Christmas

our first Christmas tree as a married couple (we need a tree skirt!)

this ornament was a wedding gift

i love snowmen!

orange glitter pinecones, courtesy of my sister

showing our alumni spirit

jingle bell snowman

one of my first ornaments

a Christmas gift from my boss, i love it

snowmen on the bookshelf

snowman love continues

love the giant ornaments, but not the messy bedroom!

inspired by this pin, i made this wreath

made Brad a "Yoda" snowflake, get the template here

found some holly in the backyard and used the tree clippings to make this swag

Santa's key to get in the house since we don't have a chimney

me and Kari at Mom & Dad's house on Christmas day

me, Mom, and Kari

me, Mom, Kari, and Dad

are you surprised that we're giggling?

me and Brad (all the presents have already been opened)

Our Amazing Adventure Photobook

I finally put together a photobook from our trip across Southeast Asia and India.  It took me a while to sort through all of the amazing photos that we took along the way, but I think it's a pretty fun book to flip through. I hope you all enjoy it.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books are the new way to preserve your memories. Create your own today.

Married! September 24, 2011

We've been living back in the United States since December 14, 2010.  I can't believe we've been here for almost a full year.....  We surprised our families by showing up at the front door unannounced (thanks to the help of a good friend picking us up at the airport).  It was nice to be home for Christmas, especially since we got to surprise everyone.




Brad and I started planning our wedding shortly after coming home.  After lots of talk, we decided to get married in our hometown of St. Marys, Georgia at the beautiful John McIntosh Sugar Mill Ruins.  The weather was great (a little humid), and we had our friends and family with us to celebrate our love.

We had our reception at the Overlook Room in Osprey Cove.  Our wedding colors were purple (Brad's favorite color) and orange (my favorite color).  The table decorations were simple.... burlap, wood planks, various glass jars, raffia, candles, and Alstromeria flower arrangements (created by Brad's Aunt Lorna and my sister, Kari).

We wanted to keep the favors simple as well, and also send people home with something that we felt not only represented our style, but also what we hoped people would use.  We decided on wildflower seed packets and my mom suggested placing them in small clay pots.  Adorable!

Here's a shot of my mom being walked to her seat by Brad's nephew, Seth.

My lovely sister, Kari, preceded me down the aisle.  Her bouquet was made of five white spider mums wrapped with a ribbon.

Brad rocked it in a pinstripe three-piece suit.  We kept it simple and a bit casual for Tripp, the best man, and asked him to wear gray pants with a white shirt and black tie.  The boutonnieres were made from Alstromeria flowers (put together by Brad's cousin, Rob).

My mom, who hails from Scotland, surprised me with a bagpiper who played as I walked down the aisle!  He was a wonderful addition to our day.  In keeping with the Scottish tradition, I wore a sixpence in my shoe.

I asked my dad to walk me down the aisle, which he happily agreed to do.  Without his help, we wouldn't have had any of our decorations.  He cut all the tree slabs for us (from a diseased tree), made the table number holders, cut the burlap, and together we built the pallet screens you see behind us so I wouldn't be visible to the crowd until I reached the aisle.  He's a pretty amazing guy.

I couldn't stop giggling, which made Brad giggle as well.  I suppose it was just nerves and excitement.  I felt so lucky standing in front of him at that moment, and my luck continues with each day that I wake up next to my best friend.  We decided to write our entire ceremony, including our own vows.  I feel like it made our wedding day even more unique and special because what was said represented our thoughts and ideas as a couple.  (My bouquet was made of burnt orange spider mums held together with a simple white ribbon.)

Needless to say, it was a truly amazing day.  And now, we are Mr. & Mrs.!!

-Renee

November 12, 2010 Random Thoughts

**Things I Miss (in no particular order)**

-my family and Petey

-cheese, Morningstar and Gardenburger products

-basically having access to a variety of foods

-living somewhere where lines are the norm and skipping is considered rude

-litter laws

-washing machines

-contoured pillows

-comfy beds

-hot water whenever I want it

-bath towels after every shower

-toilet paper all the time

-using sink water to rinse my mouth and toothbrush after brushing

-my clothes

-not having to carry all of my belongings on my back

-getting dressed up, sometimes with makeup

-public toilets and urination laws

**Thoughts on India**

The breathtaking Taj Mahal.

