3 most commonly used phrases said during Caitlin and Megan's Europe trip, 2009:

• Pretty sweet actually. (Said in a high pitched voice with a lisp)
• I'm sorry, I only speak English.
• Is this real life?!

Our trip was beautiful, hilarious and oftentimes incredibly strange and surreal. It was one hell of an adventure. Right now I'm drinking sparkling mineral water and wondering how my friends on the other side of the pond are doing; I feel odd thinking this way, but I miss them and their voices already. Since we finished our 26 hours of traveling on Monday (our flight from Chicago to Detroit was cancelled and we spent a solid 7 or 8 hours in O'Hare exhausted and unshowered; I tried to sleep on a bench and I'm sure I sort of looked and smelled like a hobo) I feel slightly narcoleptic, and therefore completely unmotivated to do anything at all. My family, Darrin and I moved all my furniture and heavy things to school on Tuesday but other than that and trying to sort utilities and my health insurance out, I haven't really done anything on my "get ready for school to-do list" or even called any of my good friends to seriously catch up. I'm too tired to make the effort.

Hopefully I feel more energized and motivated tomorrow. Also, I need to start watching my health habits closer. I gained an impressive amount of weight for only being in Europe for 3 weeks...not that I regret it at all though. I ate and drank to my heart's content over there, as one should when they are having the time of their life. Moose meat, caviar, flat bread, sjokade, chocolates, coffees, kebob, sour cream porridge, a shit ton of different kinds of beers, ciders and liquors...sheep's head (including the tongue and eyes!). You can't hold back when you have any opportunity to try something new.

It's also really weird that I haven't even gotten over the jet-lag and I'm watching Anthony Bourdian's new Thailand episode with a feeling of jealousy and travel lust that is just as strong as it was before I left.

Europe Itinerary

I fly to London on Monday morning, the 27th and I'm going to be staying with Olivia and her family about 20 min from downtown. I'm sure our days are going to consist of Olivia asking us what we want to do that day and trying to come up with a plan the night before or the day of and basically flying by the seat of our pants in normal Olivia style. I'm so excited.

We're flying on RyanAir to Ireland on the 28th to visit Sophie. In her words, we're going to:

28th June
arrive dublin 22.55pm
depart dublin 23.20pm
arrive derry 02.45am - picked up by the soph
arrive mullach dubh approx 4am!! SLEEP!!!

29th June
TBA by the soph - wont make it hectic, probably go beaches and what not,little bit of a drinky poo and dinner in sophs pub!

depart mullach dubh 12.30am
arrive letterkenny 1.30am
depart letterkenny 1.45am
arrive dublin 5.10am
depart dublin 8.00am

My boss, who's from Ireland, tells me that Derry is pronounced so it ryhmes with John Kerry.


Then we'll be in London until the morning of the 2nd and then we fly to Oslo to visit Morten, Sindre, Invilgd and Merethe. And we'll see Ann too! We're also going to make day-trips to Sweden and Denmark! This is Morten's schedule for "Megan and Caitlins awesome scandalnavia trip 2009":

Søndag 02: Arrival, hugging, meeting people, gettin settled in our flat, eating (morten cooking/BBQ), maybe a walk in oslo, beers

Mandag 03: Oslo: Soccer match, museums and stuff

Tirsdag 04: Long ass drive to Molde, with many pitstops where the view is awesome

Overnight stay and in a fine ass hotel in Molde
little less than 40 bucks per head.

website: http://www.alexandra.no/

Onsdag 05: Long ass drive to Stanghelle (my home town) with many pitstops where the view is awesome

Torsdag 06: Beeeeergen

Fredag 07: Boattrip in stanghelle/ soccer cup

Lørdag 08: VOSS and soccercup. BEEEERS and crazy norwegian (hillbilly) party

Søndag 09: Long ass drive to oslo

Mandag 10: Cruise to Copenhagen

Tirsdag 11: Random shit in Copenhagen

Onsdag 12: Cruise to Oslo

Torsdag 13: Short ass drive to Strømstad (sweden) or whatever you want..

Fredag 14: Øya Festival?

Lørdag 15: Whatever M&C want

Søndag 16: Sad goodbye


Morten had me laughing out loud reading this. Especially since it's making me more and more excited to go. This is going to be beyond awesome.

EXCITED!

I've been in an odd mood lately. Not necessarily in a bad mood, but because of the absolutely ridiculous drama that's been going on at work, I haven't had much to laugh or smile about lately.

Usually when it's been a while since I last laughed, Puhtay and I pick up and got as far the fuck away from Jackson as we can during my day off. And although our mini-adventures only take us as far as Ann Arbor or Detroit, each trip lifts my spirit like a vacation would, and I'm able to face whatever is going on at work with a renewed sense of optimism (or bemusement, depending on the seriousness of the situation).

