Weekend at Camp Argiro : A Forest Fairytale Wedding

Tucked between the trees, the bride and groom exchanged I Love You's & Promises to last a lifetime.

My beautiful friend from San Diego, Ruth, was tying the knot in Salamanca, NY, and I was fortunate enough to attend. It started with a road trip. Having been staying in Cazenovia, just south of Syracuse, I was able to hitch a ride with my friend Stephanie and her friend Caleb. I took a train into Rochester where they came and picked me up and we made our way down south.

Camp Turner, the location of the weekend festivities, is located in Allegany State Park, a decently sized forest that stretches down into Pennsylvania. Extremely beautiful, to say the least.

Camp Turner transformed into Camp Argiro as we spent Friday night getting situated in our cabins, followed by pizza and wings, drinking, games, and a bonfire, while breaking all of the camp rules in the process. I thought it was so neat that all of the guests were able to stay in cabins, all in one location. As a few sat around the fire, it was around 1am that it started the downpour. The weather had called for rain, but we all hoped it wouldn't come. First the lightening struck, then the wind picked up, then the clouds began to cry. I scurried into the cabin, bundled up, and fell asleep to the sound of steady rainfall.

When I awoke the next morning, I hoped, for the outdoor-ceremony's sake, that the storm had passed. Unfortunately, it was still coming down. Nothing too torrential, just a slight misting, but still coming. Each guest slowly but surely made their way into the mess hall where we were served fresh coffee, french toast, and lots of fruit. I was so impressed that both friends and family of the bride and groom came together to help cook and serve all of the meals over the course of the weekend. & Everything was delicious, at that!

Ruthie, the bride, could be spotted running to and fro, making sure the last bits and details were in order. When she asked Stephanie and I to help with the decorating, I was so happy to help. The actual wedding ceremony took place under a canopy of trees; it didn't need much of sprucing as it was already so naturally beautiful.

 It was an absolute fairytale wedding, but not of the traditional sort. It was much much more. Ruth was a stunning forest princess with flower fairies leading the way as she walked down the aisle encircled with trees. She wore a beautiful gown with a self-handmade headpiece that was absolutely incredible. Self hand-written vows were the highlight of the whole weekend. Flowing with tears, everyone listened as Ruthie made lifelong promises and Adam explained how much Ruth has positively effected his life. Both Ruth and Adam laid their hearts out in their vows and I was so touched by what they both said. The ceremony was finished with a Cherokee poem of love; more beautiful words could not have been spoken.

 These two best friends became one promise of love, adventure, and a lifetime of happiness.

During the cocktail hour, the sun began to set and lit up the camp. It was beautiful. We spent the rest of the night feasting, celebrating, and dancing away!




Ruth, thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your special weekend. Everything was absolutely beautiful-the location, the ceremony, the words, the company. You looked beyond gorgeous and I'm so impressed with everything you did and all the hard work you put into this magical wedding! Sending lots of love to you newlyweds!!

xoxo

I Dare You To Move

I am the biggest advocate for change, honestly. Routine is monotony and monotony is death. Life without change, experience, or challenge, is a life I'd never want to live. I am a change-encourager. I will encourage anyone and everyone to get up, get out, and experience the world. I say "doooo it!" to almost everything.

There are a lot of popular articles floating around nowadays on reasons why young 20-somethings should travel. Most of the time they're titled something like: '10 Reasons Why You Should Quit Your Job and Buy a Plane Ticket' or '8 Life Lessons You Will Learn As A Young Traveler'. To be honest, I'm a sucker for these articles. Not just because they're talking about travel, all the benefits of it, and the surplus of amazing aspects to it, but also the fact that these articles are written by 20-something year olds who have actually gone out and done it. It's people of youth encouraging people of youth. They have passion and drive and want to share that with our generation.


Realizing how much I enjoy those articles, I thought I might make one of my own. Granted, I haven't been to nearly enough places to consider myself a travel expert, but I want to share with you what I have learned in my few travels and what drives me to keep traveling. Here are my top reasons why

"I Dare You To Move"

1. You'll Experience, You'll Respond, You'll Gain Perspective

 | Experience: An event or occurrence that leaves an impression on someone. |

When you travel, you're not just seeing a place, you're experiencing it. You're living it. Whether it be a good experience or a bad one, it leaves an impression, it makes a mark.

| Response: Act or behave in reaction to someone or something. |
With every situation, you'll have to respond in a certain manner. An experience might trigger a happy response, a nervous one, a scared one, a sad one, etc.

| Perspective: A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view. |
With each experience and response, you'll gain a way of viewing it. Even a bad experience can give you a new perspective, and that's a good thing.

