Music Monday

Monday, June 24, 2013

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!

Wolf Pups

Monday, June 17, 2013

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

Monday, June 10, 2013

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





On Humility

Thursday, June 6, 2013

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!)

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

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

Monday, June 3, 2013

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.





Sunday, June 2, 2013


have a beautiful Sunday, everyone