Greece Dreams

Remember those 5 Goals I sent to Novelista Barista back in January?  Well, here's my number one goal.

1. Go to Greece in the summer to celebrate my friend's and my 28th birthdays!

I can't express how difficult it's been to keep this dream alive.

Oahu, Hawaii, July 2007

Way back in 2007, one of my best friends and I made a pact.  Our goals for our late 20's would be focused on expanding our personal life experiences.  Plus, we both love to travel.  In fact, we were still feeling the glow from our trip to Hawaii.
We both have a continually growing list of places to visit.  But for some reason, at that moment, Greece was where we decided on.

So, 2 years later, we were getting really excited.  One year away from Greece!  We were constantly saying that 2010 was going to be our year.  We both turn 28, and we both go to Greece.

There's that idea that if you put something out there into the universe, then you're just helping it come true.  I know that's truly some magical thinking, and it feels so simple.

The part that they don't tell you is that you should continue to put that idea out there, and if you want it bad enough you have to put in some actions that go towards it.  Those actions can be as simple as talking about it all the time with others, and suddenly someone is there and willing to help you make it happen. 

I bought a book.

Greece Travel Guide

I sent this picture out to my friend as soon as I took it.  I was keeping the dream alive.

I started making lists, downloading Greek music, looking up movies based in Greece (which includes "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" even though it's not based in Greece, and "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" because really, what an appropriate movie for this trip!).  I feel like it would be so appropriate to have a marathon of movies in based/filmed in Greece!

But that year of planning was also 2009, a year of so many difficulties.  We were both unemployed for quite a lot of time.  It seemed like it just wasn't going to happen.

But I didn't give up, even if it felt like time was running out.

I put the Greece Travel Guide aside for a couple of months.  But not too far away.

My messy dresser.

I literally placed the book where I would see it before I went to bed and when I woke up in the morning.  I would occasionally look at it, but I felt that it was so unattainable.

At one point, my friend and I talked about postponing the trip to 2011.  It was just one more year.  I felt so defeated.  Like I completely failed, though I know it wasn't that I could necessarily help being unemployed.

Then in March, a friend came to visit.  This is the friend, like one I'm sure many of you have, who has the connections.  They're the person who can find you exactly what you need, though it might come about in a very unexpected way.  They're also the type of person who you would cal to bail you out of trouble, even if they might have to fashion some MacGyver move before you're actually rescued.

I told him about wanting to go to Greece but being broke, and he proceeded to email me a massive list of travel websites that I'd never heard of.  Being that he travels a lot, it makes sense that he would know.

After looking at one of the websites and realizing how much cheaper it was than I anticipated, I felt hope again.  I talked about it with my friend, and she agreed that we should try to get through with it.  We discussed our financial situations, and agreed on a solution.

I looked up optimal times and dates for the both of us, since we'd be doing a multi-destination trip (Boston to Athens, and Athens to Los Angeles).  Then I received an email.

YAY!!!!!

YAY!!!!!!  We're going to Greece!!!!!!!!!!  July 5th to July 15th, we're going to live it up and let some Greek men treat us like Goddesses!!!

Ya, I know the country is doing poorly financially speaking.  But isn't it good that we're supporting their economy by spending our money there?  The beaches are still going to be gorgeous, and the Acropolis will still be there (Goddess Athena willing).  And we're going to Greece!!

Goal officially accomplished!

Santorini, Greece

Feeling Hopeful About 28

It is officially 10 years since I became a legal adult.

That's Birthday Cake on my face!
Get your mind out of the gutter... :P

On my 18th Birthday, I was so excited to have the right to vote...and to get my very first tattoo.  My friend and my boyfriend at the time went with me.  As I straddled the chair and the needle hit my skin, I couldn't believe the pain!

I tried my best to breath through it, and I kept thinking, "It's okay.  It's okay.  Pain is part of it.  It'll be AWESOME when it's over."

But, dude.  I couldn't stop the tears!  While the tears were partially from the pain, I was also extremely excited to be 18.  I thought about growing up, growing older, independence, and crossing this incredible American milestone.  I also thought about the fact that I was to be naturalized as a U.S. citizen in the next week.

I was excited to grow up.

Now looking back at the past 10 years, 18 was nothing.  And I'm sure that I'll be saying the same thing about 28 when I turn 38.  Everyone talks about how awesome it is to become an adult.  But no one tells you about all the trials and tribulations that are part of it.  Some things get really difficult.  You have to make a lot of choices on your own, and then live with it.

I've been saying, though, that I've been really excited about turning 28.  Perhaps because it is that 10 year mark from the beginning of "adulthood."  Perhaps it's because of 27 being such a difficult year.  But I'm definitely not scared of getting older.  I can't wait to see what this next year of life will bring my way!

