Busting out a Blog

So as I pack for Spain/Chile, I've been juggling a couple different worries around in my head. The principal one at the moment being how on earth am I going to stay in touch with all of my friends and family while I'm abroad? Clearly snail mail isn't going to cut it, e-mail seems kind of lacking in visuals, and not everyone has a Facebook they are willing to share (and no offense but I don't quite want everyone checking in on everything I've been up to on mine either). A blogs seems like the best way to keep most of you in the loop, so I'm going to try it out. I'll be posting some initial stuff from the end of the year just to work out any kinks, but the real Chilean adventure will start on Valentine's Day in Santiago, Chile with the rest of the Faller Family. I'd love to hear any comments or criticisms on content and design and please, please, please let me know if you're having any problems viewing the blog.
Love you all and please write!
Merry

Highlight Reel 2009: Overall Cuteness of Friends!

To my adorable, thoughtful, goofy and fun friends:

You just keep getting more precious to me the more I am around you.

Girl's Lunch Out, Old Richmond Inn

Richmond, IN

On the Way to A Christmas Carol at the IRT

Indianapolis, IN

Fall Break Beach Shadows with Sin and Arya

Santa Clara, CA

Gathering of the Families at Galo's

Richmond, IN

Highlight Reel 2009: 21st and 20th B'day Parties!!!!

Finally 21 and was it a blast!!!! With party favors and decorations (including that ridiculous birthday cake hat and glasses below) provided by mom, my Earlham friends + Eric threw me the best b'day bash I could have ever asked for. The night started off at Applebee's where I was given my evening apparel in the picture below. I should just give the girls money o buy my clothes for me, they always do a better job. Dinner was excellent and to top it off, Applebee's birthday song has a line about turning the b'day girl's cheeks blush....mine turned lobster red much to my embarrassment.

Coming back from Applebee's, we stopped in over at New Spanish for some preliminary toasting, celebrations, and games. Let's just say Team Golden (if you can't remember the rest of that name so sad) kicked butt against the Earlham Hall boys. As the night progressed, our group was serenaded by Earlham's own A Cappella group, the Brimley's, with a solo from Nick Chu (what a treat!) Then we took a trip into Richmond to test out my new powers of getting into the 21+ establishments, which worked out great. An awesome night from awesome people! Thank you guys x1000.

Over the summer, the fantabulous four had another triple-decker B'day adventure. (I think as a future guideline I should make extra efforts to be friends with people born in June...so far I'm 3/3 on them turning out to be really cool). Karman (mastermind of pretty much all of our surprises) and I (transportation coordinator) surprised Lo and Rachel and treated ourselves to a weekend stay in a cabin down in Southern Indiana.

While finding the cabin and getting to it was a little tricky (really glad we had the green pea and 4-wheel drive), the trip was amazing. We had an awesome time telling stories, cooking over the campfire, and bringing back the early 90s with an epic game of Pretty Pretty Princess. (If you had a young girl in your life during this time period and you don't recognize this game....you failed her.) I don't know about you girlies, but a camp out might have to become an annual event.

Highlight Reel 2009: Krakow, Poland

For Spring break 2009, I traveled to Southern Poland. Even though I went outside of the main tourist season when the weather was cold and the wind blistery, the experience was wonderful. While I was there, I visited Krakow and its surrounding attractions as well as the small mountain town of Zakopane. Zakopane is well known for skiing, but we went for the artistic craft market.

This is the main town square in Krakow, Poland, which was a short 5 minute walk from our hotel. Car traffic was diverted so that pedestrians and horse buggies could stroll in front of all of the various restaurants and shops. The yellowish building to the right holds a variety of souvenir shops featuring mainly amber jewelry (a Polish specialty), furs, and woven goods. The clock tower bell can be heard throughout most of the city, and though it is not in the picture, beautiful Saint Mary's basilica would be located to the right of the frame.

In addition to the main square, we took a guided tour of Wawel Hill, home to the royal castle and cathedral. Though this picture does not show it, a steep climb up to the castle walls served as a great defense and extra fortification to the royal structures over the years. The tallest tower holds central Europe's largest bell and supposedly, if you stand below it and make a wish, it is sure to come true. Though most of the interior of the castle was lost during WWII, the buildings were preserved from the bombings because axis forces used the structures as a barracks. Fun facts about the cathedral: 1) Pope John Paul 2nd gave his first mass in the basement of the cathedral. 2) Mastermind Polish engineer and American revolutionary war hero, Thaddeus Kosiuszko, is buried in the catacombs.

