JV's 2013 (Posted in early 2015! ;P)

NOTE: I wrote this one year ago and never posted it. I figured why not share it with the universe. :)

Hello, bloggers! I've missed you!

In April 2014, it'll be two years since moving back to America. We've made some great friends and met some incredible people! Seattle feels like home, and we continue to explore this fine city. 

I'm starting to feel like myself again; however, I also know when to save my energy when I encounter insincerity. I love zoning out into my own world of images, books, music, private uncouth tweets, extraneous information, which I haven't had much time to do in 2013, but I'm catching up. 

I got back in touch with my adventurous spirit and couldn't believe how dead I felt inside with two jobs and school. Sometimes, I try so hard to complete too many tasks and be too many things, I usually say "no" when I've stretched myself too far. That's why I disappear sometimes. These photos may lead you to believe that I'm a person who likes to socialize constantly. Yes and no? I like to observe/snap everything happening around me. 

"I can just hold up my lens, and then I disappear." - DRM

Here are some of my favorite 2013 moments in the form of sentences and lists:

January

We welcomed New Year's 2013 in Capitol Hill singing karaoke and dancing at Mel and James' place. We made our farewell to the King Tut exhibit where I befriended dozens of good-spirited souls. I've got nothing but a whole lot of well wishing for these big hearts! I watched Aaron J Shay play an amazing mashup of the Sex Pistols meets Israel "Iz" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (yes, I Google'd that) at the final party. Chris and I celebrated our second-year anniversary.

There were beautiful walks around Green Lake. Mitzie and Jack visited us Vegas transplants! We started planning their move here ;) The Hart of Dixie obsession began. Let's talk about Team Zeorge vs. Team Zade!!! I converted LSL! I started watching Girls. It reminded me of when I lived in Brooklyn with Jenn and Nicole (just as lost but not as messy). Turns out Hannah and Adam live on the same street I lived on in Brooklyn! I got a new job back in the communications field again!

February

Chris and I went to the EMP. We started a band called Headaches named after Jeff's band called Headaches in New Zealand. LOL! I had major hair envy at the Worn to Be Wild exhibit. :) We absorbed the city on date days. I juggled a full-time job, part-time job, attending part-time school and kept it together while lost in seclusion. Two hours of free time felt like an eternity. Chris had Cupcake Royale for his birthday!

March

Our new office moved downtown near the world famous market!

This awesome couple aka. Mike and Kel came to visit us, and we had many discussions about culture shock and reverse culture shock. So many puns and corny jokes! They held Madagascar cockroaches at the PSC :) We celebrated Lady C's birthday dancing to Cut Copy and STRFKR. I had to work on a class project with my classmates a.) the hilarious unintentionally funny class clown b.) the charismatic story-teller and listener. Consummate professionals. I wondered how I got so lucky.

April

Spring came along. We went to Vegas and ate at a neon Denny's just because! Back in Seattle, I FINALLY saw the gum wall and went to my first Mariners game! Chris in Philly sent me an awesome mixed CD (I hate myself and owe him one bigtime)! We've carried on this tradition for about 13 years now. We watched Chuck Ragan, Tim McIlrath, and Rocky Votolato play in the Revival Tour. Man punks! Sandy took me to her favorite place ever - the Suzzallo Library's reading room. We introduced Rakesh to the boot at Von Trapp's and Gas Works Park.

Instagram Recap

1.) Mom and I in punk shoes at Topshop
2.) Farewell King Tut party
3.) Two-year wedding anniversary
4.) Farewell King Tut party part two


5.) A lovely stroll around Green Lake



6.) Home Means Nevada! at LSL's
7.) If Seattle Winter Ends...
8.) Vegas reunion at Cha Cha's
9.) Mirrors at the Science Center



10.) Coffee in Fremont
11.) Mountains remind me of home
12.) Lovely low-key Valentine's Day
13.) The amazingly talented Aaron J. Shay

Hmmmm, well after the crazy international exhibit closed in January. I took a good solid week to recuperate from the insanity of crowds and cold temps. We partied hard! I went through the ups and downs of job searching and ended up getting a great new job working for a public relations company. YEAH!

For now, I'm still working one day at my other job (while working at my full-time job during the week) AND going to school part-time in the evenings. Yeah, it's kinda crazy. Saturdays keep me sane. I don't have too much free time and feel extremely guilty if I'm not working on my homework. I try to keep a balance of spending time with Chris, getting stuff DONE and resting. I'm trying to stay healthy and not feel so rundown all the time. Which sometimes means saying NO when I can't go out. :/

We celebrated our two-year wedding anniversary!
Some old friends from Vegas came to visit us. Oh, we explored Seattle, coffee drinking and eating our way through it, soul night too! Good times!