I’m not sure how many years I’ve been dreaming of visiting India.  I’d dreamed of the beautiful saris, the unique architecture, and of course the Taj Mahal.  I knew before I stepped foot into the country that I would love it.  Nothing I’d pictured in my head could have prepared me for the reality.

The streets are filled with color.

The country is filled with beauty.  Walking down the street one can admire the women dressed in their colorful saris, their arms filled with bangles that jangle, their ankles decorated with small bells, their ears holding gold earrings, their hands and palms decorated with henna, and their noses pierced.  They are absolutely lovely.

The buildings are exquisite.  Forts that contain palaces within their walls can be found in nearly every town in Rajasthan.  Hand carved marble adorns the exteriors of the buildings while stained glass and mirrors make the sunlight sparkle and dance in the inner rooms.  The Raj lifestyle was definitely an elaborate one.

Young children that asked us for money.

With the rich also comes the poor, and there is a lot of poverty here.  The disparity between the two is wide and extremely evident.  As we walk down the street, we are approached by children with ratty, natty hair asking for food, men with crippled legs begging for any spare change, and people of all ages simply asking for anything you can offer.  It is difficult to say no, but we must.  If we open our wallets for one, we must open them for all.  

A woman sits alongside the tracks
 in front of bags full of plastic bottles.

Riding on the train from town to town we see ‘villages’ that are nothing more than tarps fashioned into tents.  They are often located right next to the train tracks, as people take advantage of this ‘prime real estate.’  In India, all trash created on the train is thrown out the train window.  Therefore, people living nearby the tracks can find plastic bottles to reuse, scraps of food, and more.  The piles of trash along the tracks are alarming, and attract a variety of animals such as cows, pigs, dogs, and rats.

Shacks set up next to the railroad tracks.

Garbage is everywhere in India.  People don’t seem to care where they put it or where it ends up so they simply drop it from their hands no matter where they are sitting or standing.  Men and women spend their time sweeping it away from their door fronts and shop fronts.  These smaller piles of trash are then carried a few feet away to a larger pile of trash that is accumulating on the side of the street.  It is on these piles that you can find the ‘sacred’ cows of India scrounging for food.  They end up eating a variety of old clothes, plastic, and paper.

The India I love.

Some days, I find it incredibly easy to only focus on the waste that lines the streets, and see nothing else.  However, once I take a step back I find the India of my dreams:  the rich colors, the traditional architecture, and of course the delicious foods.

The people are very friendly and curious, always asking “Where are you from?” and “What’s your name?”  Everyone seems concerned with our opinions on their country.  “How do you like India?” is one of the first questions we are asked.  “It’s great,” we reply as we think of the incredible things we have seen thus far.

Prayer flags atop a mountain.

Every town we encounter is rich with aging buildings, narrow alleyways, and stunning mountains that beg to be explored.  The history in this country goes back thousands of years, and its beauty can be found everywhere.

-Renee

Diwali, November 5, 2010

Brad dances around fireworks on Diwali.

We found ourselves in Jodhpur, Rajasthan when the Hindu holiday of Diwali rolled around.  Diwali is one of India’s largest holidays, in which Hindus celebrate and pray to Laxmi, the goddess of money, that their pockets will be filled with riches for the following year.  We woke to the sound of firecrackers in the streets, as well as to car horns and all other noises that fill a typical street in India.  We enjoyed a relaxed breakfast on the rooftop of our guesthouse, Gopal, before hitting the streets to wander the markets and join in the madness of Diwali shopping. 

The market was packed!

