Wedding Wednesdays: How it all began

Today I'm starting this sweet link-up about my love and I. Thanks to Leia over at Latitude Adjustment for promoting the idea and Sam at The Married Couple for creating this. So on Wednesdays you'll be hearing one aspect of our wedding.

1. how it all began: how you met, first date, first kiss, how long did you date? first picture together.....etc.
2. when you knew he was the one: self explanatory.. but how and when did you know?
3. proposal: how it happened, how long were you engaged for? was it a total surprise?  pictures of that... etc. 
4. the ring:  tell us about it! did you pick it out? did he? pictures! tell us about his ring too!
5. engagement/bridal pictures: let's see em!
6. the colors: show some of the flower and colors you used
7. the dress: was it what you always imagined? did you have it made for you? or ivory? 
8. the little accessories: you know, veil? shoes? jewelry? what did your bridesmaids wear?
9. the reception: where was it at? show us some pictures! what day did you get married?
10. the cake/food: i love food. so tell me about what you had at your wedding!
11. your song and/or the first song you danced to at your wedding: share a music video or lyrics if you can!
12. favorite part of the day and least favorite part of the day: can be anything.
13. honeymoon: where did you go? was it good?  ;) haha...jk.
14. thoughts on marriage: what is the easiest/hardest part? if you could change anything, what would it be?
15. first place that you lived together: pics if you have them!
16. kids: do you have any yet? if not, when do you plan on it? how many do you want? any tips on good/bad birth control?
17. most recent picture of you and your significant other and what you love most about them :) and any other thoughts.

Since I had both of our stories on our wedding website, I'm going to share it here too...Here goes numero uno!

On our first trip, April 30, 2012

His story

The day I met Lisa was a very early morning. I arrived at my work and they told me that a co-worker was sick and I should go in his place. I wasn't very excited but I finally accepted. At this time I worked traveling from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado on a bus, as passenger assistant. My favorite part, and the main reason for working at this place, was that during the trips I would put on movies so the passengers wouldn't get bored. I had total freedom to show whatever I wanted and I liked this a lot.

The bus was going straight to Cusco and I was hoping to talk to someone so I went up to a woman who was seated behind Lisa. I remember I sat next to the woman and told her I was bored and wanted to talk to someone. So I began asking questions, as if it were an interview about her life, until she got bored and stopped answering, more and more frequently.

Just then I saw Lisa. Hours before we had crossed paths in the walkway and spoke a little. I knew she was an English and Math teacher at a school in Cusco. I said to myself Talk, it's now or never. I was very happy I did, we were talking for a long while. I liked to listen to her and feel that she listened to me, so much so that I forgot about my job and the bus was abandoned, the majority of people bored. I felt remorse and went to put on a movie (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids). We were already almost arriving and I stood to the side of the door, waiting to give her my phone number or to know some way to contact her.

It was a huge surprise that she approached me with a seed that she had brought from Puerto Maldonado. She gave it to me and told me to call her. I looked in my hand and on the seed was written her phone number. My heart beat very fast and I had a huge smile. I got off the bus, very happy, walked a few blocks, it started to rain a lot. I found a public phone and invited her to go out that night, she accepted, and arrived a few minutes late.

 Later we went to a bar to listen and have conversations with each other, the same way we had before. I was happy that my friend had gotten sick that day and that I had traveled in his place to have this grand opportunity to have met this fantastic and loving girl who will be my wife.

Our first picture together, April 22, 2012

Her story

I had just gone to Puerto Maldonado with some friends and enjoyed the plants, animals, and beauty of the jungle. We were returning just as we had come, 8 hour bus ride. We left early in the morning, it must have been about 8am and I'm sure we were looking lovely. We decided to get bus-cama (reclining) seats and not many other people were on the bus. So I was relaxing and hoping there may possibly be a good movie on. I didn't have high hopes considering on previous long bus-rides I had to zone out from watching Beverly Hills Chihuahua. The first movie was The Graduate, then proceeded by Charlie Chaplin and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I was thoroughly entertained, what a surprise!

