I flew home December 8 after a few frantic days of trying to get everything organized since I'd be gone Dec, Jan, Feb and March. Oxford gave me some gorgeous weather for my send off though:
Just a standard bus stop in Oxford
Blue skies and spires
Once home, I unpacked my bags, spent a day or two adjusting to the new time zone, and then flew to Memphis and drove to Tunica/Clarksdale/Lyon for New Grandma's funeral. For those of you who didn't know my Grandma, she was a character: an incredibly strong, loving Grandma who had absolutely no filter and would tell you how it was whether you wanted to hear it or not. She was neighborly in every sense of the word, though. She knew everyone and cared for everyone, and she is greatly missed. Her funeral was a wonderful tribute and a beautiful service honoring the life she lived and the type of person she was. Despite being a sad occasion, it was also a happy one in the sense that I got to see family that is normally spread far and wide brought together under one roof. In typical Cotton fashion, we also celebrated in a way that Grandma and Grandpa probably would have approved of for a special occasion: playing the slot machines in Tunica and enjoying each others' company.
Beautiful day to honor Grandma's life
Once back in GA, I had to get to work. Between Porto and home and the funeral, I hadn't done as much reading or writing as I should have, and I needed to work on my literature review for my dissertation and a separate paper on de-extinction for my reconciliation ecology class. I spent a good amount of time shut in my room just trying to get things done. I also got to help Mom decorate the Christmas tree, bake Christmas cookies with Dad, go see my ponies a few times, and also got to have lunch with a few friends and see people I haven't seen in awhile.
Christmas Eve was church and a party at Karen's and then Christmas morning was opening presents and brunch with Pam and Ed and our family. It was a good Christmas, I got things I asked for and a few great gifts I didn't, and I think everyone liked what I gave them. The day was spent trying on new clothes and baking pies and making dinner. After eating, I ran a plate of Christmas dinner up to Athens for a friend who was on call at the vet school and was spending Christmas evening alone (and later got called in for surgery) and it was good to see him and share Christmas a bit, even if it was just 45 minutes listening to Christmas music and sharing buttermilk pie.
A few days after Christmas I headed off to Sarasota, FL. One of my best friends from Penn picked me up and we drove down to Key Largo to spend a few days/nights and to ring in the new year. The evening we arrived we checked out one of the beaches for about 40 minutes to watch the sunset, and then headed to dinner and watched football. It was a quiet evening but after traveling all day it was really great.
Snapchats to friends... only picture I have from dinner
The next morning Patrick wanted to watch the sunrise, which I was pretty grumpy about (not a morning person!) but I made it up and we headed off to the beach (the one we were going to was about an hour south) and got to see the sunrise on the way. I have to admit, by getting there so early, we got the absolute best spot on the beach (Bahai Honda State Park, which is gorgeous!) I napped in the sun until mid morning and then we snacked, drank margaritas, sun bathed, and swam. Patrick has most of the pictures (I need to ask him for some) but I have another one from snapchat:
Love the sunscreen in the beard
Not long before sunset, we left to get dinner. We ate at this little place that is COVERED in $1 bills. They have thousands of dollars covering the walls and it's a really cool little place (plus the food was great). I drove us back to the hotel after that and got showered to get ready to go out for NYE. But I had a bit of a headache and I was tired (sunbathing will really take it out of you :) ) and there was good football bowl games on. After some convincing that it would NOT be super lame, Patrick decided to be a good friend and let us stay in. We mixed up a pitcher of margaritas, turned on football and settled in. I was asleep before midnight. Maybe not the most exciting NYE, but actually perfect.
The next morning we got packed up and then headed off to try to see some manatees. That was my main goal for the trip, but despite checking multiple places that they are known to hang out, I was just out of luck, there were none to be found. We did, however, see this awesome, gigantic iguana.
We settled on a beach and lounged for a bit, checked once more for manatees and then decided we needed to start the long drive back to Sarasota. Patrick agreed to drive back the slightly longer way through the Everglades and I got to see tons of alligators and birds so I actually really enjoyed the drive back. The Everglades are beautiful in their own way, and actually kind of creepy... I'm glad we were driving through in the middle of the day.
We got back to Patrick's parents' house not too long before dark and his mom made a delicious italian dinner. One of Patrick's other friends from when he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail lives not too far and also came down and ate and watched football. We watched the bowl games and after Michigan won, we decided to take a swim. It was a really fun evening, though I got to bed entirely too late. The next morning was a bit of a struggle, but Patrick made us smoothies and managed to get me to the airport in time for my flight home.