The bazaar was packed with people on foot, bicycles, and motorbikes.  Cows wandered without direction looking for food to eat.  People all around bargained for jewelry, spices, blankets, clothes, belts, sunglasses, and so much more.  Pushing to get past others or to get to the counter first was the norm, a fight for oneself.  We were greeted by children and young men asking for their photo to be taken and bidding us a ‘Happy Diwali!’  We were invited into a fabric store where we admired the quilts and blankets that are hand stitched from scraps of old saris and enjoyed chai tea with the owner. 

A closeup of the miniature elephant.

Walking down the street a bit further we found ourselves being invited into an art store.  “No buying, just looking.  It’s a school,” the owner insisted.  He is a master of miniature painting.  We looked around the shop and discovered that he teaches his students for free.  70% of the proceeds from the store go directly to the students and the remainder is used to keep the shop open.  We admired the brushwork and intricacy of the paintings.  “Come and sit,” he said.  “I will make you a gift.”  We watched as he pulled out a split lentil and glued it to his business card.  “Less than one minute, you will see.”  He pulled out a fine tipped paintbrush and paint.  With no hesitation he laid the brush down to the lentil and before our eyes drew a tiny elephant on the lentil!  Amazing!  “The elephant stands for luck,” he explained.  “So I hope you will find luck in all your life."

A closeup of the peacock.

We thanked him and decided to support his shop by purchasing two cards.  “Come sit again, I will make a peacock for you,” he said to me.  “The peacock is the symbol of beauty.  I made the same for Nicole Kidman.”  We watched as he painted a tiny peacock on the lentil.  He then added color to the elephant and the peacock.  He also insisted we sit and have chai with him.  We couldn’t refuse, and so we were treated to more free tea! 

After his shop, we drifted through more streets and got lost in some small alleyways.  We stopped to smell a variety of spices, took photos of several locals that asked us, and simply enjoyed the business of the streets.  Wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the streets, we headed to a nearby rooftop restaurant that rewards its customers with an amazing view of the fort, Meherangarh as well as the blue buildings that give Jodhpur the nickname ‘Blue City.’

Drawing with my sparkler.

We went back to our guesthouse to have a rest before the night fell and the festival of lights began.  After just a few moments there was a knock at our door.  “Sorry to disturb you,” the owner says, “but it is Diwali and it is our tradition to treat our guests as family and we invite you to dinner on the rooftop.”  We were delightfully surprised by his kind offer.  We quickly dressed and headed to the rooftop.  Several of his family members were present, including his lovely wife and son.  We enjoyed a relaxed dinner, with the cook insisting we eat more and more.  After dinner we went to the prayer room where we asked Laxmi to fill our pockets with money for the year.  After dinner and prayers, the fun began.  A variety of fireworks were purchased and we spent the evening lighting them all and laughing along with the family.  We took turns writing our names with sparklers, danced around a spinning light show and enjoyed watching the children do the same.  It was a truly wonderful day, and we were so lucky to have been invited to join in the celebrations with our host family!

To see more photos of our time in Jodhpur, click here.

It's been a while....

Hello all! 

Just a quick post while I am at the internet cafe waiting for a night train to Varanasi, said to be one of the oldest cities in the world!

Brad and I are currently in India, and are enjoying ourselves immensely.  We flew into Delhi from Bangkok.  We have seen the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar, where we enjoyed free accommodation and free meals!  A great experience.  We went to the desert town of Bikaner and spent three days on a camel safari.  Not the most comfortable animal to travel on, but fun of course.  We headed further south to the town of Jodhpur, where we stayed in a small guesthouse and celebrated the Hindu holiday of Diwali with the family that owns the house.  Amazing.  Then to Udaipur, famous for its lake palace where scenes from James Bond's Octopussy were filmed.  It is a beautiful town.  Then to Jaipur, the capitol of Rajasthan, for a brief stop and a visit to an old for on a hilltop which rewarded us with views of the city.  We now find ourselves in Agra, the home of the incredible Taj Mahal.  Seeing it was spectacular, more than I can put into words.

India has a lot to offer, and we are trying our best to absorb it all.  Unfortunately, wi-fi hasn't caught on in this country so photo uploads and blog updates aren't so simple.  I'll do my best working with what I can.

