The Places I Didn't Like

I talk so much about the places that I love when I travel but never the places that I don't love.  It is just as important to talk about those as well.   Everyone has different things that they look for in a place so I am always interested to see the places that people liked verses the places they didn't like. 

I wasn't crazy about:

1. Nassau, The Bahamas

I have talked about not liking Nassau before but I've never really said why. I didn't like it much because it was hard to get around, it was dirty, and besides Atlantis, the beach, and Senor Frogs, there wasn't much to do.  I like to go places where there are things to see.  I am not one who can spend the whole day on the beach, I get way too bored.

2. Pisa, Italy

There is nothing to do.  End of story.  If you have to see the tower, then do it but don't expect to find anything else to do.   I talked about Pisa here.

3.  Madrid, Spain
I think this has to do more with my experience in Madrid than the city itself.   It was our last stop in Europe, so I was sad about that.  We were on the bus and lost for most of the day. Plus, the leaders were all tired and getting grumpy.   My whole experience in Madrid was just not that great.  This is the one place that I didn't like that I'd want to go back to.  I think I might like it if my situation were different.

My First Apartment

Like many Americans, my first time living on my own was in college.  I attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA and studied Biological Anthropology.  During my Sophomore year, I moved into an apartment with 3 other girls.  It ended up being great because we all got along well and were pretty much never there.

I really enjoyed living here and loved getting to decorate and watch all of our personalities come together.  So, here is a photo tour of my first apartment:

Our Building: 

Our apartment is the second floor on the left.

Mine and Caitlin's Bathroom:

My Bedroom:

Yes, I had a million stuffed animals.  That hasn't changed, their just not on my bed anymore, haha!!  and I did have a quilt but I didn't use it during the warmer months when this was taken.

Please excuse the unmade bed in this picture ...oops.

Common Rooms: Kitchen and Living Room

The couch cushions were really uncomfortable so my one roommate went and got the fabric that you see and hot glued it around the cushions!  The fabric was so comfy!

This light did absolutely nothing so my roommate who was an art major painted this party light!

Yes, the thing behind the couch was our beer pong table.  The mill was the name of the apartment complex.

 

The door on the left by the front door was the laundry and storage room.  It was actually huge. 

The door on the left was mine and Caitlin's bathroom and the door next to that was Caitlin's room - my room was right across from the bathroom.  The hallway past the kitchen was Allie and Jenny's rooms and bathroom.

 

And that is the grand tour of my first apartment! Hopefully in the coming weeks I will be able to give you the grand tour of our new (rental) house!

Little Round Top: Gettysburg, PA

Gettysburg is only about a 2 hour drive from my house which makes it the perfect day trip!  I have actually only been twice.  Once in Elementary school - my Oma and Uncle Steve pulled me out of school one day and took me (my Uncle majored in History with a focus on the Civil War) - and once in 2009 with my sister and her friend.
*all photos are from 2009

My favorite area of Gettysburg is Little Round Top. 

Little Round Top is my favorite but Big Round Top also has some great views.

The Round Top's were the site of an unsuccessful assault of the Confederate troops (4,850 people) on the Union (3000 people) which took place on July 2, 1863.   The Confederates attacked from Big Round Top and the Union defended themselves at Little Round Top.

The Union was victorious in the Defense of Little Round Top.  There were approximately 500 Union casualties and 1200 Confederate casualties.

I am not going to go into the whole history of the battle that took place here but if you are interested in learning more about the Defense of Little Round Top visit this website!

Little Round Top is my favorite area not only because I find the battle interesting but also because of the amazing views.

The next few photos are of Little Round Top taken from Devil's Den which I will share about in an upcoming post!

There is also a monument on Little Round Top which looks like a small castle.  This monument represents the 44th New York and 2 companies from the 12 New York Infantry Regiments.  The monument was raised honor of Ephraim Elmer Ellsworth - the first Union officer killed during the war.

Visitors are able to go to an observation deck in the Castle which is accessible the spiral stairs. 

Location: Between Emmitsburg and Taneytown Roads just south of Gettysburg, PA

Around DC: Korean War Veterans Memorial

The Korean War Veterans Memorial is definitely the most haunting memorial in DC.  

The Korean War Veterans Memorial was created in memory of those who served in the Korean War.  Construction of the Memorial began on June 14, 1992 and was dedicated on July 27, 1995.

The monument consist of 19 stainless steel statue that stand 7 feet tall.  They consist of all members of the US Armed Forces (except the Coast Guard): 14 Army, 3 Marine, 1 Navy and 1 Air Force.  The granite strips between the soldiers represent the rice paddies in Korea.

The monument also includes a Mural Wall, United Nations Curb, Pool of Remembrance and Honor Roll. 

The Mural Wall consist of 41 panels and is 164 feet in length.  This mural consists of over 2,400 pictures from the Korean War.  The mural has photos from every branch of the Military as well as the equipment they used.

The United Nations Curb is a curb located north of the statues which displays the names of each country involved in the Korean war.

The Pool of Remembrance is a pool at the tip of the triangle which the statues stand in.  It is 128 feet in diameter and on it is etched: Freedom is not Free as well as the statistics from the war.  It is situated on a peninsula like area to represent the peninsula of Korea.

The Honor Roll is a computer which contains the names of all verifiable personnel who were KIA, MIA or POW's.

Location: Potomac Park - SE of the Lincoln Memorial off Independence Avenue.
Price of Admission: Free
For More Information: Here

*Photos are from July and November of 2009
*It's sad how few pictures I have of this!  I have to change that!

Book Club Friday: A Secret Kept

A Secret Kepy

By: Tatiana de Rosnay

Read: 2/18/12

Pages: 352

"Antoine Rey thought he had the perfect surprise for his sister Mélanie’s birthday: a weekend by the sea at Noirmoutier Island , where the pair spent many happy childhood summers playing on the beach.  It had been too long, Antoine thought, since they’d returned to the island—over thirty years, since their mother died and the family holidays ceased.  But the island’s haunting beauty triggers more than happy memories; it reminds Mélanie of something unexpected and deeply disturbing about their last island summer.  When, on the drive home to Paris, she finally summons the courage to reveal what she knows to Antoine, her emotions overcome her and she loses control of the car.

Trapped in the wake of a family secret shrouded by taboo, Antoine must confront his past and also his troubled relationships with his own children.  How well does he really know his mother, his children, even himself?  Suddenly fragile on all fronts – as a son, a husband, a brother and a father – Antoine Rey will soon learn the shocking truth about his family and himself.

By turns thrilling and seductive, with a lingering effect that is bittersweet and redeeming, A Secret Kept is the story of a modern family and the invisible ties that hold it together"

{GoodReads}

I had mixed feelings about this book.  I was really looking forward to reading it because I loved Sarah's Key.  I was a little disappointed because it did not live up to Sarah's Key but it also wasn't a bad book either.   The author does a great job of describing the area in France and a great job of developing realistic characters.  However, I didn't like that the mystery of this book was not very mysterious.  I literally figured it out in two seconds which kind of spoiled the book.   I did like the book but I just couldn't love it.  I think if I went in not expecting the mystery then maybe I would have liked it more. 

I gave this book a 3/5 on my GoodReads.