Back in 2012, while studying in Spain,  I went on a guided tour to Morocco. One stop on the tour was a Moroccan magic carpet shop. A group of Moroccan men casually circled 100 foreign exchange students around a rug man who tried to sell us on the black market  us Moroccan carpets. While this man spread nearly 200 rugs on the floor in a salesman representation, we were encouraged to say "yes" and "no" in the arabic language. As fellow students in my tour shouted their praises "Lah" or "Waja", the men would pile these carpets at their sides. I kept silent; I was uncomfortable. At the end of the presentation, the students with rugs were taken by a salesman into separate cubicles and told, in broken english, to "make an offer". This whole process did not end well. Many of my friends felt pressured into making purchases. I saw buyer's remorse the very second after cards were swiped. One girl tried to instantly return her 300 euro rug, with no avail. She left the rug behind and told them she was going to dispute the charge to her credit card company. Come a couple hours later, the rug showed up at our hotel, with a notice that they reduced the charge to 150 euro. She couldn't escape the purchase she had made. After this stop, we stopped at many more open markets and shops along the way. With each place we went we were asked to "make an offer".

This experience is one that I will never forget. My response to it was discomfort. It was the first time I ever dealt with a barter/bargain like market. This was the first time I ever experienced real culture shock. I gained a new perspective. I realized that many markets work in this manner and it just wasn't something I was used to, or comfortable with. Looking back, I don't hate Morocco or my experience there because I learned a great deal from it.

2. You'll Learn A Lot About Other People

As a person who got a degree in European Studies, you could say I value culture, a lot. I find it to be the most vital aspect in understanding others. When you travel, you get to see firsthand how other people live. Those raised with different customs, values, languages, and traditions. Our social norms are extremely different than most places in the world. Going to a bar everyday in the US means you're an alcoholic. In Spain, it means you're social.

3. You'll Learn Even More About Yourself
"Find yourself." Cliche, I know. But any less true? Not one bit. I personally believe that life is not meant to be lived in one place. There is a big world out there for a reason. Explore it.

4. You'll Be Challenged
You might be forced to communicate in another language, figure out a public transit route, eat a type of food you never thought you would, live on a budget, etc. Challenges make you learn and make you grow. If you're not in fear of something, and facing it, you're not growing. Do what scares you.

5. You'll Make Mistakes..Again...and Again & They'll Make a Great Story
On multiple occasions, I was extremely close to sleeping on the street, in the bus stations, and in the  subway stations. Once in Madrid, Once in Barcelona, Once in Paris. Well, in Madrid, it wasn't close, it happened. Sort of. Many of these occurrences could have been avoided, but time and time again, they continued happening. Mistakes are okay, and often times repeated. What do you do with a mistake? Make it a story & laugh about it.

6. You'll Realize You Don't Just Fall in Love with People, but with Places
Near and dear to my heart. Salamanca was my first love. Then Barcelona. Then London. Love isn't just for people, it's for places. They, like people, make you feel something. Sometimes sad, sometimes happy, excited, you name it. They're emotive and can tug at the heart strings. When you're separated, you feel a longing and feel detached from something that once made you feel comfort. Traveling makes you fall in love all over the world.

7. You'll Learn Bicycles are the BEST Method of Transportation
They just are. Honestly. Some of my best memories while traveling through Europe are the days I rode bicycles. Buzzed bike riding in Valencia for "Las Fallas". Pedaling up the Champs-Élysées, past the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, with a final swing under the Eiffel Tower at 2am. Rushing past traffic while biking on "the wrong side of the road" in London, in hopes to make it in time for the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. My most recent bicycle ride, around Central Park, included passing by street artists, performers, and horse drawn carriages.

 

8. When If You Come Back, You'll Never Be the Same
Traveling changes you. Not the resort style "I laid back and sat at a pool" type traveling, but the kind I explained above. You bring all of the experiences, the challenges, the lessons, the mistakes, the feelings, and the discoveries back with you. Going back to where you once started is not the same as never leaving.

I'm so excited, I have 17 days left and I will be back in Europe! Can't wait to have new experiences to contribute to why I travel, and why you should too. 

Safe travels ;) xoxo

We Don't Have a Word for the Opposite of Loneliness

WOOT! School's out for the summer  forever! The last thing I want to do is read, right? WRONG.
Now is the time when I can finally read the books I actually want to read,  not the ones I'm forced to.

Summer Reading I've already completed: 

1. Northanger Abbey. As a fairly new member of the Jane Austen fan club, I thoroughly enjoyed this 18th century British novel. More romantic and mysterious than another favorite, Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey leaves you guessing up until the very last page.

