Twenty-Five.

My lovely Chicago friends who came out to celebrate! Thank you ladies!

I turned twenty-five while traveling in Australia. I celebrated. It was awesome.

My friends, a little over a week after my return, generously threw me another bash at one of my Chicago favorites. It was also awesome. 

And just what I needed. 

-

Confession Time: 

I feel as if I shouldn't complain, considering I've just come home from an amazing trip, but I'm going to do it anyway. My transition back home has been a bit rough. My sleeping patterns are completely out of whack (4 hours of sleep at night, long naps during the day or immediately after work), the figurative off button to my inner monologue is broken, and focus is fleeting. I have not pinpointed the exact causation for this difficult juncture, but it is here occupying my attention for the moment. 

 I know I will find my rhythm again soon. But I cannot resist feeling incredibly impatient, letting my inner critic win. Allowing pessimism and futile thoughts run rampant.

Then again, it maybe good that I am unable to find my old rhythm. What good is a trip to the other side of the world, if it doesn't shake you up a bit?

Today, I leave you with a quote I've been contemplating.

"Life should be lived on the edge of life. You have to exercise rebellion: to refuse to tape yourself to rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge- and then you are going to live your life on a tightrope."

-Philippe Petit in Man on Wire

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A Weekend in Sorrento

The second weekend of my Australia travels was just for the ladies. My friend Ali {who I was visiting in Melbourne} was invited to her friend Biffy's family beach house in Sorrento. Lucky me, I was able to tag along. Ninety-degree heat, swimsuits, sun tan lotion, sand castles, my first proper fish and chips experience, bunk beds, giggles, a sunset among the rocks, and an evening of reliving my childhood via a viewing of Clueless {RIP Brittany Murphy} defined my time in this slow paced seaside town.

Below is a little glimpse of my time there. Enjoy!

Me, Ali, Laura, and Biffy
{left to right}

More photos and reflections from my time down under to come! So be sure to visit Underlined and Bold again soon.

If you missed my travel photos from my first week in Melbourne, Australia, click here.

map image via.

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We Love you Cooper!

Today's post is dedicated to a friend's wonderful family canine who was adored by many. RIP Cooper. We love you!

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Bitter Sweet

Sydney Harbor near the Opera House.
February 2012

My body feels like a semi-truck ran over it. A nagging exhaustion forces me to yawn every ten minutes. The  constant fluttering of my eyelids urges me to lay down for a nap. But I avoid the temptation as it would only add to the confusion of my body clock. I know jet-lag has mercilessly taken hold of my body.

I'm back in Chicago, adjusting to the rhythms of the American city dweller. My mood, beyond my blood shot eyes, is bitter sweet. It was hard to board the plane to depart Australia. It was hard to leave a place where summer weather prevails, indulgence was a constant theme, creating memories with an old college friend was without question, and intercultural exchanges were a daily occurrence. 

 On the flip side of the coin, coming home has its perks. It means sleeping in my own bed, real life cuddles from my boyfriend {instead of managing time zone sensitive Skype dates}, and planning meet-ups with friends I left behind in the windy city. It also means working towards new goals-- as my resolutions list for 2012 still remains lengthy.

As I adjust back to the central time zone, Underlined and Bold will begin to swell with photos and reflections about Australia. I will also go back to posting about running, my Chicago shenanigans, and "Picks to Ponder". So if any of  those topics are of interest to you, you're in luck!

 But for now I lay in bed, pinching my cheeks in disbelief of my good fortune; the fortune to travel, and the fortune to have a wonderful place to call home. 

Cheers!

-Abigail


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