Sara B. Larson's Blog, page 7

What do you do?

Life is all about change, right? As much as we might hate it, it's inevitable. Nothing stays the same forever.

So what do you do when the path you're on takes a sudden detour--and it's not exactly the one you want to be on?

As an example, let's take running. A couple of my friends were talking about running and races on Twitter today and so running is really on my brain right now. Anyone who has followed my blog for a while knows that I am (was?) a runner. I've run a few half marathons, and I loved it. Don't get me wrong, they are hard, but there's nothing quite like that high when you blast past the finish line and realize you really did it.

But the last one I did (when I PR'd by 28 minutes) really jacked up my knee. It's almost been a year, and I still can't run more than about 2-3 miles before it starts to hurt. I finally caved in and went to a sports medicine specialist a few months ago and found out I have arthritis in my knee and the more I run the faster it'll progress. I just turned 30 and I have arthritis. THAT SUCKS. Talk about a course change. He gave me some exercises to do to see if it helps, but he told me, "you might want to think about taking up biking or swimming."

It was devastating news. I'm not a natural runner. Yes, I have long legs, but they don't seem to want to take me places very fast. I've had to work REALLY HARD to get my speed up and break that two hour mark for my last half. I was thinking I'd finally attempt a marathon after that race, and then this happened. Sudden detour, much?




Running was more than just about beating a clock, or doing races, though. It was an escape. It was an accomplishment. There's something powerful about pushing your body through the pain and desire to quit and finish 13.1 miles running strong. I can only imagine what 26.2 would be like now, since he told me there's no way I should ever do a marathon unless I want to have (another)
knee surgery. It's been a rough adjustment not being able to get out there and pound out the miles. To not get that runner's high once in a while that keeps you lacing up and heading out, even in the snow or rain or cold or heat. I still worked out, but it's not the same.

So what now? When you get thrown a curve ball, what do you do?

I've heard the saying that when God closes a door, he opens a window. I'm still waiting for my window. Maybe once we can buy me a road bike and I can start putting in the (non-impact) miles, I'll find it. Maybe if I pull out my old swim team suit and goggles and get back in the pool, I'll find it. I don't think God just sets those windows right in front of us, so that we can find them while we're stuck moping on our behinds. Do you? Or maybe I'll adjust to only running short distances and find joy in that. Whatever it might be, I'm not going to give up.

My path to getting published was full of unwanted detours. Years to get an agent, years with the wrong agent (who was wonderful, but just not the right fit for me), nine more months to get another agent... it was rough. It was full of potholes and re-calculations and adjustments. But I kept going, I kept altering my course and trying, and wow. I am SO SO happy now. That window I found? It's been absolutely a dream come true. But it took seven years to get here. SEVEN YEARS. Oy.

So what detours have you been forced into taking in your life? Were you able to find joy and happiness, even if the path wasn't what you thought you originally wanted to be on?

TBT - the awkward teen version

Well... you asked for it. A throw-back-Thursday post to prove that my teenage years were OH SO AWKWARD. (And since this is me we're talking about, it got long. And attempted to be inspirational. Feel free to ignore the words and just look at the pictures. I won't blame you.)
Oh my word, I'm seriously so regretting offering to do this. Okay. Deep breaths. Everything is going to be okay. Right? 
There seemed to be quite a number of you who didn't believe I had any awkward photos. My worst years were definitely 5th-8th grade. By 9th I was starting to kind-of, sort-of feel a bit less like... well... a total geek/freak. Which on the social hierarchy of middle school = loser. I was 5'9" by the end of 5th grade. Do you know the average height of 5th grade boys (and girls for that matter)? It is NOT 5'9". Add to that naturally curly hair (that I didn't have a clue what to do with because I didn't realize just how much curl I actually had), massive glasses (I was afraid they'd hide my eyes, so my mom got me really big ones so people could see my eyes better), very, erm, interesting clothing (did you know that K-Mart and Shopko don't really sell the greatest fitting pants for a scrawny girl that is 5'9"?), and the fact I constantly had my nose in a book or was writing a book? Yeah. Those were the glory years. 
Okay. No more procrastinating. Here you go:
I really LOVED to dance... in spandex. And layers. Flashing non-offensive signs.  See the big glasses? Nice.  Here I am with my rat.  Here I am with my horse. Here I am with my door. (What the...????) As you can see, I eventually did get contacts. And I also kind of figured out how to fix my hair--when it was curly. But then there were the pathetic attempts when I would spend an hour and a half trying to straighten it because everyone else had the "Rachel," and I had this weird, lame curly hair. This was the end result of all that effort.  Yep, here I am in 9th grade with very frizzy, somewhat straight hair. (On a rainy day which was an unfortunate choice because, hello! What happens when naturally curly hair gets wet? It gets curly and/or frizzy....er.) Also, the camo shirt is a nice touch, right? This was a very subtle attempt to get a picture with the boy I liked (who I cropped out to save him embarrassment). My friend finagled it so we were walking by each other and then oh-so-sneakily pretended like she was only taking a picture of me. I'm sure he had no clue. Yep. Uh huh. At least the glasses were finally gone so I could see in the rain without spots everywhere.