2. The Opposite of Loneliness. Home to the most moving introduction I've ever read; I was in tears within the first three pages. Relatable, witty, and funny, Marina Keegan left behind a literary legacy. She is a real inspiration to any 20-something aspiring writers. This collection of short stories and essays will leave you moved and stumped, all in the same.

One of my favorite quotes: "We don't have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did, I'd say that's how I feel right now. In love, impressed, humbled, scared. And we don't have to lose that."

3. Look at Me. Written by Jennifer Egan. Honestly, this just wasn't my cup of tea, or shot of whiskey. It's based in New York City, so I thought I'd give it a try, but there's an element to it that I didn't enjoy. It's mysterious enough to keep you interested, but not enough to want to read it again. And that's how I judge my books, based on the fact if I'd ever want to go at it a second time around.

Summer Reading in Progress:

1. Persuasion. Another Jane Austen novel.

Oh shoot, I better get on it: 

 1. The Thief Lord. Written by Cornelia Funke. This was gifted to me by a dear friend, Vanessa! We sealed some words in it with a pact.

2. Recommendations?!?!?


What's on your summer reading list? For that matter, what's on your FALL reading list? I'm always wanting recommendations for good books to read :)

Stay brainy!

Naturally yours,
N

Introductions are Sometimes Awkward

Hi!!! Welcome to my launch!

Thanks for coming :)

Wondering what this blog is about? Go to my first post, here!

What you see is the beginning skeletal outline of what Nomadalie will entail; feel free to snoooooop around, leave comments, tell me your likes and dislikes. Think something is missing? Let me know! I'd love to have your feedback.

You may notice that some of the tabs are empty. Calm down, sheesh! I haven't gotten there yet ;) Posts will be coming on the regular, and probably quite rapidly in the beginning as I have a lot of things I want to talk about. Have something you want to hear? I'm open to any and all ideas.

Have fun navigating, explorers!

Naturally yours,
N

Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop

"I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop

I love so much

All of the while, I never knew

All of the while, all of the while,

it was you."

Crazy to think, had you asked me a little over a year ago what I would be doing today, I never would have imagined that the response would be "drinking coffee in NYC, the city where I have been living for the past two months." For starters, I hated coffee. I found it quite repulsive. It smelled like tar and even moreso looked and tasted like it. It wasn't until I found a little coffee shop in North Park, San Diego, CA called ' Caffe Calabria ' where my love for coffee started. My go-to cup of joe? Vanilla latte, iced or hot. It makes me feel like a real person in the morning.

Now, having spent the past two months in NYC (want to hear about my Summer Affair? ), I've fallen in love many times...all over the city...with coffee. New York has been home to some of the best cups of coffee that I have ever had.( Within my short one year span of drinking coffee, that is. )

If I'm up for the trek, I'll head over to Bluebird Coffee Shop near the corner of Houston and Allen for a strong espresso and the best homemade granola I've ever tasted. I got caught here in a Summer storm, spent three hours reading, writing, and enjoying the bangs and bolts of the thunder and lightening :)

In the mood for a hangout spot? Birch Coffee , with locations all over the city, has a lot of tables where spotting anyone without a MacBook Pro is a rarity. My favorite location-just a few blocks from my apartment- is located on the Upper West Side, Columbus Ave & 96th St. If you're up for the challenge, their innovative tip jars challenge you to a little game of trivia. Remember, it's always good to tip your barista ;)

This last one, Biased?, you ask. Nope. Yes, I worked here, but I still find it to be one of the coolest hangout spots in Soho. Snuggled in the well-known book store, McNally Jackson , this cozy cafe allows you to ditch the technology for a bit, grab a book, a coffee, and a bite to eat. The pastries are supplied by bakeries all over the city and the housemade sandwiches are to die for. Try the chicken salad, just trust me.

A couple more noteworthy quick stops: Blue Bottle Coffee on the Highline, as well as Gimme! Coffee in Soho. These are just a few of my favorites, and with only about a week and half left in the city, I won't be able to tackle every shop I'd like to. Do you have a favorite coffee shop? If so, where? I'd love to hear :)

Word of advice*, and not to be a hater-but if you're looking for quality coffee, ditch the Starbucks. Go out and find somewhere unique and different, it's so rewarding.

Happy drinking!
Naturally yours,
N

My Summer Love Affair with The Big Apple

"If you're from Southern California, why are you white? why are you here? You came from Sunny, Perfect Weathered San Diego to here- Hot, Sticky, and Humid NYC. WHY would you do such a thing?"

BECAUSE I CAN!

Since moving to the city, I've come across a surplus of people who ask, in all seriousness, why the heck would I ever leave San Diego and move to New York. To me this is ignorance. I don't mean to be blunt. Just kidding- that's a lie- I do. I don't believe that life is meant to be spent in one place. To encounter only one part of the world is like reading only one page of the best book there ever was. (*cough Harry Potter cough*) Especially as young adults, we're meant to go out and see the world, figure out who we are.

