Baker Park Reserve

September 16th-18th went camping at Baker Park Reserve with my friend Julie and her family (her mom & dad, 2 kids and husband). She likes 'easy' camping so we rented cabins. They were very nice. I still prefer tent camping. There was tons a walking trails, Alison loved it. Definitely recommend this park.

questions

I am back staying/living in my grandma's attic. Last time was three years ago, it was temporary with a known end date. The company I worked for was moving down to Dallas, Texas and I was following. My lease ended 3 months before the move date and my grandma, thankfully, took me in. This time I am unemployed. The company is now closing it's doors. I got laid off July 1st. We were told back in December. The news was not a huge surprise. It's not the living with grandma or being unemployed that's bothering me, it's that in 6 months I'll be 30 and I thought I would be in a different place; maybe more settled and have a understanding of who I am by now. Instead I feel like I have more questions.

What am I passionate about? Why am I here (earth, not in my grandma's attic)? What's my purpose? I love to travel, love it but I look around and see people with stuff (house accessorises, clothes, dinners out, going out on Fridays) that I choice not to buy so I can save money, I wonder. Should I ride my bike for a week around Big Bend State Park in Texas ($900) or stay up in Minnesota? I want to move around and live in different states but there is a little tiny part of me that says 'let's stay in Minnesota'. Am I a runner? Am I a biker? Am I a traveler? Am I a cook? Will I be single my whole life? I want to do good, where do I volunteer? Where do I want my energy to go? I wish I could keep a journal. I have started so many but never kept it going/finished one. Recently I stumbled across The Journal Junkie Workshop, will it be helpful or wasteful? Why do I have so much mental anguish about my weight? How do I just let go?I have been told that before, just let go because I am/will be always changing. I don't even feel like I have a starting point. Is the 'future' me I 'dream' about really me? How come I cannot just be content? What is my 'brand'? Do I really want to get a similar job in the same industry? I have been thinking about getting two tattoos for the last three years ("I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave" down one side and a peacock feather down the other), why am I stopping myself? So many questions. Am I going through a quarter life crisis?

vegetables from the garden

My grandma has a small garden is her background. I love it!! What's for dinner? Well, what do we have in the garden? It's been finding new recipes. Luck for me, grandma likes trying new recipes too! One night we had two big tomato and made stuffed tomatoes. We used both basil and spinach. It was ok, too much cottage cheese for me. I never thought of stuffing tomatoes before. After dinner I searched for more recipes. Next time I'm going to use couscous instead of cottage cheese. Another night there was an abundant of green beans. So many greens beans!

Adapted from vegweb.com
1 pound green beans
1/2 onion, cut up however you like
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil +1 1/2 teaspoon for the dressing
1 tablespoon honey dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup walnuts

1. Boil the beans for 7 minus, drain and cool is large bowl
2. In a frying pan, brown the onions and garlic
3. For the dressing, combine mustard, maple syrup, olive oil and vinegar is a little bowl
4. Add onions, garlic, dressing and walnuts to the green beans. Mix well!

Also is the garden is Japanese eggplants, red peppers, ground cherries, rhubarb, beets, carrots and lots of squash! MMM...squash!! I am excited to making squash soup and pizza!

Duluth Trail Fest

A old co-worker once asked why I ran and biked. Jokingly I told him I am trying to kill myself slowly. He said it actually sounds like you are trying to kill yourself quickly. An example, this weekend my aunt and I did 3 runs in two days. Two on the 27th, Park Point Beach 5k run in the morning and Chester Tester Hill Challenge 5k run at night. Then the following morning, Superior Hiking Trail 15k. The runs were part of the Duluth Trail Fest. It was a challenge!! Ran on sand during the first race, a very nasty hill that I practically had to climb up on the second one and the third race was my favorite, it was a trail. I totally recommend the runs!

My times:
30:54 - Park Point Beach Run
38:48 - Chester Tester Hill Challenge
2:15:42 - Superior Hiking Trail

Laos - July 20th

July 19th was the last night for 11 people on the tour. We said our 'good-byes'. Only 3 people plus tour guide left. Before heading to Laos, I took the morning to explore Hanoi a little more.

Ho Chi Minh's wished to be cremated when he passed in 1969 but instead a mausoleum was constructed to house his body, his frozen body. It does not cost anything to go in. They will give you an informational paper, it costs money and does not have many information. Do not take it. They do take your camera before you enter and give it back to you at the end. You have to walk on a red plastic rug and there is a guard every foot. You cannot talk, have to keep your hands at your side and keep walking. The mausoleum was built to look like a lotus flower.

Hanoi Hilton

On our way to Laos!!

Vietnam - Hanoi

After a short bus ride to Hanoi, we dropped our bags off at the hotel and headed off for lunch. Walked around afterward for a bit, I came to the conclusion that Hanoi was definitely more crowded than Saigon, the building were more compacted and people seem more indifferent. In Saigon, the ladies are willing to haggle and if you walk away they yell a lower price at you. Not in Hanoi, no haggling and if you walk out you walk off. While eating lunch our tour guide was telling us things to do, he kind of blow off the water puppet show, he said it was corny. Well, I had read Adventurous Kate's posting about it and decided to go. I thought is was cute and not something you would see in the states.

More morning glory for dinner and I tried Biere Larue

Vietnam - Halong Bay

Halong Bay was beautiful!! It was just like the pictures in National Geographic magazine!! We took a boat cruise around the bay. Stopped at a house boat that was also a fish hatchery. interesting.... The best part of the day was kayaking for 45 minutes around the bay, the guide took us into two cove areas. I kayaked in Halong Bay!! Then we stopped on an island and explored some caves. They are not worried about safety like in the states.

Vietnam - Hue

We were in Hue for just a little over a day. Everyone but me went out drinking last night after the motor scooter ride. I'll have one drink at night but I prefer waking up refreshed and early. My roommate for all of Vietnam was a 29 years old female from German. We were the oldest ones in the group. Everyone else was 25 years old or younger. Luckily for me she was not a all-hours-of-the-night drinker either and liked getting up early. Saturday July 16th, we were the only ones who got up early and explored the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.

While walking around the grounds, I tried to imagine was it was like back when. The earliest construction started back in 1010. In all it's glory, it would have been amazing. The dynasties, servants, armies. The gardens.

Vietnam - Hue

There was a time when Vietnam was split into north and south, this use to be the border crossing between them.

After we got into Hue, we took motor scooters through the city and visited two main sites. We were a biker gang, fifteen of us! This is the Thien Mu Pagoda.

My driver!

Biker gang!

At the Emperor's Tomb

Driving around rice paddy field

Trying Huda Beer for the first time. It's a local, very cheap, beer!

DELICIOUS!!

Vietnam - My Son Ruins