I was home for a week, during which I wrote frantically some more and also tried to work out a bit. Then on January 9th, Dad and I flew back down to Florida to run the Walt Disney World Half Marathon. We got to our hotel, checked in, and then headed off to pick up our race packets. We checked out the expo, Dad bought me an armband phone holder and then we headed back to the hotel and to a drugstore to stock up on bananas, water, pretzels and tea. We ate pasta for dinner and headed to bed super early since we had to be up around 4:00AM in order to get dressed, get on a bus and get to the starting line on time.
We woke up, and got up/dressed and debated and debated on what to wear. It was cold. We knew it would be chilly, but the forecast had changed significantly and it wasn't just chilly, it was legitimately COLD. Thankfully, they had a coat/bag check and so we were able to somewhat bundle up and headed off to the holding area. After awhile we had to leave our coats and scarves and head to our corral. We thought that it wouldn't be long until we started.... wrong. The course is really narrow and so they start one corral at a time... since I hadn't submitted a start time, we were in the last corral... waiting without coats or scarves or anything (Dad was in shorts!) for well over an hour. We were both freezing and miserable. I was close to tears and really just wanted to quit before we ever even started because I was just that cold. Thankfully I didn't.
Before bag check... chilly but bundled up
After bag check. Freezing.
Finally, finally, we got to start. The race is not a race to do if you want to set a time record or if you are going to be frustrated by going super slow. Dad and I set a crawling 12 minute mile, survival shuffle pace and still were having to weave in and out of people and start and stop pretty constantly for at least the first 6 miles of the race. That said, the course was so, so motivational and it actually was a great experience for a first half marathon. Your bib has your name on it and so people will encourage you by name, cars driving into the parks honk and wave at you, marching bands are playing, characters as posing for pictures and waving at you, the whole thing is, in typical disney fashion, quite magical. Running through the castle was the most crowded part of the course, and we were forced to walk through it, but Cinderella and Prince Charming were at the exit and it was one of the coolest parts of the race.
Cinderella and Prince Charming
We made it through the castle! And also almost halfway!
Neither Dad nor I were truly ready for this race- Dad's knee had been acting up and he hadn't run at all in a month and a half and he also had shingles. My achilles/calf had been acting up for well over a month so I'd been avoiding impact running and only working out on the elliptical. By mile 7ish my achilles was killing me and I needed to walk. I distracted myself by taking pictures of a few funny t-shirts and signs:
"This is what fast looks like in slow motion"
"Do not pass"
We walked until the last 5K and then walked/ran off and on. Dad could have left me but was nice and we stayed together for the entire thing. At the very end some man was trying to be encouraging and yelled "Only a half mile left to go!" If I had the energy I would have attacked him. This might SOUND encouraging to him, but as tired and sore as I already was, a half mile still seemed like a really, really long time. Still, we finished! While our time wasn't as good as I had hoped for, I think it was acceptable considering the level of shape we were both in.
The end is near! The finish line was just outside of Epcot.
DONE!
So happy to have finished!
Dad and me with our medals!
After finishing, dad and I took a shuttle back to our hotel, showered, and limped off to the Animal Kingdom for lunch and an afternoon of fun. We headed to eat right away, at an asian style place that was decent. It wasn't amazing, but the food was pretty tasty and we were SO hungry and the portions were huge, which for once, I really appreciated.
Hanging out with the Buddha statue in the restaurant
Once I squatted down I had a really hard time getting back up...
After lunch dad and I were stiff and sore and in pretty substantial pain, but we still decided to walk around and see what there is to see. We started by walking the Pangani Forest Trail which is where you can see all sorts of wildlife. We saw okapi (which I think are beautiful), and meercats, and gorillas, and the hippo even walked/swam RIGHT in front of the glass where we were standing. We got to see all sorts of cool animals. After that, we had a fastpass to the safari ride and so we got to check out even more animals. My favorite part was when our ride got blocked my an ostrich who was just chilling on the path and absolutely refused to move. I just love animals so much, and while I have mixed feelings about zoos, I can't deny how absolutely incredible it is to get to see so many interesting creatures.