Then the attendant boy comes by, with his tattoos and hair parted. His tattoos suggested he was interesting and open-minded. He sat next to a lady a few rows behind us. He said ''I'm bored and want to have a conversation. Tell me something". The lady was not interested in talking. So I turned around and asked him something. From there we were talking for most of the ride back, except for when he had to pretend to be working. We talked about many things and it was exhilarating to have such an interesting conversational partner.

After we returned to Cusco, I knew I wanted to see him again. I thought, why not take a chance. So I wrote my phone number on a seed that I found in the jungle and gave it to him upon getting off the bus, my heart beating the whole time. He asked if I wanted to meet later that evening and I said sure.

That's where it all started. We met up that evening and stayed up all night talking and watched the city lights from the top of the town. I'm still in love with the sweet guy I met that day and am excited to share so many more memories together.

That wraps it up in a nutshell ;)

Thanks for joining, see you soon!

DIY: Paper Lantern Lights (+ giveaway link-up)

Hello lovelies! Before the DIY project, I'd like to share a great giveaway opportunity my friend Leia is hosting, over at Latitue Adjustment. Sign up and maybe you'll win a pair of some snazzy glasses or shades...Definitely check it out!

DIY: Paper Lantern Lights

While you're here be sure to check out other my other wedding decor craft projects ~ wine wine bottle vases and tin can table lanterns!
My vision with this project was to use Christmas lights for lighting and decoration, but with an added element. This project was perfect! To make these little lanterns, I referenced the blog Poppytalk because it has an easy and visual instructable. 

Prepping tips:
* I used paper a bit thicker than tissue paper. It seems paper should be thin so that the lights will shine through and still be bright. Newspaper would also be a cool effect!

* Use desired colors. Mine were purple and white.

* My cubes turned out about 1 1/2in. x 1 1/2in. Original paper was measured 15cm x 15cm.

* If you need to make a lot, throw a little lantern-making party with some friends! I'm so thankful for all the help I received because they got done so much faster.

Making the lanterns:
* Essentially your lanterns will be balloon origami! Here are the steps:

(www.poppytalk.com)

After:

* You'll blow up the balloons and slip the open end over the light bulbs. 

* I recommend doing this after the lights are already hung. It's much easier because they will fall off if moved a lot.

* I ended up having so many Christmas lights hung, that I didn't put lanterns on all of the bulbs. But the effect is still apparent and sets a whimsical mood :) 

And the final product looks like this!

(www.poppytalk.com)

Thanks for joining me. Isn't this DIY fun and easy!?

2013 Goals Revisited

Hey all! It's July and half of 2013 has already flown by! So I'm looking back on my goals/resolutions I created at the beginning of the year. It's a good time to re-evaluate and revision what they look like, and to make sure they're realistic. Here it goes!



* Practice Ukelele *
So far: This was the best gift I've received maybe even since my stereo boom box in 4th grade! After not having my ukelele for a few months, I'm excited to pick it up again. I've got about 8 chords down and can play a few songs by heart. More updates on this to come!
Revision: Practice 1 hour per week.



* Read at least 1 book per month *
So far: I've been on ups and downs with this one. But reading on public transportation has been a great use of time. And the ladies Book Club I've joined has helped to keep me on track.  Books read: 

Just finished!

Want to read soon!

* Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
* Post Office, Charles Bukowski
*City of the Beasts, Isabel Allende
*Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, David Sedaris
*Radhika's Story, Sharon Hendry
*The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Revision: Read at least 1 book a month, even if it's not a huge novel. And finish The Notebooks of Don Rigoberto!

P.S. Does anyone know of an online 'Book Club' they can recommend??



* Attend Vipassana meditation retreat *
So far: Well, I haven't done this yet. I participated in a 10 silent course in 2010 and had very beneficial experiences, in which I surprised myself. My goal is to take time to sit with myself.
Revision: If I am able to participate next month in Lima, I'd like to. If not, I plan to find another type of meditation or exercise to focus myself.