For this post, I wanted to share with you all the things I've learned in the past 10 years while also sharing pictures from the past 2 days of birthday celebrations.  Let me preface this by saying that these are clearly just my own observations, and they are mainly lessons I've learned about myself.  You're more than welcome to disagree. :)

Drinks and Cupcake Wrappers

1.  We all carry some prejudices.  The problem occurs when people aren't willing to be open-minded about other opinions or at least learning about the other side a little bit.  I've always tried to learn as much as I can before forming an opinion, and even then I still leave more room for arguments.

Drag queens in mermaid outfits!!! LOVED it!

2.  If you take yourself too seriously, you deserve to be made fun of.  Period.

Sorry for the blurry picture...but you get the jist...I have an awesome hair-stache...

3.  Love is important.  But one shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves to get it.  Compromise is important.  But that's a personal judgment as well.

But I will never compromise on chocolate.

4.  I like rum.  I like tequila.  I like wine.  I like fruity beverages.  I don't often get hung over because I don't usually drink a ridiculous amount.  For a Pacific Islander/Asian, I can handle my alcohol fairly well.  That being said, splitting a bottle of tequila between 2 people is never a good idea.  Throwing up at a party just isn't fun.

Okay..so I cheated for this picture.  This was from October 2006. 
I was crying on the way home because I felt really bad for yacking at our friends house.

5.  Setting goals is a great idea.  But the world won't stop just because you need to accomplish something.  Be prepared for changes.

Singing "Heart of Glass" by Blondie.  I acquired 2 background dancers in the process.

6.  Just dance.  Even if you're a white guy.  You're having fun, and you're entertaining others.

Dancing at the Red Fez.  Belly dancers know how to have a good time.

7.  You get to decide how situations will play out.  If you go somewhere expecting a lame time, you will have a lame time.  If you go and make the situation fun, you will have fun.  Though, it doesn't hurt to have amazing people by your side.

I'm a little bummed I didn't get a whole group picture, but I was so happy to see all these folks and more!

8.  Being alone is a great experience.  We are all individuals in this ginormous universe.  While we get lucky and find people to share our time with, as humans are social animals, there's nothing like being secure in your oneness.

Enjoying the fruits of my cupcake labor.

9.  Life is too short to worry about your age!  It means diddly squat if you haven't learned from your mistakes, and regret just means you haven't learned a thing.  Everyone's experience is so different.  But what matters is what you take away from them.

Groovin'

10.  The Beatles said it best:  "In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

Proof that 28 will be awesome.

Ube Cupcakes! Happy Birthday to Me!

In honor of my birthday, I'm baking one of my favorite Filipino deserts in cupcake form and sharing the recipe with you all!

nom nom nom

Ube is a purple yam that is used in many desert items in the Philippines.  But my favorite form is ube cake.

I loved bringing this cake to large gatherings of non-Filipinos.  It was enough to weird people out, but not weird enough that they wouldn't enjoy every bite of it.

Though it looks like it should be saccharine sweet, it's not as bad as one might think.  The one drawback to the cakes we buy in Filipino bakeries like Goldilocks or Red Ribbon is that they are usually BRIGHT purple due to the addition of food coloring.  Granted, ube is purple enough on its own, but you can tell that there's extra tint added.

I'd also like to add that another drawback is the fact that there isn't a Filipino bakery in Boston.  Nonetheless, I wasn't going to let it stop me from enjoying this treat.

I had to do a bit of looking around on the interwebs for a perfect recipe.  I've made this in cupcake form before, but I'd have to say that I'm pretty proud of it this time around.

I took advice from Burnt Lumpia's blog, which features a lot of great Filipino recipes.  But the main cupcake recipe I used was from Mark Bittman's Golden Layer Cake recipe in How to Cook Everything.

Ube Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:

• 1 cup Purple Yam, Ube
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 1 tsp Pure Tahitian Vanilla Extract
• 18 tbsp Butter (10 tbsp for cake, 8 tbsp for frosting)
• 1 1/4 cups Sugar - Raw Turbinado
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups Cake Flour
• 2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder Aluminum Free
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 2 cups Confectioners Sugar Powdered

Prep:
Defrost frozen Ube.  Frozen ube can be found in Filipino markets and some Asian groceries.
Take butter and cream cheese out to make them room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Place cupcake papers in muffin tins.

Prepping

Cupcake:  
Mix ube (once defrosted, you can scrape ube into measuring cup with a fork), milk, and vanilla extract.  Set aside.
Cream 10 tbsp of butter until smooth, then gradually add the sugar.  Beat until light for about 3 or 4 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Mixtures ready to be mixed!

Add to butter/sugar/egg mixture by hand, a little at a time, alternating with the milk/ube mixture.  Stir until smooth.  The mixture should be light purple, but not overwhelmingly so.
Scoop matter into muffin tins lined with cupcake papers, using an ice cream scoop for help.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Mmmm....ube cake batter...