We miss everyone and hope all is well.  Oh, and happy early Thanksgiving to everyone! 

-Renee

Making it across, barely....

We were in Sapa, northern Viet Nam when we decided it was time to move on to our next country.  The nearest border crossing for Laos from Sapa is located just west of a town called Dien Bien Phu, Viet Nam.  We didn’t know much about this particular border crossing, but based on our past experiences we decided we’d simply take a bus to Dien Bien Phu and figure it out as we went along.  

We squeezed into a minivan at around 7:40 in the morning and headed west through beautiful mountain towns and rolling hills.  We stopped for lunch at a restaurant where the only option was noodle soup with pork (I skipped lunch).  We continued on, only to stop a few hours later behind a line of cars.  Hmmm….what was the problem??  The driver hopped out to see what was going on, as did some of the passengers.  Examination of the situation found that the holdup was a giant pile of dirt in the middle of the road.  How did it get there?  I don’t know.  Action was being taken immediately, as four people with shovels were hard at work.  Motorbikes zipped by and rode over the mound of dirt, not bothering to wait.  After about ten of fifteen minutes of shoveling, one side of the mound was low enough to be driven over and we were again on our way.

Eight and a half hours after leaving Sapa, we found ourselves in Dien Bien Phu.  Uh-oh…  No one was approaching us after we exited the bus asking to take us across the border.  How far were we still?  Consulting our guidebook it looked like we needed to get to Tay Trang, a town that (according to our map) could be in either Viet Nam or Laos.  We hopped in a taxi and headed here, hoping to make it before the border crossing closed.  It took us about an hour to arrive at the Viet Nam border, where our driver dropped us off and bade us good luck.  We obtained our exit stamps and left the building, easy enough.  A security officer approached me for one final check of the passport, then told me it would be a six kilometer walk to the Laos border.  We had no option but to laugh at our situation and hope that our journey would be mostly downhill and that we’d make it before the sun was completely set.

After walking for about five kilometers, a truck was passing.  We stuck out our thumbs, hoping to catch a free ride for the remaining kilometer since it was quickly getting dark.  What luck!  They pulled right over and carried us to the Laos border.  The office window said the border was open from 7:30am – 7:30pm.  More luck, as it was only around 6:30 when we arrived.  An entire hour to spare, but not a border town or light in sight….hmmm….  We waited around for a bit, and walked from building to building looking for someone to issue us visas and legally allow us into the country.  After about 35 minutes, a man finally approached and asked us what we needed.  After discovering that we didn’t have visas or transportation from the border, he recommended we pull out our sleeping bags and wait until the morning to obtain our visas as there was no bus until around 8am the following day.  We all just laughed at the situation and went to a small restaurant to enjoy some fried rice for dinner.  

We opted to have an early night as we knew we’d have a difficult time sleeping and also have to rise early in the morning.  Luckily, the border police also sleep in the building, so the doors were left unlocked which meant we could sleep with a roof over our heads.  We bundled up in layers of clothes, and then lay down on the granite floor with a sheet hoping that the wind wouldn’t be too strong.  The night of sleep started off well, but once the real night set in and 2am rolled around, everyone was shivering.  Brad and I cuddled together and kept our heads under the sheet to create warmth.  Noel and Tim rolled around and ended up having on more than five layers by the time morning came (and very little sleep).

We rolled around on the floor after waking before finally sitting up and starting the day.  We packed our sheets away and removed our extra layers.  We were standing at the window before 7:30, waiting for the official opening.  7:30 came and went and the office still wasn’t opening.  “Wait,” said a uniformed man as he walked by us toward a restaurant to eat his breakfast.  Around 8:15 someone finally came to the window and gave us forms to fill out.  We then waited some more before being asked for our forms.  A lot of waiting and extra fees later, we were finally issued our Laos visa.  Now, how do we get to the next town??