* 1 blog post/month *
So far: My goal was originally to generate creative expression and practice writing skills. I've been posting on average 3 posts/month.
Revision: Now that I've been posting a bit more, I want to learn more about the blogging world, making friends, learning techniques, etc. In specific: create comment page, button link, signature, work with a sponsor. AND I'm upping my ante to weekly postings instead of monthly (gotta get on this one!)

Thanks for tuning in...and have a lovely weekend!

Trip Tips: Hidden mountain-jungle gem Quillabamba

A few months ago, a friend and I had planned to take a short weekend trip. The destination we'd planned didn't work out since we didn't bring our passports, so we brainstormed other options. Spur of the moment, we hopped onto a van to Quillabamba, the closest jungle city to Cusco. The van was about 35soles.

At the highest point of the mountains, it was very eery as the fog and cold encircled us. My mom would describe this type of fog as ''thick as split pea soup''. The descent was a dramatic change in climate....

              From split pea soup

to 

                                                                     lush, tropical mountain-jungle.

We finally arrived the city of Quillabamba, after a 6 hour trip (1 hour because the road was closed for construction). I noticed the humidity and huge variety of fruits being sold. We found a hotel that was central and decently priced. Then we wandered around the town.

One thing I immediately noticed and loved was how green it was. Especially, parks and plaza were full of plants and flowers. Also, the abundance of fruits growing. We came to the conclusion that people wouldn't go hungry living in the jungle.

Lotssss of bananas!

The next day we went to explore. We heard there were piscinas (pools) and waterfalls so we headed out of the town to find them. After about 45 minutes of really bumpy roads, we got off where the waterfalls were. A local man pointed us in the direction of the free non-touristy ones. They were breathtaking (and way too cold to go in).

The hidden waterfall we were pointed toward, Huaynapata

After we took pictures and found cool bugs and plants, we met a woman who had a store and lived there. She offered us coffee, bananas, and avocados. Her 'yard' was full of these and she offered to take what we wanted. Across the road, we invested in coconuts and cacao pods.

Stopping for some snacks :)

Then we headed to the little town of Echarate, where we were told the piscinas were.  

Entering Echarate from the backside.

We walked and walked, and met a warm man and his son who were setting out cacao to dry. By the time we got to the top of the hill, we were glad to arrive at the pool. It turned out to be like a community pool and there were lots of families there. Echarate was a nice little town. We found a delicious little restaurant too.

Cacao drying

Coca leaves, sponge-like thing from tree, honey, coffee, pure chocolate

After this short 2 day 
adventure, we stoked up on a few essentials from the jungle and headed back to Cusco. 

>>>The essentials >>>

It was a lovely little trip with good food, nice and helpful people, and lots of beautiful nature. (The only downside was that the mosquitoes think I'm their friend hehe) 

Have you been to a jungle? What's your favorite thing?

Recipe: Sweet potato croquetas

This croqueta recipe comes from a new Latin cookbook my friend gave us for our wedding. Then I kind of tweaked it around and re-invented it. Ohhh, this makes me miss Spanish food (even though the book recipe is from Cuba)! 

Croquetas!

Ingredients:
~ Pinch of salt and pepper
~ Pinch of cayenne powder
~ 1/3 cup flour
~ 2 lbs of sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes)
~ About 5 slices of ham
~ 1/2 of medium sized white onion, diced
~ 1/3 cup of diced zucchini
~ 1/4 cup of diced olives (I used purple salty ones they have in Peru, but green will work fine too)
~ 1/3 cup of cheese
~ 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
~ 1 large egg
~ vegetable oil for frying
*cut all veggies, ham & cheese very tiny (about 1/4 of a dime size). They will be the filling.