I don't even know where to start with this picture. Other than I've gotten a lot better at looking dramatic in pictures without also looking scary. But hey, there's my curly hair! And a t-shirt. Tucked into khaki pants. And big bangs. And I'm randomly sitting on a staircase. Awkwaaaaard. I think it's safe to say that we are all glad I didn't pursue photography.

 So this is actually in high school, on a "Close-up" trip to Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas. (This is Gettysburg.) Can you find me? I'm the one with the blonde Afro. My hair + humidity = whoa. Gotta love the socks halfway up the leg look. And the jean shirt and khaki shorts. Oh, and my contact tore, so I had to wear glasses the whole trip. Haha. Good times.



Okay, this one isn't actually too awkward. (Except for the super dark eyebrows and roots with the blonde hair. During my junior year, I was informed that I had mousy brown hair and should highlight it back to being blonde, how I was as a child. So I did. Totally looked natural, right? It was fun to be blonde though, I still toy with going back to it sometimes. Also, notice how the lack of humidity really does make a difference.) Anyway... the point of this picture is not to embarrass my friends who apparently didn't have dates to the zoo (I believe the caption below this one said, "so I shared mine" with a picture of us three with the one boy who came, who probably wasn't actually my date either...), but to say things eventually got better. I figured out that my hair was VERY curly and that it actually made me kind of unique. I got a job as a lifeguard and started buying my own clothes. I still read a ton and wrote books, so I never did shake the whole "being a nerd" thing. But that's okay. In case you hadn't noticed, that's kind of worked out great for me now. ;-)


So what's the point behind this (other than sharing some embarrassing pictures)? The point is that if there is anyone out there reading this that felt like I did--that I would never be pretty enough, popular enough, cool enough, or (fill-in the blank) enough to be happy/successful/get the boy/fill-in the blank---don't let yourself believe it. Figure out what makes you unique and embrace it. OWN IT. Dream big and then do something about it. Don't let yourself get boxed in by the lies or false expectations media/other people/fill-in the blank feeds us. You don't have to have the Rachel haircut to be pretty. You don't have to be short and bubbly and naturally blonde to fit in. And if you are short and bubbly and naturally blonde with the best haircut ever, then Yay! Try not to dwell on wishing you were tall and had longer legs or whatever else you wish was different on you. We are all different--and we are all beautiful and awesome in our own ways. OWN IT.

All those things I was embarrassed about and tried to change about myself? Ironically, now I love them. I love being tall, I love having curly hair. I love that I love to read and write and well, okay, I never did embrace the glasses. I got Lasik and it was a miracle. And I no longer have any desire to have a pet rat. But the rest--LOVE. Hang in there, and learn to love what makes you YOU.

(P.S. I think I should have made you do a lot more than just say "yes" in a comment to earn these pictures. Wowza. Now where is my spandex so I can go dance?)

LDStorymakers Recap (aka how many ways can Sara humiliate herself in two days?)

Yep, that's a long title. But it's a pretty good fit for this last weekend's conference. So if you enjoy hearing about public humiliation, by all means, read on... read on... But hopefully you're not eating something right now. Because the theme for LDStorymakers this year was: "Don't make Sara laugh when she's eating or drinking." You shall soon understand why.

And hey, there's some pictures, too!


