What Does Mine Say?!

If you get the reference in this blog post's title, then you must enjoy quoting awesomely bad movies as much as I do.

Earlier this summer, I went down to Orlando to visit two of my cousins who live there. My cousins and I are very close, so I usually try to get down there a few times a year. This particular occasion was especially exciting because our other cousin, Shannon, was visiting from Seattle. Among us cousins, four of the six of us are on the east coast, but the other two live in Washington. Pretty much any time one of the west coasters comes to our time zone, the rest of us will come to them. Shannon came to Orlando, so my sister and I came to her. Five of the six of us had planned a week full of more antics than usual, as this was no ordinary trip. Shannon hadn't just come to Florida for the heck of it...she was making a pilgrimage to Epcot. You see, it was Shannon's 21st birthday.

At the Poly the night before...so Shannon could buy a glass (bottle?) of wine at midnight! Why are we all making the same face? Yep, just a normal family photo.

Along with our plans to drink celebrate, we also had something significant planned...something that was several years in the making. When our oldest cousin, Mark, passed away in 2005 after a battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma, the rest of us talked about getting tattoos together to honor him. Mark created Freekware, a clothing company with a message of unity through positivity and individuality (you may have heard me talk about it on here, I don't know, once or twice). The Freekware logo has come to symbolize so much to us cousins. When we decided to get together for Shannon's birthday, we decided to finally get our tattoos...and it was no question that all of us would somehow include the message of Freekware and/or the logo itself.

I wanted the Freekware symbol, but I wanted it to be incorporated into something else...and I wanted that something else to have some kind of movement to it. While perusing through Pinterest one day, I became enamored with dandelion tattoos. I know dandelions don't seem to symbolize much...I mean, they're weeds. But that means they're resilient and can take root anywhere. Plus, they always remind me of one of my favorite Disney scenes of all time.

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Once I had the idea of making the Freekware logo one of the dandelion seeds, it was only a matter of finding the right dandelion to show to the tattoo artist. My favorite ones had the stem in line with the shoulder blade with seeds floating towards the arm...

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...but then I found a few examples that had text along the stem.

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Since I had also played with the idea of including the Freekware symbol in a verse, I decided to have this verse trace along the stem:

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Once I had gathered all of my sources of inspiration, it was time for us to head out to get inked!

Shannon got a black Freekware symbol on her left shoulder blade.

Michelle got the words "Stay Positive" over a hibiscus flower. Her husband, an artist, created the design!

Jen got a blue Freekware logo on her left hip.

Amanda got a black Freekware logo on her right shoulder blade.

Here's how mine turned out!

Each of us had a different response to the inking process - some of us developed that "ink addiction" and are already talking about a next tattoo. I was not one of those people. It didn't hurt as badly as I thought it would, but it certainly wasn't comfortable. It was more like a nails-on-a-chalkboard sensation for me, and I definitely don't need to do that again! But we had a lot of fun together that day, and now we have a lasting reminder of it. I love how each of us got something slightly different, but they all have the same sentiment behind them.

Do you have a tattoo? What's the story behind it?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Warning: If you are a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs, the Florida State Seminoles, the Tennessee Volunteers, the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Auburn Tigers or War Eagles or whatever you are, or the Buckeyes of the University of Florida at Ohio, you may want to stop reading now. Actually, you may still enjoy this post...just try to see past our differences :)

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You guys. I love football season. There's just something magical about the combination of timeless tradition and bittersweet nostalgia surrounding this time of year that makes me feel a familiar warmth. Don't you just feel the excitement swell up in your chest when you hear your fight song? Don't you feel an instant lifelong bond when you see someone else decked out in your team's gear even if you're states away from those wonderful memories? Can't you just smell the grills all fired up on Saturday? Isn't your mouth watering for that frosty cold solo cup full of cheap beer or, if you're from the SEC like I am, bourbon? And if you're a Gator, I'll bet you can't help but grin from ear to ear just thinking about the end of the third when someone stands next to you, wraps their arm around you, and starts to sway.

College football is so much more than a sport. For those of us who follow it religiously, it's a significant part of our identities. It's our history and our future plans. It's our favorite tradition and our new away game road trip. And here in the South, it's a focal point of our culture.

I didn't grow up a football fan. I chose to go to the University of Florida because it was the best school that I could go to for free. I was told I should try to get season tickets for football, so I did. I didn't really see what all the fuss was about, but I figured if anything, it would help me make new friends. The second those boys ran on the field at the beginning of that first game my freshman year, something inside me ignited. The thrill was contagious, and I couldn't help falling head-first.

I attended UF during a particularly exciting era in Gator history. I saw the firing of Ron Zook and witnessed the hope we placed in Urban Meyer. I saw an incoming freshman named Tim Tebow play at the Orange and Blue spring scrimmage game and knew he was going to be someone worth watching. I had season tickets for four years, I traveled to a couple of games outside of The Swamp, and of course, I'll never forget the night my friends and I rallied at a local bar to watch our boys win a national championship in Arizona.

