Music Monday

Wow.

Sorry for being MIA all week

Moving was exhausting,

and we only just got internet last night

But this house is incredible. 

I won't do a tour until we are more settled

(our kitchen is in a horrible state

and I won't even tell you what my room looks like-ugh)

but here is a sneak preview (;

this is technically the front yard

but has become the backyard over time. 

And the beach is literally a stone's throw away.

it's awesome. 

And I am super-excited.

And here is a happy song. the end.

Have a great week everyone!

Last month,

I vaguely mentioned in this post 

about hoping to visit this magical place again

(you should know, readers Peter,

that I don't use the word magical lightly)

well, needless to say,

Seacrest Wolf Preserve didn't disappoint. 

Just look at that little nugget.

Seacrest Wolf Preserve is a wonderful place

dedicated to sharing beauty and knowledge of these majestic creatures

with anyone interested. 

Wolves are definitely in my top 5 for favorite animals,

and they are my friend Anne's numero uno

so for her birthday last year, 

we all piled in a car and headed 2 hours West of Tallahassee

to Chipley, Florida

to check out the wolf preserve via the weekly tour they offer.

It was both fascinating and fun.

The passion that the Seacrest volunteers have for these animals 

shows clearly throughout the tour.

My friends and I all learned so much,

and it was a wonderful experience. If you live in North Florida

definitely check out Seacrest. 

It is a really special place.

The Arctic wolves were especially sweet and friendly

I think this guy was a gray wolf.

At the end of the tour is a wildlife rescue

with everything from sweet skunks 

to gray and Arctic foxes

(who happened to be less than interested in posing for photos with us)

 It was only during our first visit to Seacrest

that we learned about the wolf pup cuddle sessions.

Guys, this is not a joke.

Both the gray and Arctic wolves are bred

so that their pups may be shared for educational purposes

And from a very young age they are pulled from the pack

in order to be accustomed to interacting with humans

as they will soon be sent across the country

to various wolf education programs and rescues

to teach more people about the true nature of wolves.

Needless to say, after my second arduous practice exam, 

snuggling with wolf babies was the perfect reward 

Taken with Anne's iPhone. clearly, we both <3 toms

This little one was the baby of Anne's favorite wolf, who died a few weeks ago :(

After cuddling with the wolf cubs, 

we obviously had to peruse the gift shop,

which is packed with all kinds of wolf paraphernalia

including these incredible wolf shirts.

(a bonus because all profits go to caring for the wolves

which beats supporting wal-mart any day.)

Needless to say,

I recommend checking out the Wolf Preserve if you go to FSU 

or live in North Florida. 

It's an incredible place.

The tour is $15, and Chipley is under 2 hours away- 

easily a day trip on a cooler Saturday.

(do NOT go in the summer. I'm not kidding, guys.

Florida heat and humidity is brutal.)

Avoid open-toed shoes or leather

as the wolves like to eat it (apparently)

and be sure to read more precise guidelines on the website

The one thing I would recommend

(besides going at a cooler time of the year)

is calling up the preserve for directions

as they've built a new road recently, 

making online directions a little bit tricky.

Wolf pup cudding is open early May-early June.

Check the website for specific dates,

as they change yearly.

Wolf tours are open Saturdays year-round.

Music Monday

After a ROUGH week

(all I have to say about USMLE Step 1 is

F!*@% you! 

sorry about that.)

and the daunting task of packing ahead of me

I FINALLY get to move into the new beach house Friday! 

I am beyond excited/thrilled/happy

but I will definitely be missing Tallahassee.

I don't care what anyone says about this terribly misplaced capital

(fun fact: it was chosen as the capital back in the 19th century,

because back then no one could imagine ANYONE wanting to live anywhere South of Orlando,

as it was seen as a wretched place of swamps, humidity 

and a disturbing alligator-to-human ratio.

It still is most of those things, 

but now we have canals

and also South Beach.)

Tallahassee is an awesome little town. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful, sunny and productive week!

Music Monday

The big day is Thursday. Can't wait to be done.

Pressure's building...

On Humility

Not entirely related to this post. But close enough.

Man, as long as he lives, must always struggle spiritually. And the first battle to overcome is his ego.The first and foremost enemy isn't the devil, no; it's his own self. And that's because he doesn't listen to what other people say; he listens to what his thoughts tell him. Even though we have so many holy fathers to emulate, reading their correspondence, our ego controls us many times. When man gains victory over himself and his desires, then he becomes the greatest of the great-martyrs and a trophy-bearer and winner in the eyes of God

This is a concept that I definitely need to be reminded of on the reg.

My Dad sent this one to me via email

(subtle message received and processed, thanks)

I've asked him the source 

and as soon as I find it

I will post it here for you guys , Peter

To be fair, it is a concept that is entirely contrary to modern thinking 

So it's not entirely my fault (; 

Ok, it probably is. 

But humility is definitely something I am not so good at. 

Have a lovely Thursday

Come to Crete (please!)

As summer approaches,

I find myself craving Crete even more than usual

(probably doesn't help that boyfriend just returned from a conference over there

and has been messaging me food pics all week-

a very cruel form of torture!)

He and my Dad both sent me this clip

and I have to say, 

it is a pretty perfect representation of all the things I miss and love about Crete.

hopefully it inspires some of you readers

(if you exist) 

to try out Crete for your next European vacation

if you do, I'll happily share my experiences and recommendations ;)

Music Monday

And now for something completely different

I always talk about how rock and it's many sub-genres 

are the only kinds of music that really get my heart pumping.

To be honest, 

that's only partly true.

And that is only PARTLY due to my Celine Dion love affair.

If I was being COMPLETELY honest,

I'd tell you traditional Greek music

particularly the Cretan variety,

gives my heart an inexplicable thrill,

regardless of my current mood or location... 

I'm far too practical to believe that this is due to the strong mountain blood of my ancestors coursing through my veins 

(I am, after all, only one-quarter Cretan;

the rest of me is Greek mutt- 

plus I'm a third gen Greek

so I might as well be an Ashley or a Brittany 

as far as heritage goes.)

I prefer to think

(and hope I am right)

that this music is just universally stirring

that it makes anyone who hears it 

want to shoot a cold raki 

(or a warm rakomelo,)

leap up and grab hands with their friends and neighbors

and dance 

maybe not quite like that...

that's more like it. source.

So, I hope you guys enjoy this more traditional music Monday

Maleviziotis is my favorite Cretan dance to do.

The steps are very small and fast

and I totally fail in the elegance department, 

but boy,

do I love this dance.

have a beautiful Sunday, everyone