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England–The Land of Tea
Almost everyone who knows me would agree that I love tea. Black tea, herbal tea, fruit tea, white tea. Tea with lavender or mango or apple or blueberry. Sugar is a must, of course. But I am an all-around tea lover. I should have been born in England. I have only lived here, studying abroad,…
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Experiencing European Leisure
Something I’ve noticed about life in Europe is that the pace is much slower than it is in the US. When we were staying in Salzburg, Austria–a resort town in the Alps that is the destination of both Austrians and international travelers–we had come back from a long day of sight-seeing and shopping. My mom…
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The dangers of travel
Yesterday was supposed to be an easy, relaxing travel day from Paris, France to Salzburg, Austria. It almost began in disaster. The major airport outside Paris–the LAX of France, if you will–is the Charles De Gaulle airport. Our flight left at 8:45 am, so we got a taxi at 6:00 and drove the 45 minutes…
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Ah, Paris.
Bonjour! It’s 5 am in Paris. It’s a lovely 60 degrees outside, and I’m still slightly jet-lagged, so I sit at the open window, listening to the sounds of the city at night. This is my first time in Europe, and so far, it has been image parfaite, picture perfect. I often think of big…
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Why are endings so sad?
For the past three summers, my sister and I have been steadily working our way through the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I read to her while we get ready for bed at night, and we’ve managed to get through one book every summer. It has been a fun project, and a very special time…
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A fairy garden tour
Imagine a bright, fresh morning in the middle of May. You step out into your backyard to view the grass glinting with dew, flowers bobbing their bright heads, and trees whispering softly in a light breeze. A bird sings somewhere nearby. It’s a perfect morning with fresh air and sunshine. You see movement amidst a…
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The 4th of July–A Remembrance
July 4, 2012– Red, white and blue. On T-shirts, on toe nails, on the cheeks of young kids with face paint. On the flags that hang from houses and decorate fair grounds. On wrap-around porches and tablecloths. Hula-hoop contests. Carnival rides. Shaved ice and cotton candy. Water balloon tosses. Bare feet. Barbeques. Cold lemonade and a game of basketball.…
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A Whipped Cream Paradise
If you asked me three months ago what I would be doing this summer in my spare time, I definitely would not have told you that I would spend the summer cooking. I’ve never been very fond of cooking–spending hours grueling away in the kitchen only to have everyone devour whatever you’ve lovingly made in…
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The First Post
So I’ve started a blog. The username and password are there, I’ve come up with a fun title, and even picked a background design. Now I have to start writing. What constitutes a blog subject? I guess I could talk about anything: the guacamole and chips I ate for dinner last night, the new shoes…
Victoria Van Vlear 