Obviously, life as a Gator hasn't been so sweet as of late. But I grew up a Red Sox fan, so I know that shining victories only appear so bright after spending some time in the dark. And even if this isn't the year we turn it back around, college football is about more. It's about the years I spent in that stadium.

It's about graduating from a place that meant more to me than the town I grew up in.

It's about a place where I created new lifelong friendships, and gained a deeper bond with old friends who have become more like family.

It's about connecting with fellow alumnae in a far-away place that would someday become home...even if it was in enemy territory.

It's about celebrating the future of Gator Nation, the accomplishments of our young alumni, and the goals we have yet to achieve.

It's about the town where I met some guy at a mutual friend's party...

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...with no way of knowing that I'd marry him someday.

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Are you as excited for football season as I am? What traditions are your favorite? What memories do you tie to the game?

Freeky Friday: Wunderbare Wanderlust

<center> <a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Freekware/128889363837099" target="_blank"><img alt="Freeky Friday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaq7asyZrZmjOXZoCbekE3PK0cbJacPHTaPN7H5WUCCovaAZpkwLZqDun2Om3PDS9k4ETcNEsJE-QGaLtOojNS2Vav9T-iKvlAL77cAwgjJPqZQ8RetN9rJEChzj4pZa0kz5P6j0t6EU/"/></a></center>

Welcome back to Freeky Friday! I know I've been inconsistent with this series lately (hopefully you've been following along here instead!), but I couldn't resist chiming back in for the summer's final prompt. Seriously! It's almost fall! Crazy, huh? Anyway, the final topic of 2012 is:

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

In 2011, we got married, bought a house, started new jobs, and moved to the suburbs. It was an incredible year, but it was also an exhausting one. In 2012, we fixed a leaky pipe, and I blogged sometimes. I think I needed a chill year to catch my breath after last year's excitement. But tranquility is not in my nature. I'm best when I'm busy, my mind is most clear when life is chaotic, and I'm most productive when working toward a distant goal. After a year of placid, I'm ready for some plans!

My most exciting plans of 2013 are several years in the making. You see, Dave and I really wanted to do a big Eurotrip for our honeymoon. Then, we fronted most of the bill for our wedding. We decided to save our travel plans for our first anniversary, but then we bought a house. Life, mostly its financial aspects, kept getting in the way. I was reminded of one of my favorite on-screen couples, and their similar roadblocks.

{via currycooqoo | yes, I teared up while browsing through "Up" screencaps}

I refused to let life interrupt our "Paradise Falls plans" any longer. We budgeted carefully, and I'm proud to say that we are officially and definitely going to Germany and Austria in April 2013!

So far, we've booked tickets to the opera in Vienna (obviously), and we've begun to research our route.

{via Google}

Such a tiny portion of such a breathtaking continent! It makes me lust after all of those other fabulous places that we won't have time for. In the other hand, we'll get to see a lot in our short, 11-day trip. We'll get to see things like this:

{via Monuments}

{via Sweet Nothings}

{via Rates to Go}

{via My Ashtonville}

Holy Von Trapp family, Batman! Can we go now?!

Have any of you been to the Bavarian Alps before? Any must-sees or travel tips? And also, what are you looking forward to in the coming year?

Celebrating with Paper

Today is our first wedding anniversary. We celebrated by watching our wedding video, and later today we plan to eat some cupcakes from the baker who made our wedding cupcakes (more on that later). We also exchanged traditional gifts. I have no idea where this tradition came from, but through the power of Google, I learned that the first anniversary is the paper anniversary.

Now, let me just say that there's a lot that went into our wedding. I'm not going to get into every aspect of the planning (because I did that already), but I'll happily summarize with two key points:

1. Our wedding could not have happened without my sister's immense creativity and relentless patience towards me.
2. Every aspect of our wedding was loaded with whimsy.

That being said, it was completely appropriate that my sister decided to follow the paper anniversary tradition by presenting us with a piñata.

Not exactly romantic, but very us.

Do you and your significant other celebrate anniversaries with traditional gifts?

Freeky Friday: With a Little Help From My Friends

<center><a href=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Freekware/128889363837099" target="_blank"><img alt="Freeky Friday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaq7asyZrZmjOXZoCbekE3PK0cbJacPHTaPN7H5WUCCovaAZpkwLZqDun2Om3PDS9k4ETcNEsJE-QGaLtOojNS2Vav9T-iKvlAL77cAwgjJPqZQ8RetN9rJEChzj4pZa0kz5P6j0t6EU/"/></a></center>

Welcome back to another Freeky Friday! Today's topic is simple:

Who inspires you?

Of course, it goes without saying that my cousin Mark is one of my greatest inspirations. But I've already talked about that, so I wanted to write about someone else. When I sat down to write this post, I had a hard time narrowing it down. I just kept thinking of the word "inspirational," and dozens of faces popped into my mind. I was surprised to notice that all of those faces were familiar to me...and not in an Oprah and Gaga sort of way. I saw my parents, some professors, even a few patients; but over all, my friends inspire me more.