Puhtay and I haven't run away in a while and I was missing it. And I know that she would like to run away sometime soon too.

Today she met Mom and I in Jackson while we ran errands: new bedsheets, a father's day gift...that kind of thing. I also got to go shopping for clothes for a little bit, because I would really like some fashionable attire for when I go to Europe in 38 days (not that I'm counting or anything ;-)

As Mom and I drove away from Puhtay, she said, "Puhtay is a true friend, isn't she?"

Yep. And even though we only spent an hour or two together today, just the knowledge that I have someone like that in my life lifted my spirits again.

Another thing that cheered me up: spending time with my Mom. She would work until 4, and I would have to leave for work at 3:30 everyday, so even though we live in the same house, our paths barely crossed. It was nice to tell her about all that's been going on and I'm pumped that she's finished working at the school for the summer.

ALSO, today was Lizzy's 21st birthday, so I got to hang out with her, Justin, Brad, Caitlin and Darrin. I especially haven't seen Brad since December, and I was so pumped to hang with everybody and experience the old dynamic that we used to have.

"Laughter is the best medicine" is such a horrible sounding cliche, but it's true. Just laughing (and drinking) a lot tonight has made me excited about life again...my future career, moving to Grand Rapids in the fall, seeing London and Norway and my old friends that live there...I got to put all the frustrating stuff in perspective and realize that I have so much to look forward to.

This is a video I took of Brad and Justin two or three years ago. It may be only funny to us. But we think it's hilarious.

Bread eating contest

I had the best "morning"

Today I slept in today until 11 o'clock. After drinking a cup of coffee and eating a free cinnamon Panera bagel that I'd brought home from work, I decided to read out in the sun for a few hours. We have these great big trees in our yard (which I noticed today is rare for homes on Lake Columbia), so the only part of our yard that the sun can reach is the dock. Because it was a weekday, I was only sharing the lake with the blue gills that were seeking refuge from the sun under the shade of our dock and the occasional carp that threw itself into the air. I finished two books (I had already been really close to finishing both of them), closed my eyes for a while and thought about how my skin always seems to smell good when it's warmed* by the sun.

*Now that I realize I'm red all over, this word could be changed to "burnt" for more accuracy. Why didn't I put sunscreen on today?! I'm usually really good at remembering to put it on.

A family of swans came to visit me, thinking that I would have food for them. Because of the angle that they had come, I couldn't leave the dock without stepping closer to the baby swans. Swans can be very violent if they think you're threatening their young, so my heart started racing when the adults would hiss at me each time I started trying to leave the dock. But they wouldn't leave because they still thought that I would feed them! I was basically stuck on the dock until Dad noticed and came running over with a stick trying to intimidate them. When they hissed at him he hissed back.

Okay, so I guess that wasn't a great part of the morning. Anyway...

Afterward Dad and I took out the sea-doo for the first time this year. It was literally covered in dust from winter storage. When the sun is shining bright enough you can see vibrant rainbows in the spray whenever you make a relaxed turn. I was covered in goosebumps from the cold water. I kept looking at the architecture from the homes and then reflected on how I think about things differently from when I was younger. I've ridden by those homes countless times and have only now started to notice them in the last few years.

There wasn't anything particularly special about this morning, except that it seemed so picturesque and was so relaxing. It was the perfect thing I needed before I headed into work this afternoon.

Edit: I just went the bathroom and realized that my legs are burnt too. Except I sat in an up-right chair and must have had my legs crossed, left over right, the entire time because you can totally tell that's what I did from the burn. It makes me laugh.

Whoa, random lists.

Recent Hennessey family news:

• Turns out the Rock fetus, previously known as "the pebble", is sporting some manhood between its little legs and from now on will be known as Anthony.
• Dad's company is sending him on a business trip to France and Germany in July, and they're having Mom go too!
• Kong and I are in the process of booking flights to Norway and England. The Hennessey family is all about international travel this year, apparently.
• I got my acceptance letter to GV, and the intensity of our downtown Grand Rapids apartment hunt is going to increase very dramatically this week.

Recent baking adventures:

• Chocolate pie for Mother's day. Mom LOVED IT.
• Orange creamsicle cookies (I've made these twice now...they taste JUST like an orange creamsicle. The second time turned out better because I added more flour and eggs)
• Butterscotch fudge cookies. Really good, but I'm using less vegetable oil next time-they were a bit on the greasy side.

Things I've eaten today:

• Two leftover enchiladas that Mom made and 2 cokes.
• That's it.
• I'm I complaining? NO. God, I love Mexican food!

Things I've spent money on in the last few months:

• Books
• Lattes
• Gas
• Zoo admission
• Treasures I've found at flea markets and thrift stores

Rainy Monday afternoon

"Why do they stay/go back?" is the question that most people (family, friends, strangers) ask me after I tell them I work in a Domestic Violence shelter. I think that this is the best answer. It's important to not lay the blame on the victim, which is easy to do. The abuser has committed a crime. Less people understand that then you'd think.

