California

Not sure how to capture everything from this state...it's one I've visited a number of times.

The first time I visited I was about 4 years old. I don't remember the trip, but I remember the stories of watching goldfish swim outside a strip mall, and that we had to buy new clothes because it was so much hotter than expected. Pictures reveal they were super crazy shorts...

I remember going back when I was 11 with my family - we tagged along on my Dad's business trip getting about a week at Disneyland and another week playing in the pool, drinking Shirley Temple's, and ordering pancakes and eggs cooked however we wanted from our free hot breakfast. Heaven!

Okay, maybe it wasn't heaven the night my 5 month old brother screamed for hours after my mom accidentally had some chocolate and then nursed him. But the Fantasmic fireworks show and the free passes back to the front of ride lines (yay for baby passes!) and riding Space Mountain back to back to back late at night.... Totally awesome.

In high school I went back to Disneyland with my Debate team. I remember it as kind of a traumatic trip. One night I called home and was told that my mom was diagnosed with diabetes - for some reason it hit me really hard and made me sad for much of the trip. I remember a dear friend doing his best to cheer me up (and how mad he was when I went into the pool with my arms wrapped around his leather football - never mind that he was the one that picked me up and threw me in!).

I also remember feeling very responsible for my fellow teammates - I remember having to talk the Disneyland employees into letting one girl back into the park after she washed her ticket in her pants pocket and all we had was a handful of pocket lint paper to show for it. I also remember going into the ocean and being in awe of the grandeur of nature and this world we live in. And getting the nickname Tinkerbell - why? Not sure, and I tried not to think about it too much...

And how can I not mention the awesome road trip Janna and I took to be at our roommate Claire's wedding? And driving a manual car for the first time in ages - on a steep hill... San Diego was a great reprieve from the snowy December in Utah. And I'll never forget seeing the baby sleeping in a car seat RIGHT next to the drum set. Say what?! How do babies do it? And the road trip was awesome - including the midnight stop for Greek food, but that is technically a Nevada story :)

Or the time I went to Los Gatos to nanny for 10 days and the solo drive down the coast to Santa Monica? Gorgeous! It made me want to go to a real boardwalk (hello Coney Island!)

And how that trip allowed me to meet up with friends I knew in Boston. I even got to go to their Easter concert in a beautiful chapel on Stanford's campus. Plus my family drove out one of the weekends allowing me to see my brother Craig for the first time in over two years. There were other firsts on that trip too - we drove up to San Francisco and I got to see the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time. We also went to the Oakland Temple and I was able to perform proxy sealings for the the first time.

Then there was the road trip my brothers and I took in 2012 - picture a mini-van, me, two brothers, my (pregnant) sister-in-law, my brother and sister-in-laws friends Toky and Nana and their 5 month old baby. We explored quite a bit of California on that trip - from San Francisco through Bakersfield and LA (loved the stop at Diddy Riese where they sell ice cream cookie sandwiches - pick your cookies and your ice cream - wa-la!) 

The observatory, where we went for a "good" view of the Hollywood sign (it's far, far away - pictures and movies lie to you!) and got to see beautiful pictures of stars and a Tesla coil - it was so cool! We also saw the very end of Route 66 and spent a little time at the beach there. And there was Pyramid Lake, which we didn't stop at, but we admired from afar and schemed about ways to plan a reunion road trip in the future - true sign of having a good time, I guess, planning the return before you've even left.

I guess the point is, California and I have had many meaningful experiences. And each time I leave, I hope to have another one soon!

Knitting a Dress Post #3

The end is in sight I'm up to the armpits! This is the part that I'm most intimidated by, but I've made it this far, and I'm not turning back...

Next time I post it will be with a complete dress!

Dreams Do Come True

While in Sochi watching the Olympics I thought a few times about the "tragedy" of a silver, or a bronze medal as I watched some of the athletes disappointment. And I caught myself thinking something similar a couple times when people asked "What other Olympics have you been to?" like going to the Olympics was a normal thing.

But the reality is, I went to the Olympics. I set the goal. I made it happen. And it was AWESOME :)

Entering Olympic Park for the first time early in the morning when it was nearly deserted was such a cool feeling. 

There were a couple Russians walking in at the same time and as they spoke to me in Russian I just smiled along - until they said, "You don't understand what we're saying do you?" and I was forced to admit, no. They followed up with, "From this day on, you need to study the Russian language." To which I smiled and nodded.

Then I noticed the music playing, and they lyrics expressed my sentiments exactly:

"I like the way this feels..."

Indeed I did!

I thought seeing the Olympic rings was awesome, and it was, but then I saw the Olympic flame ringed by the country flags. What an amazing sight - at any time of day.

And all of this in the hush and muted, but growing, light of morning. Words and pictures just can't do it justice.

Over the next few days I went to four events, in the following order:

1. Curling

2. Skeleton

3. Short Track Speed Skating

4. Ski Jumping

Curling

I've been a little obsessed with this sport since high school when the Olympics came to Salt Lake City and we played a mock version on the food floor in our gym. And then someone gave me their curling venue fleece (yes, I wore it to Curling :) and that increased my love for the sport.

