Learning | Learning a Language

My high school required each student to take at least two years of a foreign language. I had the luxury of choosing from Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, German and Russian. I heard many of my fellow students say they were taking Spanish, because they thought it was easy, or French, because they were of French heritage.  

I chose the German language. I am not even of German descent, but somewhere I had read that English was a Germanic language, and I hoped it would give me some insight into some Old English words. I enjoyed studying German so much, I took three years in high school...and then minored in German as an undergraduate.

Maybe I enjoyed the German language so much because of my teacher.   Frau Schueler was a native of Russia, but spent her childhood in Germany during the years leading up to World War II. Oh, and she was Jewish. She obviously had a love of words, and was happy to answer my questions about where words came from, or whether they were related to English words that seemed similar. 

It was all too easy to convince her to stop in the middle of a lesson and tell us stories about other countries.  She lived in a suburb of New Orleans, but left during summer break to travel all over the world.  Which meant she could say things like,"I never met a  Norwegian who did not speak perfect English," with such authority.

Der Zug ist noch nicht abgefahren (The train has not left yet.) 
From Ingrid Eulenfan's photostream on Flickr.com. Some rights reserved.

I'll always remember her lesson about the prefixes an- and ab-. The verbs for arrive and depart are very similar, so she warned us to be careful with our prefixes. "If you mix up your an- and ab-, (snap!) whoops! you are on the wrong train!"

Julia Schueler became a published author, long after I was in her classroom.  Her biography, Elsewhere: A Memoir, is available through Link+. 

If you are studying a foreign language, or would like to study one, you can find help at the library.  I did a search for foreign language learning on SSJCPL's shiny new catalog.  Here are the results.

The Wanderlust Librarian | The Beauty of the Snap Decision

My life is ruled by a schedule.

When I'm at work, it tells me what desk I work at a specific time. When I'm at home, my daughter's soccer dictates where I'm supposed to be to take her to practice or games. The alarm blares and tells me when to wake up in the morning. At night, Jimmy Fallon is a gentle reminder that it's close to (or past) midnight and it's time for me to go to bed. 

About a month ago, a friend had offered me a chance to see a movie in a private screening about 3 weeks before its general release. It was in Los Angeles. The schedule-bound bloggess told him to "have a great time". I was sad. I really wanted to see the movie. This movie is based on a best selling book. To read a fair review of the book, please click here. If you'd like to request this book in the library system, make sure and click this link and pick your format! 

My daughter, Scout, told me that I would be stupid if I didn't take a chance and just go. In less than 40 minutes, I made the decision to do it. I was terrified. Never in my life had I made any travel decision as quick as this one. Take a good, strong look at this post that I wrote. I'm a planner by nature. I have binders dedicated to the trips I take!  Then I read my own words: 
     
        There is no perfect way to plan any trip.

Oh, bloggess... were you so wise as to know that there was going to be a time when you would be advising yourself? Because it certainly felt like it when I read it. 

I had the mode of transportation, but I still needed to make sure I had lodging. In a loving act of kindness and heart, friends eagerly offered up a couch to me for the duration of my last minute travels. 

This decision, though, was not without its challenges. On my drive up to Los Angeles, I started to cry because this was the scariest thing I've ever done! My schedule-bound self was distraught and manifesting itself in tears and tantrums. It must have looked weird to the people in their passing cars to see a girl crying and blathering on to herself. 

Everything turned out fine. I got to Los Angeles safely, saw a fantastic movie (that I paid to see again) and made it home without any incident. 

Would I do this again? Probably not in the near future. It's just too scary and unknown (and I'm a chicken!!). 

Readers, I will say... Take a chance on yourself! Take a chance on doing something different! Surprise yourself! You're definitely worth it! 

xoxo
The Bloggess

The Wanderlust Librarian | Throw Back Thursday: Have you seen any British People?

It was *cough2008cough* when my best friend Lizzie and I had thrown about an idea to travel to London. There was always an allure about the British that I wanted to experience first hand. After all, I already loved watching British shows and adored British actors (I love you, Colin Firth!!). Why not go the extra mile and experience the magic in person? It took us about 6 months to plan and reserve everything for our trip. 

During our British adventure, I wrote about my experiences and I'd like to share one of my favorite posts with you. Enjoy! 

----------
March 17, 2009

We've had a long day. A loooooong day!

Let me preface by saying, we were...are both tired nellies, but have gotten through the day with grace and humility. If you're in Califonia, please keep in mind that Lizzie and I are 7 hours ahead, so as I'm writing this at 11:30 PM, it's an early 4:30PM there. If I mention time, in the posts from London, it will be GMT and not California time. Feel free to do your own math!

We landed at about 7:15 AM after circling Heathrow. We got off the plane at about 8:00 after circling the gates. It was a ginormous pain the the rear to get off that plane. I can only speak for myself when I say I didn't sleep a wink on the plane. Not to say I didn't try. I did. It was really noisy in the plane when I tried to nod off. Noisy like... machine noisy, not people noisy.

