Chinchero, Peru Photos!

I'm finally putting some of my photos up!!!

Go to my FB @ https://www.facebook.com/heather.holmes.1694/media_set?set=a.1050659628282593.1073741833.100000156972247&type=3

World 4: The One with the Warp Zone

A blog post about vlogging: A love/hate relationship

In order to efficiently produce more vlogs, I've decided to skip ahead in my vlog timeline. A decision that was hard to make, because you all know how much I appreciate continuity and integrity. The thinking behind this is as follows:

• As the trip progressed, I learned how to better vlog "in the moment," which enables me to not spend SO MUCH TIME recording videos after the fact and then piecing them together with earlier footage - which, in turn, helps make editing 1000 times faster.
• Don't worry, I am still working on the older vlogs, but those take FAR longer to edit than the more recent footage.
• I just want to update more frequently...which is easier to do when I'm not having to interview myself about something that happened 5 months ago. :)

So, there you have it! Hopefully this will mean more vlogs! :crosses my fingers that this is true:

Happy Galentine's Day!!!

What's Galentine's Day?

What Galentine's Day Means to Me

I've been making Galentine's mixes for a few years now. Most of the time, it's just a chance for me to share songs that I enjoyed from the previous year. I never, really, have a theme in mind.

This year, I thought that I would switch it up a bit. What does Galentine's mean to me? Galentine's Day is an opportunity to celebrate lady friendships. It's a chance to really reflect on the importance of friends. The songs that I chose for my mix this year vary greatly; some songs celebrate the carefree fun of friendship and lady empowerment, while others represent the love and support that friends have for one another.

I asked some of you to help me create this list of songs, because, like any good relationship, it is a collaborative effort. It was very interesting to see the diversity of songs given to me, as well as the fact that some songs were suggested multiple times. I would like to say that I was surprised by some of the combination of artists on this list, but, quite frankly, it's not my most eccentric mix to date. :)

I hope you enjoy it! Think of this Galentine's Day mix as a long-distance hug, a "thank you," and a reminder that I love you always!

Galentine's 2015 Mix

click here to listen

Playlist

1. "Thank You for being a Friend" (Golden Girls theme song) - Cynthia Fee
2. "You’re My Best Friend" - Queen
3. "Where You Lead I Will Follow" (Gilmore Girls theme song) -  Carole King & Louise Goffin
4. "I’ll Stand by You" - The Pretenders
5. "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper
6. "I’ll Be There For You" (FRIENDS theme song) - The Rembrandts
7. "Wannabe" - Spice Girls
8. "Run the World (Girls)" - Beyonce
9. "Bo$$" - Fifth Harmony
10. "Bad Girls" - M.I.A.
11. "With a Little Help from my Friends" - Joe Cocker
12. "Umbrella" (acoustic) - Marie Digby
13. "Lean on Me" - Bill Withers
14. "That’s What Friends are for" - Dionne Warwick w/ Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, & Elton John
15. "You’ve Got a Friend" - Carole King
16. "Girl on Fire" - Alicia Keys
17. "Salute" - Little Mix
18. "Can’t Hold Us Down" - Christina Aguilera ft. Lil Kim
19. "Independent Women" - Destiny's Child
20. "My Best Friend" - Weezer
21. "Kind and Generous" - Natalie Merchant
22. "Wind Beneath My Wings" - Bette Midler 
23. "Thank You" - Dido
24. "Dancing Queen" - ABBA

Song #3: Oh oooh, and They Come Unstuck

Lady, runnin' down to the riptide

On average, I’d say we go to the beach once a day in Brasil. Sometimes it’s just morning walks along the boardwalk/shore, while other times it’s spending hours, midday, riding the waves. Often, it’s both. Regardless, beach culture is a HUGE part of life in Brasil.

There is a saying in Portuguese that states, “Vamos to mar um banho de mar,” which means “Let’s take a sea bath.” The ocean in Natal is warm…like, really, really warm. When you step into the water, waves lapping at your toes, there is no shock to the system due to temperature change. It is, essentially, like stepping into bathwater. It’s glorious. I cannot express to you my surprise at discovering this the first time I ventured into the water. We had recently been to Chile where the ocean was, well, cold. And from my experience in Seattle…aren’t oceans supposed to be freezing? Not the case in Brasil, my friends.

And I love you when you're singing that song

Despite going to the beach almost every single day, I have yet to tire of it. However, every.single.time I’m in the water, “Riptide” by Vance Joy plays in my head. Sometimes it bounces around for hours, while I bodysurf the waves and try not to lose my bikini. (It’s a true test to see which part you'll save: either the top or the bottom. My go-to is the top…it’s much easier to grab your chest and secure your top while corkscrewing, underwater, in the current, but that’s just my opinion.) Other times, only a snippet of the song plays in my head - one go around and it’s done. But, just like clockwork, this song always makes an appearance.

I got a lump in my throat 'cause

I don’t have much to say about this song, other than the more I listen to it, the better it gets. (I have a feeling that, yes, at some point, I will get sick of it, but that has yet to happen, so…there ya go.)

You're gonna sing the words wrong

I haven’t really listened to any other song by Vance Joy - which isn’t even his ACTUAL name. In fact, the only thing that I know about him is that he is Australian and he was born in 1987…and he has adorably curly hair. Yes, I googled him. But, “Riptide” is good and I enjoy the lyrics and I’m pretty sure that it will always make me think of riding the waves at Ponta Negra.

So, because it's winter for most of you (whhhaaaatttt?????), listen to this and think warm thoughts. :)

"Riptide"

World 1-1: The One with the Ruins

Song #2: Remember When You Used to be a Rascal?

The Backstory

Earlier this week, I had a dream. It went something like this:

Bella: "Heath! Thanks for sharing the new Arctic Monkeys' album with me! That band is totally A.C."

Me: "You're welcome! Ummm...what's A.C.?" (Because even in my dreams, I am not hip to youth culture...)

Bella: "Automatically Cool! I always have to remind my friends how cool this band is."

Me (seriously): "Bella, if you have to remind your friends how cool the Arctic Monkeys are, then you need to get better friends!"

:End dream:

So...obviously this week's song must be an Arctic Monkeys' song. And, yes, I subconsciously made up a new catch phrase (A.C.), which you better believe I will try to incorporate into my hip vocabulary from now on.

The Arctic Monkeys and Me: A Love Story

My love for Arctic Monkeys started sometime in the Summer of 2007. The band had been around for a few years, but it wasn't until I heard their song, "Fluorescent Adolescent" that I took notice. Their sound is reminiscent of familiar bands, such as The Strokes and even the Fratellis, with an Indie Rock vibe and English garage band undertones. Since 2007, their songs have dominated much of my iTunes and, if I've ever made you a mixed CD, there is a 90% chance I've included one of their songs. Needless to say, with such a broad cache of songs, it was difficult to choose just one song to share this week.

"Fluorescent Adolescent"

Of course, it had to be this song! Not only is this my favorite Arctic Monkeys' song, but it quickly became one of my favorite songs of all time. While the song's message is the exact opposite of how I feel (it's about getting older and finding out that life isn't as fun as it used to be), there's something about this song that just sticks with me. Maybe it's the drum and guitar riffs, perhaps it's the ballad-like structure...whatever it is, it's not a surprise that this song is one of this band's most popular songs. In other words, totally A.C. :)

A Warning: Do not watch the real music video for this song...even though it is directed by the brilliant Richard Ayoade, it features killer clowns. Enough said. The video above does not, so you are safe. You're welcome.

Runners-up: "The Bakery" ~ "Mardy Bum" ~ "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor"