Mind over Matter?

Confused.  The best adjective to describe my current state of mind.  I've been trying so hard not to let my confusion take over my well being, but I believe it has already conquered my intellect.  Now there are some things I need to figure out in my life, so I'm giving myself the rest of the year...just cause I still have no idea about what I really want to do -- career wise.  I used to think that after graduation I'd be able to figure out what I want to do with my life.  Well, I was definitely wrong and to be honest, I didn't see it coming.  I know I'm not alone and it's prolly what everyone goes through at some point in life, so I'm still trying to be positive.  Moreover, despite everything that's been going on with me, I'm very thankful for what has happened during the past two months.  Yes, it's March (already?).

Temple Runnin'

One memorable week in the Land of the Rising Sun!

Yup!  Carlos managed to get me another stuffed toy!  Such a sucker for these! :)

Empire State of Mind -- I wish!

Seeing the replica of the Statue of Liberty reminded me of NYC in an instant.  Made me reminisce about the big apple all over again and the adventures I had last year.  Here's wishing that Carlos and I will travel to farther places sometime soon! For now, we can only dream. 

Next Stop: Tokyo -- Day 4

Kyoto -- Day 3

The Fushimi Inari Shrine was on our list because we've been seeing pictures of it on travel pages, bloggers' feeds and so on.  Therefore, the moment we stepped foot in Japan, I immediately told Carlos that we HAD to go to Kyoto no matter what.  Lucky for us, Osaka and Kyoto are not far from each other.

A quick update!

Hi everyone!  I apologize for the fact that I've been MIA these past couple of weeks, but do follow me on instagram (@ginnywanders) if you like cos that's where I usually flood other people's feeds. :)  I just got back from Japan, but I'm back to reality again.  I'll be blogging about our recent trip soon, so stay tuned!  For now, I'll leave you with a photo from my brother and I hope that your day will be brightened just like it did to mine.

Have a great week ahead loves!

Bali -- Day 3

Aston Ungasan Hotel

Bali -- Day 2

Oh Happy Days!

Gone are the days when I had the privilege of sleeping at dawn and waking up in the afternoon.  Life as an adult is not as promising as it seemed to me as a student.  Well, what did I know then?  I haven't experienced having to earn for a living at that time.  And now, there are times when I wish I could go back to being a student who knew nothing of budgeting salaries and saving up as much as one can.  Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of perks that comes with being an adult but for once I wish I knew what to do with my life and it's not as easy as deciding what movie to watch or which restaurant to book for a dinner date.  It's more than that because you'll have to think way beyond and actually see where you want to be in the next decade or so.

New York City -- Day 4

This is the last set of photos that I'll be sharing with you regarding my adventure in the Big Apple.  Time flew by oh-so-quickly and I'm so glad I decided to travel to NYC even if I was alone at that time.  It did not only teach me to be independent, but it taught me to be wise and most importantly, it taught me to get out of my comfort zone.

New York City -- Day 1

Two days after we got back from St. Louis, my sister took me to the airport where I had to fly alone because my sister did not have enough days of annual leave...  However, I wanted to go to NYC so badly that I decided to go on my own.  I met up with a friend from college who lives there and stayed with her for a couple of days.

St. Louis -- Cathedral Basilica & Gateway Arch

The next day was a Sunday so we attended mass at the lovely Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.  I was impressed by how it looked from the outside as it had that sort of medieval look, what with the arches and somewhat pointy towers.

The inside looked stunning as well, the art that were painted on the ceilings were very detailed and colourful.  The church was well lit and huge.  This cathedral is worth visiting because you can get the feeling that you're in Europe.  And maybe it's just me, but I tend to think of European cathedrals or churches in general whenever I see or go to one.  Of course the ones in Macau aren't as detailed in terms of the art and sculptures as the one below, but it still gives me that vibe, considering that it was once a Portuguese colony.

Our agenda for that day was to check out of the hotel, shop for food at Trader Joe's and visit the famous monument of Missouri which is known as the Gateway Arch.  Missouri is a wonderful city by the way, what with all their tall buildings and stuff.  I'm not sure if they can be compared to those skyscrapers in New York, but nonetheless, it's a great city!  I would definitely live there if I get the chance to do so.

We were only able to take pictures from the outside, due to the fact that there was a really long queue to go up and see the whole city from the arch.  I didn't think it mattered though because I know I'll be able to come back if ever my sister decides to move there. :)  I knew both my sister and aunt wanted to get back home asap since they had to work the next day and we didn't want to be on the road after sunset.

I definitely enjoyed my sister's company and I was a bit saddened by the fact that this was our last road trip for this year because I had to go back to Macau in two weeks (I'm back in Macau now, btw, in case any of you are wondering... I haven't really been in the mood to blog about my travels when I got back, until recently...so I'm trying my best to do them now).

Anyway, I do hope you like the pictures taken by my sister and yours truly.  Have a great week ahead everyone and hopefully someday, you can Meet me in St. Louis. :)

 

Wisconsin -- Cheese Factory/The Art Museum/The Wedding

The weather in Madison wasn't very promising.  It would've been nice if it was only chilly, but noooo it had to rain!  And I believe everyone knows that the cold + the rain won't please anyone.  However, I really can't complain though because I like cold weather!  I love wearing sweaters and jumpers and long sleeved clothing in general.  And I got to do all that in September so hoooraaay!!  If I were in Macau then, I'd be complaining about the heat.

Anyway, I'd say I'm pretty lucky to have a sister who is not one who would like her time to be wasted which is why we got to do a bunch of stuff before her friend's wedding (which was the main purpose of this whole trip).  I would just like to let you know that this blog post will probably be the longest among any of my other posts since I am reluctant to separate them. :P

Our first stop was the Cedar Grove Cheese where we got to see their little factory and got a tour out of it.  Basically, the tour enabled people to read what was on their walls including its history, how they're made and so on, so forth.  I honestly do not remember what was written on those walls because I was too mesmerized by the people behind the glass and pretty much intrigued by how they make the cheese... not to mention, I was also only interested in tasting/buying/eating the cheese.  We ended up buying some of their cheese curds which are to die for!  They were really, really good and those are what I would recommend you to get if ever you're in town or if ever you get the chance to visit them.  You can munch on them while watching a movie and it just makes a really good snack.  It also makes that squeaky sound as you chew on them which totally reminds me of the mice in cartoons. :)

We also passed by the store where we could get some sausages because my sister said they were good.  I think I've only had a few bites and they were alright, but I probably wouldn't come back for more... not unless I crave for them.

Wisconsin -- The Long drive

The weekend after Eureka Springs was followed by our trip to Madison in Wisconsin.  The drive there was just oh-so-long, it can't even be compared to our previous road trips.  We had to wake up really early just so we can be right on schedule.  That didn't happen, of course.  That's what people get for planning ahead... so lesson learnt, don't plan ahead!  Just kidding! :)

We left home at around 3:50 am and during those few hours before the break of dawn, I fell asleep even though I wanted to keep my sister company.  However, to stay awake the entire trip was just impossible.  I'm actually amazed at how my sister managed to stay awake during the entire trip... not that she was given a choice.  I honestly thought that my sister would be switching with our aunt at some point, but they didn't so she had to drive all the way there with a couple of stops.

We had to stop at a bunch of gas stations to get something to eat and drink and use the bathroom.  It's not easy being on the road for a couple of hours, let alone being on the road for 12-13 hours.  The only things I could do was take photos, listen to music, take naps, read my book and of course chat with my sister about stuff while our aunt was asleep because we had a bunch of stuff to talk about.  :)