 So the conference started off on Thursday with Boot Camp (which I didn't take part in this year) and a big dinner at the Provo library (which I did take part in, see above). So fun to see friends from near and far! That night I stayed with cute Jacqui and her sisters by BYU. Oh, the memories.... my old stomping grounds. Go Cougs! *ahem* Anyway...
 So my first humiliation occurred here in this room, but not until later in the afternoon during the keynote address, so we'll get to that in a minute. First, do you know these awesome ladies? That's Kathryn Purdie and Kimberley Griffiths Little. We are all repped by Adams Lit (Katie and I are repped by Josh and Kimberley by Tracey). Adams Lit unite!
 I had to sneak out at 11 and rush to get my kids from my sisters, and take SonB to the preschool for his Mother's Day Tea/performance. I got to watch him practice a little bit, which was good because when performance time came, he pretty much just did this. (See above) Yep, he just sat there. Except for after each song when I'd whisper, "SonB, come on buddy, just sing!" and he'd look at me and say, "I can't sing that loud!" Considering that the two kids next to him were yelling the songs, I guess I understand his reasoning.
 Love this crazy, kooky boy of mine!
 Then I hurried back down to Provo to catch the keynote address by Anne Perry. Hey look, it's Kimberley again! Not only are we agency sisters, we are editor sisters!

So, this keynote address was absolutely wonderful. I was listening in rapt attention. Not only is Anne's voice mellifluous and her accent incredibly soothing and I could listen to her for hours, her speech was very powerful and thought-provoking. I was doing just that--thinking, absorbing, contemplating what she had to say.... or so I thought. James Dashner found me afterward to tell me that he'd tried to catch my eye a few times to make fun of me for looking so bored! Whaaa??? I quickly asked my friends if I'd looked bored, and they all agreed! GAH! I was not bored. Note to self: my contemplative face = boredom to others. Not sure what I can do about it, but in the future, if I look bored, assume that I am actually deep in thought.


This was also the scene for my humiliation part the second. They had snacks for us before the keynote, so I grabbed a brownie and some water. Before the speech started, I noticed my friend Jacqui had an apple. Where did she find an apple? I wanted an apple, too! So I went back out in search of my own apple. I came back with not only an apple, but another brownie and a cookie for Jacqui. Why all this detail? Well, because I obviously somehow found the Wicked Witch's basket of apples, because it almost killed me! After the keynote, they were doing a giveaway, and I was eating my apple (apparently looking bored) when a friend said something that made me laugh. Never do this to me. Because the next thing I knew, I could no longer breathe as I had somehow managed to inhale the piece of apple UP INTO MY NOSE. Much flailing, laughing and blushing ensued as I tried to dislodge the apple without making any horrid noises and without any success. It became apparent that a bathroom trip was in order. GUYS, I nearly pulled a Snow White in the middle of a major writing conference. And could it happen when I was in a small class with few witnesses? No, of  course not. Let's do it at the keynote address with 450 witnesses. Nice.
 So, moving along... Jacqui was tired. She was channeling Sleeping Beauty. Next time I want to pick the sleeping princess instead of the one who gets killed by an apple.

 That night, there was a massive book signing. This is the cover for Jenn's book INSOMNIA that comes out next month. So creepy-cool right? But Jenn just might be standing on wet carpet, and she didn't know it. Yep, this is the scene of humiliating moment #3. It was just me, Katie and Jacqui sitting in some chairs talking. I innocently tried to drink some water, and just as I managed to get a huge mouthful, one of them said something funny. DIDN'T THEY GET THE MEMO?? NO MAKING ME LAUGH IF FOOD OR DRINK IS INVOLVED! Well, anyway, I didn't swallow the water, nor did I choke on it, and I began making many frantic gestures for them to stop being funny so I could stop laughing and swallow the dang water. But did they listen? No, of course not. Just when I thought it was safe to swallow Jacqui said, "Don't be funny, or she's going to choke!" Which, of course, made me choke. And realizing I was about to spew water everywhere (and there were authors signing books in the aforementioned EVERYWHERE, which do not mix well with water), I dropped to my hands and knees and kindly spit the water all over the floor instead of on their books. All of this happened in about two seconds. I had very little time to react, but my instincts were strong. SAVE THE BOOKS. You're welcome. And I hope you didn't see me. Yes, you, meaning anyone who was anywhere near me.

Pretty sure I'm still slightly red in the picture above, even though that was at least fifteen minutes later. I really rocked the "face-on-fire" look that day.


