Tea Time 03.16.15
One of my favorite things to do is sit down with my grandma and a hot cup of tea to chat about life, travel and adventures. Grandma Pat is definitely to blame for my tea addiction, coconut allergy, and wicked case of wanderlust, so I wanted to start this Tea Time series in her honor. My goal is to share some highlights from my week–all the things that made me smile, warmed my soul, or brought about inspiration. All of the sweet little things that could easily come up during a tea time in Tucson. Enjoy!
what I'm watching
Wes Anderson is easily one of my favorite filmmakers. I love how his whimsical films can sweep me away into a fantasy land full of color and quirkiness. I recently watched the Darjeeling Limited, a film from 2007 about three estranged brothers that unite in India for a train ride across the country. The vivid scenes ignited a whole new bout of Bollywood-themed wanderlust, leaving me confused as to how I didn't hear about this movie sooner. 
Out & about
Oh, Toledo. I have such a love-hate relationship with this city. I remember my first time there and how I felt so transported to a medieval time. I had never seen anything like it. But Toledo is so small and so touristic that, in my opinion, it's one of those places where one visit is enough. Ah, but the perks of living in Madrid! Toledo is a popular day trip choice for all of my visitors. I've become somewhat of a tour guide, dragging my feet there with each new round of tourists. But once I arrive, I'm always happy to be there. I love to watch the eyes of my friends and family widen with awe as they witness the same magic that struck me long ago. It's in these recurring moments that I realize it's so worth it and I kick myself for ever dragging my feet there in the first place. This week, I was honored to take some camp friends to Spain's old capital, once again feeling lucky as I was able to witness Toledo work its magic on these newcomers.
'grammers
For as long as I can remember, @emilyblincoe's intricate arrangements have been filling my feed with creativity and color. She has a knack for making everything look pretty, from old toothbrushes she found on a beach to pinecones from the park. Her talent is radiant and inspiring and I always, always look forward to seeing more of her work. 
on my radar
Salvation Mountain, located in Southern California near Palm Springs, is a vibrantly painted adobe-clay mountain with a reoccurring theme of "love." Like a bug to a light, I'm drawn to these bright colors and photography opportunities. It seems as though a West Coast road trip is in order... 
Scottish stories
During our free walking tour of Edinburgh, I learned that city didn't have plumbing until the 1800s. They used to have allotted times where they could throw their buckets of bodily functions out their windows down onto the streets, but first they would yell "garde loo!" to warn anyone walking below. At 10:30 p.m., the bars closed and drunken Scots would wander home. This just so happened to coincide with the evening dumping time, during which the drunken Scots would hear the warning, stop in their tracks, look up instead of run away, and receive a face covered in shit--hence the phrase "shit faced." I quite enjoyed this little tidbit, although I would have appreciated if the bird that crapped on my head earlier that day would have followed suit and given some warning. By the way, I'm totally loving it here and that is in no way sarcastic.
This week, I'm wrapping up an adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland. It's a short and easy week at school with a holiday Thursday and a ski field trip on Friday! Now I'm just counting down the days to spring break!