When I look back on who my friends and I used to be, I'm overwhelmed with pride when I think of who we've become. These folks are absolutely incredible, and they inspire me to be the version of myself that they believe I can be. Fortunately, I have so many friends who mean so much to me. For the sake of this post, I'm just going to focus on a select few: my bridesmaids.

{image by H.Photography}

Among these women there are two physicians, two attorneys...and you see that one who looks like me? Yeah, she's getting a Masters in Education from an Ivy League school. One is a mom, one is the most cultured and well-traveled person I know, one has done extraordinary service work all over the world, and one is a refugee who has been shot at (not exaggerating). They are all tremendously witty (which makes me wonder why more of them don't write?), absolutely brilliant, and incredibly kind and patient.

The interesting thing about people we look up to is that we view them as perfect beings above the rest of us. But I think one of my favorite things about these girls is how remarkably human they are. Each of them have let me in to the point where I've seen them at their worst moments...but those moments are among the most beautiful, because I've seen them come back from the bottom. I think that moment of letting go and allowing someone to get to know the real you is far more admirable than trying to be something than none of us are: perfect. These girls inspire me to be smart, kind, and fun, but they also inspire me to be me.

What about you? Who inspires you?

Remember, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

• Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
• Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
• "Like" the  Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of August, you'll be entered to win some homemade cookies and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There are three Fridays in August, so you can be entered to win up to 9 times!

Be sure to come back next Friday, August 19th for an all new prompt:

When are you most happy?

Cow Appreciation Day

I moved to Atlanta in the summer of 2007 to begin physical therapy school at Emory University. I didn't know a soul, aside from my cousin who lives in a suburb west of Atlanta. Well, that's not entirely true. I had one acquaintance.

I met Emily H. when I first interviewed at Emory. The first thing I noticed about her was the fact that she had a tanzanite ring on her left ring finger. I had always wanted a gemstone engagement ring (at the time, Dave and I were not yet engaged), and I simply had to ask about hers. I broke the ice and found out that it was, in fact, an engagement ring. I found out that she was from the same hometown as my cousins: Overland Park, Kansas. Then, she shared that her fiancé was applying to law school at Georgia State University. I was taken aback; at the time, Dave was applying to Georgia State Law! The coincidence of a Kansas couple and a Florida couple applying to the same set of schools was fascinating to me. Clearly, I was meant to cross paths with these folks. Emily H. and I stayed in touch on Facebook to update each other on the statuses of our boys' applications. When we moved to Atlanta, we met up to buy books and what not.

It was nice to see Emily H.'s familiar face at orientation, but I spotted another familiar face in that auditorium. Christina was in my major at UF, but we never managed to strike up a conversation with one another in class (probably because we were too hungover tired that early in the morning). When I finally introduced myself to her at Emory, I met another fellow Gator - Christina's sorority sister, Erin.

Emily H., Christina, Erin, and I then picked up a fifth member to our study group: Emily L. I don't remember how; she was just awesome.*

Cow Appreciation Day was one of my earliest memories with these girls. What's that? You've never heard of Cow Appreciation Day?! Well, you must live in a part of the country that isn't lucky enough to have Chick-Fil-A (Yet, that is. My sister lives in NYC and has been writing countless letters to them asking them to bring one to her home in Harlem). The concept is simple: dress like a cow, get free chicken.

We enjoyed it so much, we went back in 2008 for lunch...

...and a late-night sweet treat!

Here we are again in 2009, trying to decide whether or not we wanted to "moo" in our picture:

We graduated in 2010, and our imminent jobs forced us to go our separate ways. Erin moved back to Tampa right after graduation, but the rest of us stayed in Atlanta to study for boards together. This meant we were able to celebrate yet another Cow Appreciation Day together.

Later that summer, Emily H. moved back to Kansas and Christina moved back to Jacksonville. Emily L. and I, of course, stayed in Atlanta. Those girls are still some of my very best friends, even if we have to correspond from a distance. We have been able to get together from time to time, especially for special occasions.

{Photo by Evan Hampton}

When I look at these pictures of us through the years, I'm proud of how much we've grown. We became friends four years ago as scared students, cramming as much information as possible into our stressed out little brains. If there's one thing I learned while in grad school, it's that you absolutely have to have some sort of a support system while you're there. All five of us made it through that rigorous program and emerged as competent therapists.

Chick-Fil-A celebrated Cow Appreciation Day 2011 last week. It was different this year. Not only were my PT school friends and I now scattered across the country, we were now grown-ups. We have jobs and responsibilities, and that significantly hinders daytime plans! I still celebrated with a friend from work...

...and a text to my old friends.

What quirky tradition do you have with your group of friends?

*Emily L. does not appear in the rest of this post because she has always had something going on during Cow Appreciation Day. One year she was out of town, I think she had people visiting one year, and so on. She's off the hook, though, because 1) she's good at going to foodie things with me (You may recognize her from this post) and 2) she's awesome.