So the next day, I was so exhausted, I felt the way Jacqui looked in her Sleeping Beauty picture. But I hid it well... for a while. By the last few classes, I'm pretty sure my "bored face" had transitioned into... I don't even know what. The very last class of the day was in an amphitheater classroom. Jacqui was on one side of the room and Katie and her posse were on the other. But Jacqui was leaving early to go rock her pitch at Alyssa Henkin (woot, woot! Way to go girl!), so I decided to go sit by Katie et al. She was getting advice for her pitch, and one person told her to trip on her way in to make a great first impression. Apparently you also shouldn't give people bad advice in front of me. Because as I turned to walk away, I somehow didn't realize I'd climbed up two stairs. I stepped forward, expecting flat ground and nearly fell. I barely caught myself but then immediately did it again on the second (also unnoticed) stair and that time I rolled my ankle and literally fell on my face. I'm sure no one noticed. Except everyone in the room. I think I might have said, "someone just shoot me now." Seriously! 
Well. That was long. And possibly only funny to myself. (Yes, I do laugh at myself... even when I'm embarrassed. And trust me, there was plenty of laughing and embarrassment to go around!)
So. Yep. It was a fun weekend, and hopefully next year, I will refrain from spitting, choking, looking bored, inhaling apples, or falling. But I can't make any promises. 
Hey, if you're still around... I recently found some old pictures from middle school and high school. I thought about doing a post where I posted some of them, but I'm not so sure I can handle anymore embarrassment at this point. I'll tell you what. If I get at least ten yes's in the comments, then I'll do it. It's up to you guys! :-)

So, this happened...!

Anyone who's been around here for longer than a week probably knows what a long road I've had getting to publication. But the interesting thing about all that struggle, all the low times and pain, is that it's made me that much happier when good things happen.

And you guys--something REALLY, REALLY HAPPY has happened!

This announcement was run in PW's Children's Bookshelf today:


Lisa Sandell at Scholastic Press has acquired two YA novels from Sara B. Larson, including a sequel to her January 2014 debut, Defy, in which the fiercest member of a prince's elite guard (actually a girl disguised as a boy) realizes she has deeper feelings for the prince than she thought possible. Josh Adams at Adams Literary sold North American rights. 

Here's a link to the week's rights report: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/57181-rights-report-week-of-may-6-2013.html



I am SO SO SO over the moon to be working with Lisa and Scholastic on two more books! I already felt like the luckiest person in the world, first when I got Josh as my agent, and then when I nabbed Lisa as my editor. It has been an absolute dream working with her. I seriously adore her! And now I KNOW I'm the luckiest person in the world since I get to keep working with her! Thank you Lisa, David, and the rest of the team at Scholastic for believing in DEFY and my writing enough to sign up two more books!!

Now excuse me while I go do my happy dance!

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*sneaks back in* Pst. Did you notice a little detail in that announcement? Yep, you saw right. DEFY is slated to come out in January of 2014!  That's in, like, eight months. SQUEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! *sneaks back away to dance some more*

SHH Day!

For any new (confused) followers, SHH = SUPER HOT HUBBY. And today is his birthday! This blog is mostly about me--my thoughts, my path to publication, etc. with shout-outs to my other author friends who have books coming out or launch parties or conferences.

But today, I'm changing it up, and giving one humongous shout-out to a very deserving person in my life. Complete with many pictures.

So, I'm just warning you now, this blog post might be kind of gushy. And lovey. And stuff. Because I am seriously the luckiest girl in the world. Now I know that's a big claim to make, but it's true. Who am I to dispute the truth? And it's his birthday, so I figure it's a good day to let him know just how awesome he really is!

Oh, so you want proof? Okay, sure. Here's the evidence:

