2009: Best Year Ever! ...?

So I figure OKLAHOMA'S BLIZZARD 2009 is a good enough time to make my return to bloglife. And oddly enough, this just reaffirms my point. 2009 has been the best year of my life. The best.
Cody proposed. On Friday the 13th. Of February, the day before Valentine's Day.
In related news, we have an amazing location, I have the perfect dress, and my maids are the best girls around.
Cody has worked extremely hard and, with a little bit of luck, has been extremely fortunate.
And I have been so lucky to be able to share in his good fortune. And I can't really handle that of course.
I went to South America this summer. It was incredible beyond words. Other than the ones in these archives. Yeeah.
Cody and I celebrated our five year anniversary. Which is pretty inconceivable.
We also hit up San Diego and Sea World and it was fantastical.
Marie came to live with us and ride on our shoulders and yell at us and she's wonderful.
By chance, I got an amazing job that is actually relevant and interesting.
By the grace of baby cheeses I made all A's for the first time in my college career.
It snowed! Really snowed!
And so many more things that have made this year one for the record books.

That being said, this year kind of sucked.
Along with getting engaged comes so. much. complication. And so many questions. And so much judgement. And such a mess. And it totally took me off guard.
Cody's sweet darling Kitty Girl, his partner in crime for the last 15-some years, is no longer with us. And it's heartbreaking.
And so many more losses along the way.
And the heartbreak of friends. And the unexpected unpleasantries and oddities of life.

And I'd rather not dwell on these parts. Because that's not the point.

The point is, I don't really know that this year is so much better than others. On the whole, the plusses and minuses pretty much cancel each other out. The thing is, I think I'm figuring out how to be okay with that. I'm not saying I have it figured out, or that I know the secret to eternal happiness. I'm not actually sure how or when it happened. But I am letting the happy take over. And I like it!

I'm so incredibly lucky. It's strange to just get someone else's rewards by osmosis. I'm so happy for Cody. He really does deserve all the goodness that is happening to him. He's worked hard for it. However, I have not, but because I'm here, I get to enjoy them. And generally I don't know how to deal with that. And I know I don't deserve it. But it's still happening. So I'm going to do my best to earn it. And I'm not always going to. But I am trying.

Also, just to clarify, I am fully aware that I am completely obsessed with my ring. And it's obnoxious. But it's beautiful, and it means so much to me. Someone asked me if it's the ring I would have picked for myself. (I told Cody it was 100% up to him.) The answer: no. It's better. Cody is better to me than I am to myself. Which makes me realize it's okay to be nice to myself. And I think that's a good thing. And that's why I'm obsessed with my ring. And that's also why I'm not letting myself buy my wedding on clearance. I don't intend to have a platinum wedding, but I can do more than plastic. I can, and I should, and I am.

When it comes to getting married at 21 (gasp!) before I graduate (gasp!) and all the other scandalous things, after the first few comments making me feel bad and guilty, I decided to stop apologizing for doing what I fully believe to be the right thing. And then I forgot about that. But now I remembered! I know the commenters are largely looking out for my best interests, and I appreciate that. And it does make me sad when I get a concern before a congrats. But I am not stupid. I am me. And I know what's best for me more than anyone else.

In all, I've certainly grown up this year. In the best ways possible. And I certainly have a lot more growing up to do. And I know that I am on the path to doing so. This is the beginning of the rest of my life. And I have no idea what's coming next. But it's going to be great.

Thanks for everything 2009.

Hiatus (in case you couldn't tell)

Until I get that USB that downloads and translates your thoughts.

And by get, I mean make.

So many thoughts, so little time.

South America was wonderful. Absolutely Wonderful.

Current exploits: School, and not nearly enough weddinging. Which both induce tremendous amounts of panic. And allow for little writing time. But, some day, I will get back here.

Alive and well in Cusco

¡Hola amigos!

Perhaps I might have time for a real update now... We shall see. I wrote my last entries so hurriedly, I didn't realize how similar they were. Hope you don't mind the repetition. I'll try to mix it up.

I have officially been in Peru for a week, and it has been absolutely amazing, despite the frequent mishaps along the way. And be prepared, this may take a while.

We spent the first two days in Lima, getting to know our host family and the PUCP aka "la Católica" (The Pontificate Catholic University of Peru). My wonderful roommate in Lima is Dana, from San Diego, and we get along quite well. Our family has two small children who are pretty shy, but tremendously cute. Our "dad" Andres is great - very fluent in English, but we are able to speak almost entirely in Spanish, an unexpected surprise. I know I always underestimated my Spanish abilities, and I feel so much more comfortable now.