The opportunity to move to New York for the summer came out of nowhere. After experiencing my first bout of heartache (ache not break) and graduating college, there was no better time for me to up and move my life. I quit both my jobs (yes, I had two jobs while going to school full-time...self pat on the back), moved out of my studio, sold my car, and narrowed my life down to what fits in two suitcases and a backpack. With no strings attached, and no reason to settle, I bought a one shot ticket to New York City..well, not exactly. I stopped in Portland first.

Fortunately, here in NY, I was able to take over a friends room on the Upper West Side (thanks Eva :)! ) and her job at the cafe/bookstore McNally Jackson. I weaseled my way in within a matter of two days. Like all great love affairs, my relationship with New York has had it's ups and downs. Some days I've absolutely loved it and some days I've hated it. Actually, the love and the hate kind of comes sporadically, some minutes it's love, until I pass the block reeking of garbage, then it's hate.

Our Relationship: 

Reasons I LOVE:
1. Skyline from Brooklyn...I basically gasped the first time I saw it. Jaw to the floor. It is absolutely breathtaking; pictures do not do it justice.

2. Central Park...The days and hours I've spent here are countless. Walks, bikes rides, phone calls, coffee time, rest & relaxation. It is my absolute favorite place to walk in the city.

3. Seamless...ashamedly. For all of you non-New York folk, Seamless is a mobile food delivery app. I can't believe this actually made my list, but the fact that you can get practically any kind of food delivered at any time of day. That's just magic. Don't judge the fact that I've had sushi for breakfast...multiple times.

4. Walking & Subway...Really, just the fact that you can walk anywhere here is extremely awesome. Today, for instance, I walked up Broadway from Soho to Columbus Circle, passing almost every noteworthy "tourist" spot there is to see. 59 blocks of pure New York Bliss.

The Subway might surprise you, but really, I kind of like it. I'm not missing my car one bit! I'm baffled by it's construction. An Underground Railroad intricately connecting you from one place to the next. How, just how? We're just a bunch of little moles running around below. It's great. 

Reasons I HATE:

1. Money Money Money...It practically costs money just to step out your door. There are so many nice, free things to do in the city, but SO many of them cost money, and a lot of it.

2. Street Cat-Callers...Not to scare anyone, especially Grandma, but I hate walking down the street sometimes. (Wait, I just said I love walking, see how it's such an affair?)
"Hey gorgeous, I'm off in ten minutes, you wanna come back and meet me?" 
"You have a nice day...Lord have mercy look at those legs, girl you want a massage?"
"Are you girls models?"
STOP. JUST STOP. That is not the way to speak to me. Who raised you to speak that way? Oh, and I'm not a dog. Whistling does not make me come.

3.You're 1 in 8.337 million people, and then some...It's really easy to feel a little bit lost, hidden, and lonely. With so many people around all the time, you can start to feel a bit insignificant. You spend your day walking by or sitting with people on the Subway, but you don't know any of them, and none of them know you. They have their headphones in and so do you. Eye contact is scarce, a smile even more so.

4. You don't know whether to love or to hate it....Does this even make sense? It does to me. I hate it, because half the time, I don't know whether it's love or hate. The things I love I also hate, and the things I hate I also love. Example? Bagels and Pizza. I LOVE Bagels and Pizza, they're everywhere. But, I also hate that they're everywhere. Bagels and Pizza make you fat. I hate fat. How's that for a puzzle?

NYC, we have a perfectly healthy love/hate relationship...

...but now, I want to break up. 

"Summer flings" are just that, a fling--a superficial temporary relationship.fun & flighty, on the surface, but effective. At the end of a fling, you might be happy and sad, it might have effected you in a deep way, but you know that all it ever was supposed to be is temporary. There comes a point in time when you know the fling is over. As summer winds down, I'm feeling a change in the air, and a change in me.  With this new season, like the trees, I'm losing my leaves. I'm changed, & I know it's time to go. 

I head for upstate New York on September 1st, where I will stay with family for a couple weeks. I will have so much downtime, be prepared for my "flashback" posts. After that, I'll be back in the city for a quick kiss goodbye, then on September 21st I'll be boarding a plane for my next big affair..Spain! 

Curious to hear more about my NYC adventures? Let me know! Need some advice on things to do and plaecs to go? Ask! The city is a magical place filled with a surplus of activities. I think everyone, at some point in life, needs to have a relationship with the Big Apple, even if for only a one-night stand.

Stay tuned!

Naturally yours,

N