After the safari we walked back over to "Asia" and watched the monkeys play and then did the nature trail walk in Asia (different than the one we did in the Africa part of the park). I didn't think it was quite as cool, with one exception, there were tigers, which are just amazing to see. It's unreal how huge they are. I still really enjoyed it though, and also got to see this enormous bird that was some sort of guinea. From there, we did the dino ride, and then, it was time to head to Epcot for our dinner reservation. On our way through Epcot, we stopped in "England" to buy some tea and to get my picture at the Rose and Crown... which is a place I frequent while actually in Oxford:
We ate at a Mediterranean/middle eastern themed place and it was WAY better than I think dad or I was expecting. We ordered several small plates, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, pita bread, lamb sausage (for dad), greek salad, olives and it was all super fresh and delicious. We had expected over priced and decent but not amazing food, and we were both so pleasantly surprised. I definitely recommend this place for anyone heading to Disney. The view from the restaurant was also incredible, it was right on the water and directly across from the big Epcot Ball and we were eating at sunset, it really was the perfect ending to the day.
After dinner, we got gelato (not at good at capo giro) and then rode the fast track ride, which is probably my favorite ride at Disney, and a little boy in Dad's car was super upset because this was not the car he designed while waiting in line (they let you design a car in line and supposedly you are test driving it... the boy was SO upset that his car was the wrong color!). Then we called it a night. I was exhausted after the run and the exploring the parks, and it is the first time ever that my phone app recorded my sleep quality as 100%.
The next day Dad and I flew home, and we were in serious pain. I could hardly sit or stand, and dad was limping really badly. We must have looked really rough because they pulled us out of regular security and put us in the special assistance line. Mom made terrible fun of us, but she also spent the next few days having to bring me things upstairs since the stairs were painful to climb and buying a knee brace for dad and epsom salts to soak in for me...
After Disney World, things fell into a bit more of a routine, I worked at Erik's, got to ride a few times, went to yoga, even mucked out stalls one afternoon when I just felt like being around the horses. I've also spent lots of time with Lucy, who I am going to miss like crazy while in Seattle and in Oxford until August.
Talk about riding into the sunset. Had some really great days at the barn
Saturday morning yoga at Serenata Farm is a fun experience
Love this dog.
I also spent a lot of time thinking about my future plans, and Erik asked if I'd considered going to school full time next year to finish my pre-reqs rather than trying to work and take 1-2 night classes at a time (which would take forever). I hadn't, but it seemed like a good idea, both time wise and financially (I'd be in GA and could get in state tuition at UGA, live at home, still work part time, etc). I decided to go for it. I applied for re-admission at UGA, and since I left on good standing, was accepted back into UGA and UGA Honors. I've spent the last few weeks making sure I am cleared to take what I need to take, that my vaccinations are in order, that my honors standing is in the system so I can register for honors classes, and basically that everything is set for me to start classes in August. This means that in August I am moving home to Georgia and will be taking undergrad classes for the next year and a half until I can start vet school. I've also arranged to work at one of the local equine vets part time and will continue working for Erik. It seems crazy but this is really happening.
In the meantime, I also realized I would need a car when I come back from England. I'll be driving to Athens 4x a week, living in Madison, and working 2 jobs.... the leaf is great but I wasn't confident that it would be practical, plus, I guess at 26 years old it's just hard for me to swallow living at home, no matter how much I love Mom and Dad... and I wanted to make an adult purchase and have something that was definitely mine and a step forward in my adult life. I did my research and settled on a 2012 Mazda3. It's the first car I've ever bought (mom and dad bought me the Tribute) and I'm really happy with it thus far. I think it's a cute car and I love driving it- it handles really well and get's great gas mileage.
At the dealership the day I test drove her
Finally mine! The day I brought her home!
It seems crazy to think that by August I'll be working for an equine vet, finishing up classes and then next fall applying to vet school and hopefully in the fall of 2017, starting vet school. I don't regret the round about way I've gotten here. I learned valuable lessons in Houston, I've seen new corners of the world in Prague and Oxford, and made life long friends. I've learned a lot about myself and about the world I live in, and I'm grateful for those experiences, but I also know that vet school is the correct next step. I know that it is time to come home to the U.S. and also to get back to what it is that I have always loved: animals.
After a few busy weeks at home, I headed to Richmond to see one of my other best friends from Penn get married. I got in Friday afternoon and the wedding hotel was one of the nicest places I've ever stayed. After relaxing a bit, I got ready, and headed to the rehearsal dinner. I'd been looking forward to the evening for SO long and I'd been feeling off all week, but especially all day. I ended up getting super sick and having to leave the rehearsal dinner, which was such a huge disappointment. It turned out, I've been having an allergic reaction to a new medicine, and going off of it solved the problem, but man, I was in rough shape, super itchy skin, sick to my stomach, bad head ache, and worst of all, having to miss such a great evening.