Of course, every castle must have its legends. Wawel hill's dragon in residence lived in a cave below the foundations of the castle, and every few weeks would terrorize the citizens, sweeping up Krakow's most beautiful maidens and eating them alive. The king offered his daughter's hand in marriage to whoever could tame the beast. Many tried and all failed until a young tailor boy tricked the dragon by putting a poisoned sheep outside its den. When the dragon ate it, his mouth became so hot that he drank and entire river and drowned. The tailor boy married the princess and became a great king. The bones of the dragon still hang outside the castle gate as a warning to all other wondering dragons to keep out.

On a more somber note, I also visited the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau. I'm not an emotional person, but I was nervous about visiting a place that had witnessed so much loss and injustice. I wasn't sure if I would be able to hold it together. The experience was indescribable. The closest I can come is unforgettable, humbling. While I didn't find any answers here, the visit provoked an onslaught of questions on human rights, the value of our lives, and humanity's capacity to forgive. If you are ever in Poland, no matter your age, it is a must.

Above is a picture of the infamous gates leading into Auschwitz. The iron lettering, "Arbeit Macht Frei" translates into English as "Work Makes You Free." Below is a picture of two shadows, my own and that of an ethnically Jewish but spiritually catholic woman I had met in the bathroom before we started our tour. We are standing in front of the selection point at Birkenau, and the road we are looking down leads to the ruins of the gas chambers. I had this picture taken when I came to a bleak realization. Seventy years ago this woman would have been walking forward to her death while I, at worst, would have been considered a trespasser. The difference? My genetic makeup lacks a few pigment proteins. What a small thing to kill for.

Highlight Reel 2009: El Camino!

I spent last May trekking through Northern Spain on the beautiful Camino de Santiago, a collection of pilgrimage trails that have been walked for over 1,000 years. I started out in Burgos, Spain with ten other Earlham women, and 350 miles (500K) and 1 month later found myself mentally, spiritually, and physically refreshed, kneeling in front of the Bones of St. James in the Cathedral of Santiago.

Before the camino, "Don't take more than you can carry," seemed like a good guideline, but hiking 12-15 miles each day transformed it into a necessity. Everyone says this to the point of making it cliché, but you really don't realize how much useless junk you have in your life (both material and mental) until you go on one of these journeys. That little red backpack held everything I used for a month. I could have easily continued on for another 4 or 5 with it.

Our brief stay in Castrojeriz was probably my favorite adventure of the camino. After a long but charming walk, we came upon this view of the small village's cathedral and castle on top of the hill. This was towards the beginning of the trip- maybe the 3rd or 4th day- and while everyone else was enjoying their siesta I decided to climb to the top of the hill and explore the castle. It was totally worth the climb. Not only was the view from the castle walls priceless, but the castle itself was completely unguarded. No bars, no chains or signs telling you to keep out. Just you and the crumbling stone walls. For almost an hour I scoured every hidden nook and cranny of the ruins. The entire time I was thinking that I was one of the only Hoosiers who had ever had full access to an abandoned castle. Afterwards, I took my own siesta on top of one of the ramparts just like sleeping beauty!

So while there were many fantastic and majestic sights to see on this trip (castles, cathedrals, mountains, statues, etc.) some of the most beautiful were the simplest. People who spoke not a word of each other's language sharing meals together, steam coming off cups of tea reached only after hours of hiking in the cold rain, colorful clothes flapping in the breeze. You only experience this type of beauty if you're going slow enough to see it. Since I walked the camino, I see it almost everyday.

If there is one thing the Camino taught me, it is that you never actually "arrive" to that final destination. You may come to your self-designated endpoint, but there is always more to learn, more to observe, and more to experience beyond it.