Containing my excitement before going into my first Olympic venue just wasn't possible:

While watching, I met a Russian superfan, and asked if he'd take a photo with me:

Skeleton

AMAZING (and a bit scary) to watch, especially when one of the male racers nearly crashed right next to me. As in I was close enough that if I was on my stomach instead of standing up, I would have been able to touch him. But I got some killer shots, and found out that I could wander around more freely than I originally thought - so I went up to the top and watched one of the runs from the push off area at the top of the course.

The icing on the cake was watching Noelle Pikus-Pace take the silver medal - and then running into her at Church a couple days later - say what? I had no idea she was a Mormon, and I had no idea she was the person being interviewed behind me when I took a picture with my new friend Sam...

Short Track Speed Skating

While this was a very tragic/ sad go for Team USA, I did still ultimately have a good time and enjoyed cheering. It was fun because one of the female USA skaters has the same name as my cousin - Jessica Smith. And because the vibe in the venue was so fun.

And while it was tragic, it blows my mind that I watched Emily Scott get pushed by a Korean skater in the semi-final round, get up having lost her glasses, and complete the round. And then minutes later, to watch a male skater from the Netherlands also be pushed by a Korean skater in the semi-final round - it was mind blowing. And I cheered my heart out (ultimately losing my voice) when Mr. Netherlands won the bronze medal!

Surprisingly, one of my favorite parts was watching all the prep work/ behind the scenes things that were done by volunteers that I never would have thought of...

Ski Jumping

On the way up to the Mountain Cluster for this event, I met Lars from Norway and we chatted a bit. He asked me how I, as an American, came to know much about ski jumping - since, as a country, we're not very good at it.

The honest answer? I don't know much about it (even still...). I have always found it very cool to watch, and it is something that I can't imagine doing. Not just from a lack of athletic ability standpoint, but from a "how could you hurl yourself from that high up and land on your feet?" standpoint. I have to say - this crowd was the best one of the four, narrowly beating out short track, but beating it. Which is good, because on my way up, I was a little nervous that my last event might be a let down after such an awesome few days.

I mean, come on - who can beat the space dance?

I was pulling for the 41-year-old Japanese ski jumper, and was a little sad that he got bumped into the silver medal spot. He was still very impressive, and cool to watch. It was so fun to see the different reactions of people when they made it to the bottom, and to watch the celebration of the three medalists.

There are just too many stories! So, I decided to create a Russian Tales post/ page for anyone who wants to read more (and I'll be adding more over time as well...)

I also created a Twitter handle for this trip - you can check it out: @NicoleinRussia

Russian Tales

Best Picture In the World!

"Photo please?" 

"Oh yes!" I say. 

With lots of gestures and few words he indicates how I should frame him in the photo. I must have done a decent job because he asked me to take a number of other photos as we leap-frogged each other across a Russian exhibit.

I ask him to take a photo of me after awhile, which he takes:

  

"Best photo in the world!" he exclaimed with a big grin and thumbs up as he handed me back my camera.

Princess of Olympic Park

"How was your day?" my smiling hosts asked me when we met up before their hockey game.

"So fun!" I exclaim. "The park was so empty this morning so I just walked around and took lots of photos."

"Ah, Nicole, the Princess of Olympic Park - here all alone!" Geniia quips.

"Now You Are Russian"

 "Well, people keep thinking I am Russian," I explained to my Russian hosts.
Laughter spills from them.
"Take a picture," they insist in front of the hockey rink.

I happily oblige:

















"Wait, hold this!" they insist shoving their Russian flag toward me.
Again, I happily oblige:

"Now you are Russian!" they say with more good natured laughter.

Encounter with NBC intern

"How's that?" I asked after taking the requested photo.
"Great, thanks."
"We should have a picture together."

"What's your name, by the way?"

"Nick"

"Oh, I'm Nicole!"

"Ah" with a smile.

"We are Russian!"

"Where are you from?" I ask the woman who has just helped me.

"We are Russian!" her son exclaims standing up straight and facing me.

I point to the boys sweater - "Russian, but Canada?" I read with a grin.

He lowers his eyes with a disgusted sigh while his mother laughs.

Russian Valentine

"Welcome! Where are you from?" bellows a tall man in a knight costume

"New York" I reply with a smile, my camera at the ready.

"Ah - New York! A great city," He says as he folds me into a bear hug. "Sorry my English is so bad!" he says as he pulls away.

"That's okay," I respond with a shrug, "my Russian is very bad."

"Ah!" I catch the knowing smile and grateful look in his eyes and he folds me into another hug. "A picture for your memory - here, my friend will take!"

Reading up a Storm - the Count

I'm about 80% done with my book reading goal - both parts!

• 83% done with nonfiction
• 80% done with fiction

That means 20 books left to go, at least 6 nonfiction.

It was so fun to look back over the books I've read. So many good stories I read and so many memories - like how I read seven books during my first trip to London... And thinking about some of the people who have suggested books to read and lent me some of them.

Can't wait for the last 20!