And a lot don't understand that the definition of rape is a lack of consent. It doesn't matter if you're married. It doesn't matter how you were dressed. Investigators should not be asking my client-a teenage rape victim- why she shaves her pubic hair if she wasn't planning on having sex with her assailant. Shit like that needs to change.

Lately I've been thinking that instead of working as a counselor of DV/SA victims after I get my MSW, I'd like to do some work with prevention. You know, educating the community about DV/SA and what constitutes a crime. We live in a culture in which the line is blurred sometimes. Example. And there are positions like this in each of the three DV shelters I've volunteered, interned and worked at who all have their MSWs. I think I would be good at it.

Hobbies that I've picked up over the last month:

• Baking (usually something with meringue)
• Reading
• Writing in the journal Puhtay gave me for my birthday
• Geocaching
• Running. That's right, I typed running. Which is weird because I usually don't enjoy exercise. (Have I mentioned that I've lost 10 lbs since I graduated?)
  

Dreams I've had in the last week:

• I went on a SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner=collecting bodily forensic evidence after a sexual assault) call. I met the victim at a coffeehouse. It turned out to be my old neighbor who died this year. He gave me a huge hug. We ordered lattes and caught up.
  
• A mistake I made in real life lead to one of my client's murder by her assailant. I found out by reading it on the front page of the paper.
  
• My boss was testing me on aspects of my job. She was quizzing me with questions on flash cards. I did really well though.
  
• For some reason I had to watch movies on my night shift to screen for "appropriate content". I had to take notes. Which I thought was awesome until I accidently I fell asleep on the couch and slept through my shift.
  
• Somebody was geocaching in the shelter's parking lot in the middle of the night. I called the police and the poor people were arrested.
  

I've been making an effort to not worry about work when I'm off shift. I try to leave work stuff at work and not take it home with me. Apparently my mind has decided I need to process it sometime and takes the task upon itself when I'm sleeping. But really, my mind is probably just reflecting what I'm thinking during the day. I don't know. I kind of which they would stop.

Things I'm excited for:

• This summer.
• THE LAKE!
• Caitlin being home
  
• Adventures with GV friends
• High school friends coming home
• Helping Brandy and Matt fix up their new house
  

• This fall
• Living in and exploring downtown GR
  
• Living by most of my friends again and having a regular social life
  
• Living in an historical, charming appartment which my future roommate and I are bound to find somewhere in the Heritage Hill area
  
• Not working midnight shifts anymore. Although, I'm going to ask the shelter in GR if they want an on-call or float shelter worker.
  
• Being a student again. (I would be a student for the rest of my life if I could)

Books and adventures.

Books I've read in the last 2 months:

• Me Talk Pretty One Day-David Sedaris. My favorite Sedaris book so far because it made me laugh out loud the most.
• A Cook's Tour-Anthony Bourdian. Made my stomach growl constantly. I've decided that it's necessary for me to try clams.
• You Must Be This Happy to Enter-Elizabeth Crane. Wierd and hilarous.
• I Was Told There Would Be Cake-Sloane Crosley. I feel like she and I could be friends. She's funny, but not as much as Sedaris and Crane.
• This I Believe. Essays from the NPR radio show of the same name.
• The Enemy Between My Legs-Stephanie L. Jones. She's speaking at an event in a few weeks (Take Back the Night rally) that the shelter has organized. Her book is about child sexual abuse and is okay...until she makes the argument that child sexual abuse causes homosexuality. It pissed me off and makes me concerned about her upcoming speech and how AWARE will be represented.
• Live Through This: Essays in Creativity and Self-Destruction-edited by Sabrina Chapadjiev. A collection of pieces from poets, writers, artists, photographers, playwrights, dancers, activists etc. about their creative and self-destructive tendencies (i.e. cutting, eating disorders). Really good.

I have two books that I requested from the library and am still waiting on and today I bought two other books (that I couldn't find in the library's catalog). I LOVE reading for fun again!

My dream trips/Adventures I want to have:

• Visit Sindre and the gang in Norway
• Visit Chelsea in Japan
• Visit Carrie in Uganda. Volunteer there for a few weeks.
• Visit Ryan in France
• Manchu Picchu
• Backpack Europe
• Thailand (honeymoon?)
• Back to Hungry Mother Park in VA with some of the AB Trails gang. (This might happen this summer!)
• White-water raft again (maybe this can happen in VA!)
• Take Dad somewhere for his retirement (Ireland?)
• NYC with Mom and Caitlin
• Australia's the only continent other than Antarctica that I don't have on this list...so I'm going to have to add it.

Many the Miles- Sara Bareilles

There's too many things I haven't done yet

There's too many sunsets I haven't seen