Among the fun new things in Peru is the lack of potable water, which affects way more than you initially realize - toothbrushing, fresh veggies (a terrible problem for me), not refilling water bottles! I'm assuming this stems from plumbing problems in general, because along the same vein toilet paper is not to be flushed... Definitely a weird habit to get into. One dangerous thing is the exchange rate (3:1) - many purchases have been justified with this, possible some of mine... : ) I also get slightly stressed about the traffic chaos - pedestrians are essentially ignored and lanes/signals are pretty much pointless. I get nervous enough in the US! Here we have a lovely example of Lima rush hour:

As for the university, it is eerily like OU, in ways I can't quite define. The rooms, the caf, the students, all seem perfectly reminiscent of the good ol' University of Oklahoma. Lunch is always interesting - we are set up on a meal plan where we have two main options, one dessert and one drink. The entree is almost always accompanied by rice, so I'm good.

Food in general has been quite good. My first dinner with my host family (which they graciously prepared even though dinner isn't really a Peruvian/Latin thing) was rice, potatoes, with pancakes for dessert. I was in heaven. I scarfed down my fish-burger without realizing what it was, probably for the best since I thought I hated fish... Lima's right on the coast, so maybe I like fresh fish?!

On Friday, after landing in Cusco we immediately went into the valley to acclimate to the altitude. Cusco is in the mountains, and much higher than any of us are used to. We stayed in Ollantaytambo the first night, after visiting our first Inca ruins in Pisac. That was our first day of major hiking, followed by many, many, many more. Also, this was our first day of encountering the peddlers that line the roads in the "touristy" areas. We were amazed by the beautiful things they showed us; little did we know how numb we would become to the sales pitches in just a few short days. I can't quite describe the majesty of the Inca buildings in this beautiful setting, but suffice to say this is when I started averaging 200 pictures a day. I can't help it when every view is some new and interesting variation of this:

Saturday we went to textile group in the village of Patacancha (after a breakfast of pancakes and caramel sauce) that is trying to preserve the traditional methods. Their weavings were amazing, and of course we all took advantage of the opportunity to buy, yet again. Our guide, Kennedy, was amazing - she's 25 and started the Awamaki group when the one she started volunteering with fell apart. They do amazing work, and I have to give them a plug after seeing all they do. We followed that up with some more ruins in Ollantaytambo and shopping (of course).

Unfortunately that night, somewhere between dinner and the train my money pouch/wallet left my side... With my driver's license, OU ID, debit card (with no ATM fees, ideal for use out of the US), international student ID, and about $50. Not a good time. Calls were made to the bus we took and restaurant we ate at, but to no avail. I had this plan see, where I would keep 90% of my important stuff in one place that I would be super careful with... and that was it. Oh well. I was able to contact my lovely support team at home to cancel the lost card and warn my bank that I would be using my backup in South America. I definitely didn't plan tremendously well, but it's working out, with much help from my mom and Cody!

I couldn't be upset for too long, because A) we were getting up at 4am the next day, B) to go to Machu Picchu! By coincidence, we went on the winter solstice, one of the most important days for the Inca, which they incorporated into their buildings. There was an option for climbing the mountain Wayna Picchu, but it is limited to only 200 tourists in the morning, and I thought I would be too late - though apparently there were still plenty of tickets left. Instead I got to watch the clouds roll in and out of the mountains and see the sun rise and hit the different places around the city. It was absolutely beautiful, and I made friends with many animals - llamas, lizards, and a squirrel/chincilla-type rodent. I spent about 10 minutes petting a baby llama. So fun. We then headed back to Cusco, with a stop at another textile group at Chinchero - surprisingly different from the Patacancha. It was amazing to see the differences in the two regions, despite the fact they were both using natural, traditional materials.

And we have been in Cusco ever since. The city is a strange mix of the early Inca and pre-Inca buildings and remnants, with the Spanish colonial overlay. We saw Saqsayhuaman, the fortress area just outside of Cusco, and many Spanish churches built on top of Inca temples. The Inca work is amazing, there are walls built of huge stones cut to fit together with absolutely no mortar or joining material. They clearly knew what they were doing, since their work withstood the many earthquakes recorded in Peru's history, while the churches built on top by the Spanish did not fare so well.