We celebrated Waitangi Day at the Kiwi/Aussie pub in town. We saw Hot Water Music/La Dispute/The Menzingers last week and my friend Aaron J. Shay played an awesome show last night.

Valentine's Day was so lovely and low key. And we celebrated Chris' birthday weekend exploring and eating great food. I can't believe we've lived here now for about 10 months. I love Seattle!


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3 Month Catch Up

Well, hello there! I'm sad to say that I've slacked in this part of my life, but I'll quickly catch up for those of you who stumble upon this. One of my New Year's resolutions is to blog and write more.

Since my last post in September, I started school again, made new friends with my schoolmates, had two amazing Professors teach me all about the vaguely familiar world of PR, had papers and homework due each week, completed two group project presentations,

dressed up like an air hostess from the 60s for Halloween,


watched the election, celebrated my birthday singing karaoke




hung out at Linda's in Capitol Hill,


ate tofurky on Thanksgiving, caught up with an old Kiwi friend,
went to an Advanced Style party,



discovered Keys on Main thanks to my pals at work, celebrated at a X-mas party w/ my museum family,

had our hearts broken after the CT massacre, we wrote passionate blog entries about gun control, reunited with an old friend, met some new ones,

went to the EMP...went back to Vegas for Christmas, celebrated NYE in Capitol Hill singing and dancing to karaoke party times,

most of this all occurring while working and going to school full-time.

I've said goodbye to my pals at the exhibit I worked at. Some days were insanely busy, crazy and tough. I'll miss the people. Here's hoping we all move on to better things. I couldn't have started a better job in a new city with the chance of meeting so many awesome people. The folks I worked with were extremely funny, a class act and consummate professionals.

xo
jv



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Hello from the US of A

(DISCLAIMER: This blog entry was written two weeks ago, but I figured I should still post it.)

"Hello! I'm finally here and back home in America :) This is where I slowly transition my Queen's English/spelling to American English/spelling.

Our last week consisted of packing, unpacking, eliminating more items, donating 80% of my wardrobe and then somehow narrowing my life down to 3 suitcases. Sigh* Stressful week, but I'm glad it's over!

We didn't sleep the night before our flight. Our shuttle driver didn't arrive at 1:30AM, so we called to find out he slept in! EEPS. He showed up an hour later with enough time to race to the airport (which was two hours away). I stayed up the whole time talking to the driver, trying to ensure he stayed awake. As we pulled into the airport Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger" came on the radio. HAHA! Of all the songs that could have came on before I departed New Zealand, that was the ONE!

Chris' cousin was on our flight from NZ to OZ!
We had a layover in Melbourne and then traveled 14 hours to Los Angeles sitting behind screaming babies and children. Ah! What can you do? The past week has been a mad dash of setting up bank accounts, cellphones, computer/gadget purchases, replacing my driver's license that I lost at LAX. Oh! Spending time with the family and catching up with a few friends. Things are slowly settling down, so I hope to catch up with more friends as the week goes along. We'll be packing all over again for our big move on May 1st! I'll have to get super serious and start applying to jobs. It never ends.



1. Reunion with Christie (This is happiness!)
2. In N' Out with Chris



3. Tapas with my mama
4. "Whatever major loser" and side ponytails! ...Homage to Clueless (BFC reunion)




5. noodles with Remi B!
6. our we live back in America/wedding #2 party!

I hung out inside my beloved Champagnes Cafe where Joe Pesci, Robert Deniro and Martin Scorcese frequented when they stayed here while filming Casino. In true Vegas fashion, we spent one night out exploring empty ritzy casinos, looking for good views of the city. It is so strange being back! I only slightly have that fleeing feeling knowing that my time here will expire as it usually does. I don't have to fly back to NZ. It is so strange! I immediately lost 5 pounds upon arrival. My diet does not consist of sugary tea, muffins and cake. I am now eating smaller portions, mostly Mexican food, and it is so good and so cheap! We had a party and old friends/family from all parts of my past life came to see us. It was surreal and such a good time. Seriously, big thanks to those who came out to see us! This life is too short, busy and hectic and who knows when I'll have this chance to see everyone again. I am so thankful!

I am figuring out my place back in American society. Also, slowly figuring out how to use my phone and text and being social. Learning how to drive again. It hasn't been easy re-integrating myself back in American society and customs. I have changed so much. I am looking forward to the new places I will see, the new friendships I will make, and the memories I will be creating with my long lost family and loved ones."

PS. I'm on instagram, my username is jenvegas :) Twitter - Facebook - Pinterest