 1. There's a reason I call him SHH. Yes, I am just that shallow. He's hot. I like it.

2. He was the first guy to marry into a family of all girls. He suddenly gained four little sisters (and as a side note, aren't my sisters all freaking gorgeous?? Yeah, I think so, too. Also, we're all babies in this picture. It was seven years ago--just about the time I started trying to get published!) and he's been an awesome brother to all of them.
 3. He's the best Daddy in the world. (This is SonA who is turning 8 in 2 weeks. Crazy!) He's not the Dad who comes home and turns on the TV and zones out. He's always been awesome at helping to bath the kids, read to them, play with them, just be THERE. Involved. Our kids adore him. 3a. And he's SO talented. This is the nursery he designed and painted/built not once--but twice.  (Because I made him do it again when we moved out of our townhome [where he surprised me with it for Christmas when I was pregnant] into our home.) They're sitting under the "reading tree." The sign flips over and becomes the "resting tree" when wanted, and they are surrounded by painted animals(that match the wallpaper border) all over the walls. SO CUTE, right?
 4. He treats me like a princess and always has. He always tells me how much he loves me, and how beautiful he thinks I am, and more. He's so complimentary all the time--even when I'm huge and pregnant. Or grouchy and tired and zitty and stuff. 4a. He also lets me and my sisters dress him, so that's awesome. Because we have pretty good taste in clothes. 4b. He's getting better and better with age. How many people can say that?
 (I think Lauren picked out the outfit in this picture... or was it Kerstin?)
 5. He tans really easily. I'm actually really jealous of this. He pretty much never burns. And zits? forget it. The guy has great skin. I hope our kids inherit it.
6. I might have mentioned this already but it bears repeating: he just keeps geting better age--more handsome, more loving, more understanding, more awesome... just better. Also, he's tall.
 Yeah, I know this is total picture overload, but I got going through old pictures and couldn't pick, so. Yep. Also, you get to see the many colors and styles of my hair through the years. How exciting right? You just never know what I'm going to do when it's time to get my hair done...
 7. He's never made me feel like I'm a burden on him--even when I had horrible post-partum depression after our second son and he had to be mom AND dad to our two boys during a very difficult time in our lives. He never complained or made me feel bad. He took the night feedings and still got up and went to work. Every. Day. For months. And he was still willing to have another baby after that! Whoa, right? (Good thing, because we got our little princess that time!)
 8. He's SO positive all the time. We've been through some truly hard trials--financially, healthwise, and more. And he's always so upbeat, such a rock for me and our family. (Which is really a good thing since anyone who knows me knows that I worry about everything. All the time. It even gets annoying to me.)
 9. He works so hard for our family, long hours away from our home (often out of state on business trips) and yet he's always thinking of us. He brings us surprises and spoils us. I know it's hard being away, but he does what he has to so that he can support our family.
 10. He takes us on awesome vacations... and he literally sweeps me off my feet! (10a. He's strong. Yes, I like muscles. Not gonna lie. It's nice to have my guy lift me like it's nothing, even though I'm the opposite of petite.)
 11. He surprises me! I LURVE surprises. Like telling me we're going out on a date and then taking me to the airport for a surprise trip to California! Also, did I mention that he's tall? Those are some pretty big heels I've got on--I bet I'm pushing 6'2" and he's still taller than me. In flip-flops. I love it.
 11. He's always believed in me and my dreams. He took me on this trip when I was going through one of the hardest times of my path to publication--I'd left my agent months and months earlier and wasn't making progress on my latest book and wasn't getting any offers on the book I was querying. I remember sitting on the beach together and talking about all of it. And he just kept telling me he knew I'd make it--that I couldn't give up. Even though it had been almost 7 years and I was no closer to getting published than I had been when I started. I didn't even have an agent anymore and I had hit a wall of writer's block with my WIP that was so bad, I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to finish it. But he never lost faith in me or hope that I would succeed. We had to go get on the plane to go home right after this, and I was so inspired by his continued belief in me (and relaxed from our weekend away) that I pulled out my computer and wrote 2500 words on that flight home. That book was DEFY. Two months later I'd finished it, polished it, and started querying it. Within a week, I had my agent. Within a month, my publishing deal. He is such a huge part of why I never gave up, and I owe him so much for that. (Also, again, he's really hot.)
Basically, I could keep going and going, but let's just say, he's amazing. He's loyal, he's loving, he's kind and talented and smart, and I'm so blessed to have him in my life. I love you, Trav, and I hope you have a wonderful birthday!!!

VOLITION is out!

My friend Elle Strauss (code name Lee for this series) has a new book out--check out the info below! Congrats, Elle!!

  The Latest by Lee Strauss! 





Eternal Life is To Die

For seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing.

 Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

Want to read PERCEPTION? It's FREE on Kobo itunes B&N Smashwords  and on Amazon!


VOLITION is the exciting continuation of Noah and Zoe's story from Perception.

Releasing April 16!


 
What doesn't kill you ...

Zoe Vanderveen is on the run with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody.
They're in love. 
Or at least that’s what he tells her. Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike—thin and fleeting. Her heart can’t be trusted. Just look at what happened with Taylor Blake.
Senator Vanderveen’s new team of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture is broadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someone dies helping them.
And their fight for survival has only begun.

Mark to read on goodreads. 