Groggy and a bit cranky from the lack of sleep, we all stood around wondering what to do.  We were approached by a dude asking, “Bus?”  “Yes, please!  How much?” I asked.  Of course, he quoted some exorbitant amount.  Eventually, we got him down to $5 each for a 2 ½ hour ride to a small river where we left the bus and hopped on a small boat to cross over to the town of Oudomxay.  Hungry and tired, we stumbled into the first restaurant we spotted and had lunch before walking two kilometers to the bus station in order to catch a bus to Luang Prabang.

Now that we’ve made it safely across, the whole situation seems hilarious.  Definitely an adventure and another story we can add to our list!

-Renee

Legendary Hoi An, Viet Nam

We joined up with our friends Tim and Katie (both of whom we met in South Korea) in the UNESCO Heritage town of Hoi An.  The very next morning, Noel arrived.  We opted to wander the streets of the town to take in the architecture and scenery.  It is truly a beautiful town, well deserving of its UNESCO listing. 

Cool house in Old Town.

We entered houses that were hundreds of years old, and still standing after being flooded every year.  We were shown the trap doors on the second floor of these houses, where the furniture would be hoisted through when the waters rise.  We drank reptile infused medicine and were then invited to sit down to enjoy tea in the garden area.  We were shown the flood levels of the past years, and they all rose over our heads.  We stood in wonder at the houses before us, realizing their cultural value and were astonished at the way they stood up against the years of abuse from the river.  We enjoyed $1 mojitos along the riverfront at night and then shared a bottle of local wine on the balcony of our hotel. 

Feeding the dragon from the 2nd floor of a restaurant. 

The following day was Children’s Day, which also coincided with Legendary Night (which happens on the full moon).  Gangs of children dress up as dragons and go around the storefronts collecting money.  Feeding the dragon is considered good luck.  After an individual or business feeds the dragon, the dragon tamer then beckons the dragon to enter the establishment and dance as a way of blessing.  Many sticks of incense are lit, and the drums and dancing are heard and seen up and down every street.  

No electricity from 6-9pm.

From 6pm to 9pm, all electricity is turned off and only candles and lanterns light the way.  This makes the city even more beautiful and the reflections in the river are remarkable.  The streets were full of people, locals and foreigners alike, out to take part in street games, boat rides, and creating lanterns for wishes.  It was beautiful and exciting at the same time.

Hoi An is famous for its tailors, so Brad and Tim shopped around and eventually found the right tailor.  Tim had two suits made, and Brad had his wedding suit made.  They looked extremely handsome in their new digs.  I eventually caved and had a summer cotton dress made for myself (it’s pretty difficult to say no to tailor-made clothes!).

Madness on the streets for Legendary Night

We spent our final day riding bicycles around the city and eventually made it out to the beach, though just in time for sunset.  Hoi An was an amazing place full of friendly people, beautiful architecture, and delicious food.

You can see more photos of Hoi An here.

-Renee

Lots of Photo Links

I took a variety of photos in southeast Cambodia.  Some were taken on the island of Koh Rung, others are of Kampot and its surrounding countryside, and the third location is the quiet beach town of Kep.  Here are the photos taken at Bokor Hill.

Our first stop in Viet Nam was the river town of Can Tho (see Mekong post below).  From there, we went to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).  We took a day trip from here to see a Cao Dai temple and attend the service.  We also went to the Cu Chi tunnels on the same day.  Here are the photos from our day trip.

After exploring Ho Chi Minh City, we headed north to the beach town of Mui Ne.  We watched a lot of kitesurfers and spent our days relaxing on the beach.  It was nice, indeed.

We spent two full days in Da Lat, located in the central highlands of Viet Nam.  We walked all around the beautiful mountain town our first day and then went abseiling on our second day.  It was an amazing time, and one of our guides was kind enough to take many photos.

We left Da Lat and spent two days at the beach in Nha Trang before heading to Hoi An to meet up with Noel, Tim, and Katie.  We spent a day and went to visit the ruins of clusters of Hindu temples of My Son, which were built between the 4th and 14th centuries.

Hue, the former capital, was our next stop.  We spent an entire day wandering around the old Citadel grounds.  The following day we saw three royal tombs, a famous pagoda, and a beautiful old house with an amazing garden.