There is so much more to say, but most importantly, I would like to mention the weather - in the mountains, it goes from 70 to near freezing quite soon after the sun goes down... Which was quite a while ago... And most places don't have central heat... Including our hotel... Which has another fun story, perhaps I can share tomorrow while waiting for the plane back to Lima! Regardless, I am cold, and going to take a nap. No comment from the peanut gallery on the time of this post - there were extenuating circumstances...

Although I guess I have one more bit. I miss camp. Camp Cimarron, for those who don't know. I promise this is connected to Peru. All the hiking reminded me of the days of climbing down to the river, following trails that suddenly ended, and the wonderful peace of being in nature. In the city, I have been adamant about using the buddy system, to the point where my classmates think I'm ridiculous. But really, that comes from camp too - it's always better to have someone around, just in case. For some reason guys think it's okay to walk around this foreign city alone, without really sharing their destination. Call me a crazy feminist, but I just don't believe that. The activities, the communal meals - so many reminders of camp. Not to mention getting to tell people the story of how Cody and I met : ) I love making new friends!

In conclusion, I am having the time of my life. There is some missing setting in, but I know that coming back home will be such an incredibly happy experience, and I wouldn't trade this for the world.

¡Estoy en Lima!

WELL! Sorry for the delay, it has been a crazy few days. We are sitting in the airport, waiting to head to Cusco and Machu Picchu. It's so strange to think that somewhere around 38 hours ago I stepped off my plane here for the first time. (Which was a Continental flight from Newark, making this story all the more weird.)

There have definitely been some bumps along the way for our group - most importantly, one of the students is a Mexican citizen, and she spent the last month trying to determine whether or not she needed a visa to enter Peru. Finally, her grandfather in Mexico went to the Peruvian consulate there (who is only open 3 days a week for 3 hours a day), who told her she did not need one. So she landed in Peru, tried to pass through immigration with the rest of the group, and was told she couldn't enter, and she had to return to the US. So we think she's back in Oklahoma now, but no one really knows if she'll be able to join us... What a mess. But apparently Mexican citizens get turned back all the time? Peru is not known for institutional efficiency or clarity, we are learning.

Ach, and now we're boarding! More to come.

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Yes, I will admit that I love Pocahontas. And this popped into my head flying over the beautiful lakes and rivers, and in between the big fluffy clouds.

I love flying.

Despite my tray table being lopsided at about a 30 degree angle for the last flight. Despite all the little things that have gone somewhat imperfectly along the way. PS. Chicago-O'Hare, not the most organized. Although it would have helped if I had read my ticket...

To recap - I stumbled into Will Rogers World Airport at some ungodly hour this morning (oddly enough, around the same time my roomie landed in Lima). After discovering I did not have my confirmation number for my tickets (d'oh), I eventually got to my first flight. Two hours later, I landed in Chicago, wandered around for a half hour or so until I found my gate. And, oh my, the flight from Chicago to Newark is lovely. Lots of water. Reminding me I want to live by water. And mountains. And snow. Oh, and I've decided where I want to get married - inside a cloud. It's fun. Our pilot spent what seemed like quite a while playing in the clouds. I enjoyed it. I was tempted to take a detour to NYC after seeing it through the window... But it's not winter here, so I'll keep going.

And we're boarding. I am going to Perú. AAH. More details to come.

Wedding break!

So I'm on Peru overload. Now, I am beyond excited about this experience, and I can't wait to go. But school still sucks! I am not a fan of history books, I just can't read 'em. Makes my brain hurt. So I'm taking a Wedding Break!

I have a problem. It's called focusing-on-the-details-before-I-have-a-big-picture. Like we have our reception image planned. But no idea where that might be. In my mind the Oklahoma Heritage Center is awesome, but we have to see it in real life. I AM TAKING SUGGESTIONS. Ceremony outside, reception inside, somewhere in Oklahoma, preferably central because we know I don't like driving.

Anywho. Reception ideas:

• Pots of moss roses as centerpieces. Easy peasy. Presents for the wedding party? Maybe just the girls, haha.
• Tables lit from underneath. Like, glass tops with semi-opaque cover (see next) and lightbulbs underneath that make them colorful. Like this?
• Tables covered with newsprint. To color on. Possibly with printed designs. Like kitties. (I promise Cody is excited about this too, really.)
• Which brings me to favors = crayons! I would love to have custom wrappers. That would be awesome. But maybe just wrap the boxes.
• Balloons on the tables instead of numbers. If we do arranged seating... to be decided.
• Cody seriously wants a live band. Possibly an awesome one. Which I'm trying not to Debbie-downer him on.

I think that's most of our crazy ideas. If we go the arranged seating route, I want to have a fun/efficient way to get people to their table, so there's not a huge backlog of confused faces. But I suppose everyone will get it figured out by the time we're done taking pictures.