To celebrate Lee Strauss is giving away a $200.00 Amazon, Nook or itunes gift card!a Rafflecopter giveaway







About the author:
LEE STRAUSS

Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/elle_strauss To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com

No words

I was supposed to be writing today. After I got SonB to preschool, and Baby Girl down for her nap, and the groceries put away and the dinner prep done--I was going to sit down and try to pound out 1-2k words on the sequel to DEFY.

Instead, I'm sitting here shaking, crying, horrified.

I have some friends who ran the Boston Marathon today, so of course, the first thing I thought about when I heard of the explosions was those women and their families. Were they safe? What was happening? One of them had posted a picture of them at the finish line, but the comments beneath it quickly turned from "Congrats! You are amazing!" to "are you okay??" "Please let us know if you're safe!!"... that silence was long and terrifying. When she finally posted she was okay, the relief was immense.

But others were not so lucky, and that's why I'm sitting here so devastated. It's the end of a marathon--one of the hardest things you can push a human body through. I know the feelings at the end of a race--the exhaustion, the relief, the triumph and overwhelming sense of accomplishment. It should be a place of joy. Of relief. Of tears of happiness. Not screaming, horror, chaos,blood and death.

I don't even know what I'm hoping to accomplish with this post. I guess, it just hit me--yet again. You really never know. Hold to those you love, hold them tightly. You just never, ever know. There is no guarantee in this life and in an instant, it can be gone.

I hope we can all take the time to reach out to those we love and let them know how much we care. To hold our children a little bit longer tonight. To kiss your spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend more deeply and tell them how much you love them. To make that call to your sister/brother/friend who you maybe haven't talked to in a while.

Life is precious. This world we live in is scary. All we can do is love more, better, stronger, and pray for those who need it at this time.

My love for Richard Armitage professed via utter humiliation

Today it's my turn to take a Cupid's Arrow over on the YA Valentine's blog. I had to sing a super sappy love song to Richard Armitage. Oh yes, I did.

 Do you want to see me humiliate myself? There might be pictures involved. And my first ever vlog. Even though it's embarrassing, it'll be even worse if no one watches it. So please, Go HERE and don't forget to leave a comment!

And if you want to shoot us a Cupid's Arrow, fill out the form and send away! The next humiliating thing I do just might be yours!

The Kindness Project

Today you'll find me over at The Kindness Project blog, posting about an unexpected (but much needed) kind of kindness. I hope you'll pop on over and take a look (and maybe even leave a comment). :-)

Happy April Fool's Day! (This isn't a joke, btw...)

Random Thoughts from Mexico

I just got back from an amazing 8 day trip to Cancun last weekend. It also happened to be my 30th birthday. Here are just a few of the things I learned or observed while I was there:

1. Apparently I speak Spanish with a French accent--at least according to SHH. I disagree, but whatever.

2. I'm going to miss everyone saying, "It's a pleasure" whenever I say thank you for something.

3. I've always known I had temperature control issues (I'm always too hot or too cold), but I didn't realize just how bad it was until I got caught in a downpour in the jungle (for an entire day!) and everyone else seemed fine while I was shivering uncontrollably and my fingers, lips, and toes were all purple. The couple we were with kept talking about how fun it was to be in a warm rainstorm. I wasn't quite sure we were in the same jungle as they were.

4. Mexican beef tastes different. At first I liked it and didn't mind, but by the end of the week (and a bout of Montezuma's revenge) it was starting to make me sick just to smell it, let alone eat it.

5. I miss waking up to room service and the ocean below my balcony. Also the sun. And warmth. And the gorgeous blue ocean. What a beautiful place.

 6. People who are drunk and who have never driven a boat before should not be allowed to drive a boat. We got rammed from behind, breaking our motor and throwing it into full throttle. Luckily SHH did some quick maneuvering and saved us from another collision and then shut off the engine and had to beach it and wait for them to bring us another boat. The guy who hit us tried to claim a wave did it. We were in a cove without any waves. Mmmhmm. Sure. 

7. Humidity + my skin = no bueno.

8. Humidity + my hair = massive amounts of volume and frizz

9. You should never post pictures when you're out in the bright sunlight and can't tell for sure just how much detail is visible in the picture.

10. I loved having the chance to feel like I was in the world of DEFY for parts of this trip. There were times walking through the jungle, both in the sun and the rain, that I totally felt like Alexa. Minus the sword and all of that. So cool.


It was an incredible trip! Now I'm trying to get back into the grind of reality and normal life and work and being a Mommy and everything else again!