain.
-relax at the top.
-eat lunch at the Sundeck.
-take the gondola down.

Except... the gondola & the Sundeck weren't at the top when we got there.

As it turns out, that steep, switchbacky, rocky, & slightly difficult trek to what is known as "the rock" is in fact only part of the hike to the gondola & the local's morning exercise.  They practically run up the thing before their morning coffee. 

When we reached the top of "the rock," we realized quickly there was not enough room anywhere for a popular mountain restaurant or a giant gondola, so we decided that the rest of the trek to the top couldn't be all that hard... right?  WRONG.  We had quite the journey this morning.  A trek that did not go as planned, but was rewarding all the same and probably even more.  The locals described it as a difficult hike, but one that people regularly & actively do.  We decided we couldn't back down from the challenge & started up.  & up... & up.

It was not as simple as it was made out to be.

I lost sight of my parents pretty far back & was on my own for the majority of the trek, which ran up the double black diamonds of Aspen Mountain.  Jackpot is a run that I have never snowboarded down, but I can now say I have trekked all the way up!  I know I have done trails comparable or possibly even more difficult through my experiences with Adventure Treks & with 30+ pounds on my back, but this hike was more of a wake-up call for me, as I have not hiked anything this difficult in years!

I was glad to have my 2 liters of water in my Camelbak because otherwise I would have run out of water.  Speaking of my Camelbak, I did something really stupid the other day.  I pulled it out of it's storage after a year of not using it & it had some mold congregating in the tube & inside the mouthpiece.  I know... YUCK!  Anyway, I was working on this problem endlessly for hours... how do you clean a small, 2 foot long tube?  I washed it with soap, I soaked it in hot water, I massaged it, I did everything, including creating a device from scotch tape.  I rolled up some paper and covered it in tape, creating a tube-like utensil to clean out the inside of the tube.  Everything was going great... it was really working, cleaning out the mold.  Until it didn't.  My device broke in half.  In half!  And guess what?  Not only did I have a mold problem, but now I had a scotch tape problem too.  DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!  Rookie mistake... luckily tubes are replaceable & only $9.99.  The simpler solution.

This picture doesn't do the vertical-ness justice.

Back to business... the trail just seemed to never end.  From the lookout point with "the rock," the distance was only about 2 more miles, but the 2,000 more feet of elevation gain was never mentioned.  I'm serious... the trail was 100% vertical, 99.23% of the time.  Interestingly enough, the portion of the trail that was actually walking up the double black diamond terrain was actually easier for me than the second half on the blue slopes.  Go figure.  Maybe it was because I was tired or maybe because the altitude was higher, but once I got to the rolling blue slope, I was only making about 20 steps before doubling over, completely out of breath.

Luckily there was a nice man behind me who gave me some good advice about my hiking skills.  He told me that hiking is a marathon... it is not as important how fast you get there, but that you get there & that I needed to slow my pace, control my breathing, & not take breaks so I do not confuse my heart rate.  I listened.  I followed his pace & made it up the last 600 vertical feet without dying.  Go Carole (Juno if you are confused by that reference)!

Let me tell you... it was worth the huffing & puffing because that beautiful panorama of Aspen Highlands, some Snowmass, Sopris, & of course our Bells.  There was bluegrass music playing by a live band & families were everywhere... enjoying the afternoons.  It was a pleasant place to be.

I waited up there for a while until my dad came & we ate lunch in the Sundeck.  I was receiving sporadic texts from my mama bear exclaiming how tired & exhausted she was... but where was she?

At one point I walked down a ways to see if she was on her way up... nada.  I asked a couple if they had passed a woman in a blue shirt, maybe in the need of a lift?  They said they had passed no one.  My original thought was "oh oh," but then I decided we must have just missed each other... she entering the restaurant from the other entrance just as I exited from the back.

I walked back up & saw my dad waving to me from a bench & let's just say mama bear was TIRED!  I won't go into any more detail because I will be toast, but this was the. hardest. thing. that. she. has. ever. done. (as I quote from her facebook status).  Proud of both my parents today... facing challenge & conquering like champs!  You guys are awesome! 

Yes... I have 3 arms.  Don't worry, I got it removed.  This is what I looked like before the plastic surgery.  

Peace & Ciaos.

the call of the bells.

 The Maroon Bells have been two rather ever-present mountains

that I would always see from the Elkcamp Lift.

Today my parents and I challenged the Bells & even ourselves.  We 

reached Crater Lake (our intended

finish, but I FORCED us to continue up & hopefully

over to Buckskin Pass.

The trail proved to be more difficult than expected & we 

were probably a bit in over our heads,

BUT it was Beautiful! 

 The neat thing about the Maroon Bells are how the look so close

at all times, but they are always so far!

It reminded me of our family vacation to Alaska, where we hired

a pilot to fly around Mt. McKinley.

Pj would fly that plane (while looking back at us he flew!!), & the cliffs

looked so close that you thought you

could reach out & touch them (hence why we would freak out

when he would look back at us.

No need to look while driving... it's not

important or anything!)  The Bells seemed the same.

No matter how many miles you walked toward them, the distance just didn't seem

  to change... I always felt like I could reach out & grab hold of

them & ring them, but they were miles & miles away.
Well played Bells, well played.

One of my favorite things is looking at all the contrasts of color.
The blues, the greens, the greys, & the browns.
Could a sky get much bluer?
I mean seriously... look at that sky!!  

I have to throw a shout out to my mama bear, who struggled every

twenty steps or so... but after some

gentle coaxing (aka personal attacking), she trudged (almost) all

the way to the top.  So we thought...

apparently we were far from close.  We hiked for hours,

across a river, over a waterfall (yes, this is real life), through woods, past

lakes, up scree fields, & through wild flowers.

Hours later we could just barely see

the pass & decided to call it a quits. Hey, it counts!  We saw the pass!!!

Right now she is talking bad about me because we are all tired & 

our feet our sore & it seems like a good idea, but she will

thank me later...  YOU KNOW I'M TALKING TO YOU

MAMA BEAR! It was worth it & we were just

living in the moment!

Ciao-Ciao