Chop it

Directions:

Mash it

1. Peel and boil sweet potatoes. Let cool and smash with fork until smooth. Mix in egg, flour, and spices.

2. Cube and cook onions and zucchini.

3. Cube ham, olives, and cheese.

                        4. Mix cooked and raw filling ingredients.

Flour may help it not stick to your hand

5. Now take a spoonful of your dough mixture and flatten in your hand. Place a dime size amount of filling and seal up.  Roll in bread crumbs.

Ready for frying

Just a few at a time

6. In a deep frying pan, add about an inch of vegetable oil and heat. Place a few in at a time and make sure all sides are well browned on all sides. They should take about 5 minutes each.

7. Repeat process until they are complete, or save the mixture in the fridge and make more later.

            8. Set on plate with paper towel to absorb excess oil.

                    9. Voila! Serve as an appetizer or even a side dish.




A few helpful tips:
 * All filling ingredients should be chopped very finely, since they will be inside the small croquetas.
 * Opt for oblong, not circles. After a few trials, I found that oblong shapes cook more easily than circles in the frying process.
 * While I like my marshmellows lightly browned, that's not the case with these ones. You know they're done frying when they're a darker brown color. Otherwise, the cheese doesn't melt and there's not a flaky exterior.
  * This recipe is said to make 20 croquetas. Maybe I made them small but I could have gotten about 40!

Expat to Expat Q + A: Travelin'

Happy weekend! Thanks to Belinda and Bailie who are hosting Expat to Expat link-up we have a new theme for June: travel! And a few of my questions were even added in at the bottom, cool! Here we go...

1.  Which airport would you like to never see again? 
I recall Florida is pretty crazy. My parents just had to go through there with a short layover, but luckily made their next flight. Phew what a relief after running across the airport frantically!

2. What is your travel nightmare? 
Missng a flight is never fun. Or loosing things like bank cards, wallet, or phone.

3. Would you rather stay in a fancy hotel and do less activities or stay in a hostel and do more activities?
Hostels and local activities is way more my style! I like to explore and find the hidden little spots to feel like I know the place.

This hostel was so neat because it was full of hammocks and mosaics.
Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.

 Also, I love couchsurfing.com and WWOOFing when possible!

The volunteer house at a wonderful farm I worked at in Costa Rica.

4. Do you have any pre-travel rituals?
I usually have a little type of reunion with friends and family. I also try to savor every last luxuries about the states, from baths to homemade food.

5. What is your favorite airline to fly with?
Whichever is the cheapest, which definitely doesn’t equate to top-quality. In Europe: Ryan Air. South America: LAN, TACA.

6. If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I’m dying to drive across the US and explore the state parks!

Roadtripping around Washington and Oregon

7.  How do you survive long haul flights?
Books, music, notebook, and a pillow.

8. What is your favorite stamp in your passport and why?
Hmmm…I suppose Chile and Colombia because they’re multi-colored :)

Questions from Lisa at Meanderings, Adventures & Crafty Inspirations (me!)

    1.    What are your top 3 necessary items for travel?
A large scarf: it’s so versatile! It can be a sling bag, a blanket, head-wrap, first aid bandage….the list goes on.
Notebook and pen: to write contacts, notes, and collect little papers in a new place.
The right shoes: I think we know why this one’s important.

 2.    What is your favorite off the beaten track trip in your current home?
This is a tough one, because there’s so many. I loved my trip to Quillabamba and wandering around the non-touristy towns outside of the city, finding waterfalls and all kinds of tropical vegetation! A blog on this trip is comin’ soon.

Thanks for joining and looking forward to seeing everyone else's responses!

I'm back, with a new prefix!

Hey all, so I've been on blog hiatus the past few weeks because a lot was going on: wedding crafting, coordinating and organizing details, friends and parents flying in... It all turned out wonderful and I am so excited to announce that Rafa and I are now married!

So, I am back and trying to post more frequently. Very unfortunately, my camera was stolen last month so you'll have to excuse any low-quality pictures until I find a better alternative. 

More posts comin' your way, have a lovely day!