Highlight Reel 2009: Fantabulous Four Go to Michigan

It finally happened. A Faller offspring was allowed to take friends sans parent's supervision up to Michigan, and oh my gosh did we have a blast. The fantabulous four trekked in two cars all the way to Boyne City, Michigan for a fun-filled summer vacation right before school and soccer started. We toured Mackinaw Island, learned to drive and water-ski with "the practice boat," played put-put, went kayaking down the Jordan river, and had many other fun adventures. Not many college-age groups of friends actually follow through on the grand vacation plans they make during the year, so way to go us. There is so much I could write about- honestly a book- so I thought some pictures, captions, and a few quotes were the best way to capture the week.
One of the days, the four of us took an excursion from home base to visit scenic Mackinaw Island. We took the CAT (one of the ferries) out to the island and then ate lunch and did a little souvenir and fudge shopping. An epic game of Hearts and I think some Spades were played underneath the gazebo of one of the many hotels along the shoreline. The weather was absolutely beautiful, not too windy and just the right amount of warm. In order to work off some of the fudge and other goodies eaten, we went on a hike up to Arch Rock via the bike path and then through some of the forest trails. The car ride back home was as fun as the visit- we four are never allowed to drive anywhere without an awesome playlist to sing along too.

Personal Favorite Memories From Mackinaw:

Twilight Reenactments in the woods

Rachel's backward cigarette in the Western Photo shoot. Yes, I still have that picture. Yes, I will someday figure out how to get it on facebook :)

Boating fun....don't know if you guys noticed at the time or not, but I was a little anxious about the whole boating thing. Yes, I've been first mate of the various practice boats we've had up at Walloon since I was a kid, but Dad was always captain of the ship. (Kudos to you Dad, never realized how much thought and preparation goes into getting that ship to sail). Docking the boat, giving good tube rides, and pulling/teaching people to get up on water ski's aren't the easiest things. Thankfully my extremely talented, athletic, and patient friends were natural pros. All of us got up on the skis, the tube has met its match, and we all picked out a variety of possible dream houses to buy when we are rich and famous.

Personal Favorite Memories of the Boat:

The 3-way bathing suit swap

"Doing the FDR in my PFD"

Listening to hilariously crappy or old radio stations

Kayaking down the East Jordan River is a required event for any friend groups coming up to visit in Michigan. Depending on how lazy you are, it can take anywhere from 2-4 hours of paddling (or if you went as part of the kayak raft in 8th grade, 5 hours of floating) with a nice lunch break in the middle.

Personal Favorite Moments:

Making fun of the screaming chubby children we encountered on our lunch break

Sun bathing on top of the kayaks

So after all that, if you still don't believe that I have the greatest friend group of any college girl who has ever lived, here is yet another reason why you are wrong. We are awesome cooks. I'm not talking about a few frozen vegetables added into Ramen Noodles to spruce it up. I'm talking about full fledged Betty Crockers making five course gourmet meals that would put most restaurant menus to shame. That salad you are looking at is about to be drizzled with Karman's special sauce, sprinkled with flaked parmesan cheese and devoured by yours truly in under 5 minutes. I wish I had one right now. Over the course of the week each of us surprised the others with a similar meal, including one outside on the shoreline. (Bet you never had real plates and silverware at your bonfires). Between all the goodies we cooked for ourselves and the yummies we bought, I don't know how I didn't gain 10 lbs. Thank God for our morning runs and 300 Violin Orchestra!

Favorite Moments:

"Family Dinners" I'm serious about all of us living together if we are single at 40.

Being seduced with chocolate and pecan bars by the man at the Lake Street Market (also watching us eat those pickles out of a barrel....if I had a picture it would be on here.)

Sunset at Walloon, no where in the world will ever look as beautiful to me as evenings on this lake with my friends and family. (If I've ever taken you here, then you know I really care.)

Highlight Reel 2009: Rugby

For those of you who didn't know, I've been playing Rugby at Earlham for the past two years. However, this past fall was the most enjoyable season by far. For the first time, we could play a full side of girls (that would be 15) with subs, and play 7s (scrimmage) in practice.

I'm not sure if this was a team first, but I had my first home rugby game against Hanover. Even with the super cold weather, the fan support from Earlham was fantastic! Even my parents and Matt came out to see us play. (I don't think either of my parents were quite prepared to see me playing Rugby. I got tackled pretty hard over by the sideline where my mom was standing and definitely heard her make that "hssssseeee" noise she makes whenever someone is about to crash.)

Since our Rugby field was under "surprise construction" we got to play on the men's practice football field. After a little rain the night before, our new pitch was a complete mud bowl, making the sliding and tackling that much more fun. The game was very evenly matched with close saves on both sides, but we ended up winning 15-0 with Sara Mitchell-Olds, Yusra Saleh, and myself scoring our team's three tries (Rugby's version of a touchdown). Not only were the games and practices fantastic but I loved hanging out with all of you ladies! You are a wonderful bunch of women and I will miss you all when I'm abroad. Hope spring season is a blast!