Here are several photos from Hanoi and Halong Bay (where we spent Brad's birthday).  Halong Bay was as gorgeous as we expected.

From Hanoi we headed north to the mountain town of Sapa.  Here we hiked through rice terraces one day, rented motorbikes for two days and got lost in the amazing views of the countryside.  Most of the photos in this album were taken from the back of a motorbike as we rode.

I know there are a lot of photos!  Hope you find them enjoyable.

-Renee

A Day on the Mighty Mekong (September 3, 2010)

In the middle of Cairang floating market.

We woke a little before 5 am, knowing that we had to be at the dock for 5:30 to catch our boat.  Walking up to the meeting place, we were greeted by a friendly looking woman and her child.  “Hello!” she said, and beckoned us to follow her.  As the day progressed, we discovered that ‘hello’ was the extent of her English.  She rowed the boat over to the dock and Brad and I climbed on.  We glanced at the sky and saw the sun was beginning to rise.  The colors were beautiful and the temperature was perfect.  Our guide started the boat motor and we were off!

Newer buildings behind the shacks and houses on the river.

We cruised down the river at a gentle pace, slow enough to take photos and fast enough to create a cooling breeze.  Activity abounds all along the river.  Houses and businesses line its edges, and even in the early morning people are awake and preparing for their days.  One side of the river is mainly hotels, restaurants, and other businesses.  The other side seems to be the residential area, with houses ranging from concrete to tin to thatch.  Seeing the two blended together at some points was quite a curious sight. 

Traffic signs along the Mekong.

The river is a main thoroughfare in the city, and boats glide past one another with ease.  Larger ones seem to have the right of way (as is the way on the roads as well).  Should two smaller boats come close to one another, the driver will stick his or her hand out to one side to signal which direction the boat will take in order to avoid collision.  The drivers are so experienced that they make maneuvering through the madness seem easy and ordinary (which to them, I’m sure it is).  To ensure driver safety on the river, there are traffic signs posted, though I couldn’t make much sense of them.

The driver's daughter and their just purchased duck.

After riding for a short while, we realized we were entering the ‘floating market.’  Dozens of salespersons fill their boats with a variety of goods and congregate on the river for swapping, bargaining, and sharing.  We immediately bought some hot coffee as well as bananas and donuts for breakfast.  Another boat passed us by offering tea and noodle soup.  Our boat driver purchased a live duck for her family’s dinner.  We passed boats filled with watermelons, some with bananas, and others with crabs.  Many of the larger boats sold only one thing, and as a way of advertising the boat owner ties whatever good is being sold (watermelon, crab, etc) to a rod and posts it at the front of the boat.

The boat with everything!

We rode on further to the larger floating market, Cairang Market. Here we found ourselves lost among numerous boats.  It seemed one could find anything.  One boat was full of clothes; another had plastic bags, toothbrushes, and other various household goods.  Some were piled high with heads of cabbage and lettuce.  I bought a small watermelon to enjoy later and simply gazed at everything else available.

The crabs on the rod act as an advertisement for shoppers.

From the market, we headed back toward the dock, but our guide took us on a small detour.  We rode through one of the smaller tributaries of the river and were able to see more houses and gardens along the way.  Our boat driver let Brad and I take turns rowing the boat.  It was much harder than it looked.  We pulled over and hopped off the boat for a short walk and our young guide pointed out lemongrass, durian trees, and other flowers.  She was really cute and enjoyed chasing the butterflies along the trail.  We then came to a homestay/restaurant area where we bought coca-colas for our guides and enjoyed lychees, coffee, and tea for ourselves. 

On the way back to the dock, the rain came.  Luckily while we were enjoying our tea and coffee, the boat driver had put the top up to block the sun.  We tied the sides down as the driver suited up in her rain gear and played with the daughter the entire ride back.  It was an eventful and exciting day, due mostly in part to our wonderful guide and her adorable daughter.  Score for Viet Nam!

-Renee

Click here for photos from Can Tho and our day on the Mekong.