Frosting:  Mix cream cheese and butter until creamy.  Add one cup of powdered sugar at a time.  Feel free to add some sprinklings of shredded ube to make the frosting purple.

Frosting and sprinkles!

Frost cupcakes after 30 minutes of cooling.

Ta da!

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 cupcakes

Amount per Serving
Calories 253
Calories from Fat 109.1
(According to livestrong.com and my input of the recipe)

What's interesting is that I feel like I should put them in the fridge, but most resources and my trusty sister-baker says not to.  So, I just keep them in my handy cupcake transporter until consumption. :)

Cupcake transportation at it's best!

So, I'm glad that I can share this with you all!  I'm excited to be out of my 27th year, as you readers can see it's been a difficult one.  But I'm also excited to be a little bit older and, I hope, a little bit wiser.

Here's to making 28 an awesome year!

Hooray for 28!

8 Things - If (Then)

This is a perfect topic for this week.  As tomorrow is my birthday, I feel like a lot of What If questions have been coming through my mind.  Well, this is my chance to answer them.

1.  If I was getting paid for doing what I love to do I would feel less stressed about other aspects of my life. (Then I need to sign up for workshops, look for specific types of jobs, and not give up.  Even if the job you want doesn't exist, you can work towards it!)

2.  If I was just a little less overweight I would feel more comfortable in my own body.  (Then I not only need to realize that I'm already doing so much to work towards my goal, but that it takes small changes like recognizing when I'm emotionally eating.  I also need to realize that there are already small changes happening!)

3.  If we had a bigger apartment we could fit all of our collective crap.  (Then clean out/throw away/donate all the crap you don't used/haven't used in the past season/doesn't fit right/isn't useful.  Perhaps this will lead to more space in the space we're already in.)

4.  If we were eating healthier we would have a lot more variety in our diets.  (Then we need to consider joining a Meat CSA and try new recipes.  Our Veggie CSA is starting in June, so it's a great time to start experimenting.)

5.  If I moved back home I don't know if I could really learn how to truly take care of myself.  (Then I know that if worse comes to worse, I can always move home.  But I'm not yet ready, and I will do what I need to do to keep myself employed and taken care of in Boston.)

Westmoreland Ave.

6.  If I had more in my savings I would feel more secure.  (Then I should try to budget out how much I should put aside every week.  Someone once said to me, "You're on unemployment.  You can't save right now."  But, why not?  That's a challenge if I ever heard one!)

7.  If I had a teleportaion device travel between the coasts would be a lot simpler.  (Then I need to learn how to travel better.  Pack lighter, look for better deals, bring entertainment on a flight.  While I can't mess with the science of teleportation, I can at least make my travel experience more pleasant.)

8.  If I stopped being afraid of the unknown or didn't let my imagination get the best of me a lot more things would be out in the open.  (Then I need to realize that I've taken a lot of leaps in my life, and I'm still here.  I also need to realize that some things will get worse before they get better, and that's okay as well.)

Man, that was difficult.  But here's to a new year and a new beginning!

Dream Escapes - Packing Late

I had this dream a couple of weeks ago, but now I feel like I've had time to really think about it.

**********
I was running around, being generally busy.  I felt like I was running around the same location a lot.

My boyfriend suddenly stopped me, saying, "What are you doing?  We need to leave in 20 minutes!"

I suddenly remembered that we were heading to Maine, and we needed to leave as quickly as we could.  But, I was having so much trouble packing.  I didn't know what to pack, and I was hesitant about packing.

I could feel him getting so angry at me, but I just didn't want to rush.

**********

Goodness, is it really obvious what this is about, or what?  I know he doesn't really read my blog, and if he does read this it's not a surprise because I'm very honest with him.  But I am so not ready to be married to him.

He's so ready to go.  And I've been straight up with him, saying that if he asks me now, I would have to say no.

We argue about really stupid sh*t.  Including money.  The way I look at it, I feel like I should be able to handle my own finances before getting into a financial contract like marriage.  And being unemployed...no, wait..the BOTH of us being unemployed isn't exactly a good time to be financially stable.

In the end, I'm sure it's supposed to be all about how much we love each other.  But it's deeper, folks.  Why I'm about to admit this to the blogophere, I don't know...but here it is.

I don't know if I can handle all the issues that he's already got.  I don't know if I can be strong enough to handle my own problems along with his.  He still needs to figure out what his passions are in life outside of our relationship, while I feel like I've been passionate about something for most of my life.  What if we have children?  Would he be able to handle all the stress?

I know that most of my hesitance really comes from my own preferences, my own belief systems, and my own guidelines for the way I live my life.


He seems to be ready to move on to another part of his life, regardless of what he's got packed in his suitcase.  I, on the other hand, am still trying to find the right things to bring along with me.