Thankfully, by the next day, not taking any more of the medicine seemed to be helping and I was well enough to go to the brunch that Clarke's grandma was hosting. There was so much food and it was a really lovely morning. Afterwards, I relaxed and read all afternoon by the (indoor) pool and then took a nice long nap before getting ready for the actual wedding.
The ceremony was gorgeous. The pastor read letter that Clarke and Mimi had written to one another and everything from the bridesmaid dresses to the church (and of course the bride!) was stunning. From there, we headed to the reception. After all the first dances were done, Clarke and Mimi tried to pull me, patrick, Romaine and Caitlin out on the dance floor... we all headed that way, but then Romaine and Caitlin turned off at the last second, so Patrick and I got to share a dance with Clarke and Mimi, which was slightly embarrassing but also lots of fun. The food at the reception was great, there was an open bar, and the band was so good about keeping everyone out on the dance floor. All in all, I'd say the reception was a huge success.
On the shuttle from the wedding to the reception
Look at the dip in the first dance
The happy couple!
Patrick, me, Clarke and Mimi
After the send off, I continued to hang out with the boys from Penn (one of whom lives in seattle and I got to hang out with last night!) and we all talked and laughed and shared a few more drinks before getting to bed. I was up surprisingly early the next morning and was packed and off to the airport by 9:30. It did me no good. As it turned out, I didnt get on a flight until really late that evening, and it was 9:30 or 10PM before I was actually home. I was exhausted, but I was supposed to be leaving for Seattle the next morning. I unpacked, but I didnt have the energy to repack. Instead, I dealt with a problem with my credit card, booked my flight to Seattle, handled a few other issues, and then crashed.
The next morning (Monday), I woke up, got packed for my 6 week stay in Seattle, got some papers signed that I've been needing to, and then Mom took me to the airport. I was supposed to fly through Detroit but all of a sudden that filled up and the direct flight from Atlanta to Seattle looked way better, so I changed my listing, bought a book to pass the time, and sure enough, got an economy comfort seat on the direct flight. It was an easy flight until after we landed, at which point the jet way broke and they couldnt get us off the airplane and I got an email from Delta saying that I might be in Seattle but my luggage definitely went to Detroit. Thankfully, I'd had a weird feeling that my luggage might get lost and I'd packed a toothbrush, toothpaste and pajamas in my carry on.
Sunset from the airplane
Thankfully, Dad had a lay-over in Seattle on Tuesday and Wednesday and was nice enough to bring my suitcase and bag in from the airport when he came. I met him at his hotel and we wandered the market (which is going to be a favorite place, I just love markets, even touristy ones) and then got a late lunch or early dinner at a place called Purple which was phenomenal. We both tried the pear, caramelized onion and gorgonzola pizza and it was amazing. The wine was also good and although the place is too pricey to be on my regular rotation, I still plan to go back there before I leave.
After eating, dad and I headed back and got my luggage and then got an Uber out to the house where I'm staying for the next 6 weeks. Almost immediately I managed to lock us out while showing him the backyard, but thankfully Dan was almost home and let us in (Kate and Dan are who I'm staying with, a really nice couple that Brittany and Todd introduced me to). From there, we headed to the grocery store to get me stocked up. The first place we went was a little spendy so we decided to take an Uber to Trader Joes which was such a good decision. I was able to get everything I needed grocery wise.
From there, we went back and unpacked groceries and suitcases and made plans for the next day. The next morning we got breakfast and then went to Target to stock up on a few other things like coat hangers and a pop up laundry hamper... the little things that are useful to have when staying somewhere for 6 weeks. We then hit a few more stores for items we hadnt found or had forgotten and then got a cup of tea. Then, dad had to leave. It was a bit sad to have him go, it's always nice to have someone I know and love in a new city, but I also have plenty of work to be doing. When he left, I spent the rest of Tuesday and most of the day yesterday trying to schedule interviews (reasonably successfully thankfully).
Yesterday night I went over to Capitol Hill and got drinks with Matt, who is one of Clarke's friends that I'd met a few times but got to know a bit at the wedding. We grabbed drinks and dinner, and the drinks at the distillery were WAY stronger than I realized so I've had a bit of a headache all day today. I have my first interview this afternoon and then I'm having dinner with Claire (a girl I met in Oxford who is from Washington) and Dennis (who is in town all the way from Amsterdam visiting her).
This weekend I'm thinking about renting a car and checking out the Cascades or Olympic National Park since it's free entry into all national parks for president's day weekend and the weather is supposed to be pretty nice for Seattle in Feb (mid 50s and sunny).
Hope everything is well with y'all!