Because I refuse to take pictures with Cody before. We are both pretty excited about the whole surprise element with the dress and all. I think I'm taking it too far. I don't want anyone to know about my dress. I like surprises, so you should too?

I've been on two dress shopping trips. I think I'm not going to be a chain-shop girl. Mainly because I was amazed by the Bridal Boutique. (PS. Thanks for putting up with me today. I'm pretty sure I tried on 20 dresses. And at the end decided the first half were pointless.) I was totally expecting them to be more expensive! But they're still within my range, which makes me happy. I am slightly terrified about having to make a decision, but whatevs. It's so hard when everything is gorgeous! It's not like trying on clothes where some things just don't fit or look right. Everything. Is gorgeous. And I have to decide what's the most me-like. And when I tend to get defined as technicolor, that becomes a problem.

I'm going to go ahead and say that thinking about it too much might be a bad thing...

So. We don't have a location. But, in theory. I could be married a year from now. (Our date in relation to nothing is 6/12/10.) My only words are exciterrified. And 100% excited about the Cody part.

Oh, and if we hadn't established this, the blinding colors you see are ours. Kiwi green and skyish blue. Plus a little bit of everything else...

10 more days!

And here I thought I wasn't going to get in a 10 day post!

I just finished a writing assignment for the class that's associated with the Peru portion of Journey to South America. We have five due before we go, and I have really let them sneak up on me. We are assigned a variety of readings, and then a commentary under three pages on the associated topic. Tonight, it was "Rural and Urban Politics and Poverty". And Peru definitely has an interesting political history, to say the least. And I'm glad that I'm not walking in blind like the stereotypical "dumb American". But it is a LOT of reading. And some of the content is of questionable relevance (in my opinion). And reading on a deadline just ruins it.

And I'm just your typical college student complaining about having too much work : )

And now I'm back from re-uploading my paper, after realizing I hadn't spell-checked. Whoopsie.

Anywho, I really have enjoyed most of the readings chosen, and I've learned some interesting things. For instance, did you know that Peru/Lima has great Chinese food? I would wager that it's somehow related to the import of Chinese "workers" to replace the African slaves after slavery was abolished. Also, we had an excerpt from José Maria Arguedas's Deep Waters, which I now must read in full. Honestly, the introduction alone had me hooked. I think I must be part Inca at heart, because the description of how nature is tied to the people is just so beautiful and moving to me. If I'm brave, I might even try reading it in the original Spanish... But only if I'm really brave, as Arguedas wrote in Spanish from the Quechua (native Inca language) perspective, that is, using Spanish words with Quechua syntax. Only a little confusing...

Well, I must end this now, so it is published before my title becomes a lie!

14 Days Until Winter

So here it is, my fresh start, a new blog. At the old address. I can't help it! I love being Laurzilla.

Stay tuned for stories of my exploits. Currently, we are in the South America/wedding planning/summer episode. I'm trying not to lose my mind.

To catch everyone up, I am headed for Peru on June 16. Or as I'm trying to train myself, 16 June. Why must the US always be different?! Metric system, 24 hour clock, day/month/year - all these make a lot more sense. Oh well. Anywho, in a short 14 days I will take a ridiculously long and roundabout plane ride to the lovely city of Lima. I'm going with a program through OU called Journey to South America. It's half class, half tour, and I'm thinking all enjoyable. If we ever find out who we're rooming with... We spend 2 weeks in Peru, back and forth between Lima and Cusco/Machu Picchu, then hop over to Chile for another 2 weeks, spent in Santiago and Viña del Mar. I'm excited. And terrified. Which seems to be a theme for my life recently.

The rest of the summer, and I mean literally ever other available second, I am planning my wedding. Again, exciterrified. Cody and I are planning on getting married in the early part of next summer. I had this dream that maybe I could find a location before I left, but those days are quickly vanishing, and the panic of the perfect place being taken is replacing them. Luckily, I had the amazing luck to find a wedding planner - for free! The wonderful Leslie Conner is just starting up, and offered her services for free to the first 6 clients. She's amazing, and I am so grateful to have her help. But, I haven't quite figured out how much control I want to relinquish, and how to do that...

Somehow in the midst of all this, I found someone to hire me. For two weeks. And then lose me for a month to the Amazon. And then let me come back to work. This still amazes and confuses me. But, I am not arguing! All that to say, I must go get ready for my second day of training. Thanks for playing, and welcome aboard my blog!