When Lizzie and I went on the Tube.... we were following the lead of the locals and remaining quiet and non-squealing. We couldn't help but give a smile when the recording told us to "Mind the Gap"

It took us a while to get from Heathrow to the Tower Hill station to meet the gentleman who would be giving us the keys to our flat. It's a great little area, but it is a little bit of a walk from our flat to the Tower Hill Tube station. We lugged our luggage from the station to the flat. I threw a fit. Yes.... I threw a fit. It was a combination of being up for about 24 hours, 2 hours of sleep and a lot of transport in between.

Needless to say, we got to the flat and we found out it wouldn't be ready for about an hour and a. half. We wasted time at the supermarket, Waitrose. It's a lovely little store. Not little... but it IS lovely. We got some tasties for us to eat at the flat. I'll be sure to post pictures. On the way back from the store, I got 2 charley horses. One in each leg. It rendered me (almost) crying on the ground. It hurt like crazy! When I said it made me feel old, some little old lady came bounding up the stairs next to us. It was irony at it's finest. Well played, Irony.... well played.

As a side note, I quickly called Scout (my daughter) and she asked me the question... "Have you seen any British people?" To which I answered "Um... they're EVERYwhere. " Scout is an intelligent girl. She reads, she draws.. she's a regular renaissance girl. It was innocent enough and charming for a little lady who got up at 11:30 p.m. to talk to her mom. 

The flat is adoreable. Spending time here really helps with the city experience. I love having a home base that's so personal!

It's about 10:30 AM on Wednesday and we're on our way to the Tower for some tours and then going to take the double decker in true tourist style and go to different places.

Until later, stay sane and know that we're thinking of you all working... you know... while we don't work and pander around London for the week.

---------------------------

A couple of  books we championed while planning out our trip was:

Rick Steves' London

and

Rick Steves' Best of Europe

Lizzie and I found that his writing was honest, funny and current. These are things you need when making sure that your trip is planned right! 

I don't know how far my writing has come since then... but I can tell you that there have been many adventures that I have shared since then and many that I plan to share with you in the future. While reliving your old adventures, plan your new ones for 2014! 

Until then, plan big. You're worth it! 

xoxoxo

The Library Bloggess

I'm standing in the Tower of London and taking a picture of Tower Bridge

Westminster Abbey on a cloudy day

The awesome Sherlock tiles at Bakerloo Station

The Wanderlust Librarian | Rockridge Market Hall and College Avenue

I am small town girl with San Francisco tastes. Up until this weekend, I never considered Oakland a place to stretch my adventure legs. The only real experiences I've had with Oakland have been in MC Hammer songs, the airport and at (one, glorious time) Fentons Creamery.

My offspring, Scout, was coming back from a weekend trip to Seattle and was slated to come in late. I didn't have a real agenda planned, but I figured I would try to find a cute food market to bide my time.

This was going to take some research. Searching the words "market" and "Oakland" yielded some interesting choices.  Most Farmer's Markets happen in the morning, so I knew that it would not be a possibility. I love sleeping in on Sundays way too much! In clicking through the sites, one place really stood out to me: Rockridge Market Hall. It looked like a school. Reviews of the Market on Yelp were positive and highlighted different shops within the market.

Rockridge was beyond my expectations! There are separate food stalls that sell different wares: fruits/veggies, flowers, meat/poultry/fish, cheese, pasta, deli meats, hot foods, bakery goods, and (of course) coffee.  

In entering the market, a shop worker was cutting up fresh pears for samples. There were many bowls with other pears for trying. I didn't waste any time and enjoyed a pear-bonanza! I took a quick walk past the fish and meats since I wasn't going to get any that day. Past the meat market was a HEAVENLY smelling area where the pasta shop, cheese shop, deli and hot foods were located. There were jars of so many goodies. Who knew there were so many types of jarred anchovies?

A majority of the fresh items are all local. Other delectable items in jars are a mix of local or imported. This is not the local grocery store! Of course, the prices reflect these specialty items. Why pay more? Sometimes it's just worth it. One a day when I don't have to go to wait at the airport and I have a good cooler with me, here are the things I'll be buying:

• fresh, handmade pasta and raviolis
• cheese, glorious cheese
• chocolate pound cake

A few steps out the Market Hall is College Avenue. It's full of delightful row shops, cafes and a bookstore! There's nothing better than enjoying a walk in the nice weather. I try to soak in as much sun as I can before the rainy season arrives. 

Miss Moneypennypincher | Book Traveling

This week I should have been thinking of great ways to save you money, or maybe embarked on a new Short Attention Span Challenge task, but I have been so incredibly engrossed in this book, The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson, it is leaving me unable to think of anything else but getting back to the book.  This is the most recent Pulitzer prize winner (and actually part of another one of my personal challenges - reading all the novel and fiction Pulitzer Prize winners).  The story is about Pak Jun Do, a North Korean orphan turned professional kidnapper, who loyally serves the "greatest country in the world" and the "supreme leader", Kim Jong-il . The book has plunged me into the mysterious and horrifically dark world of North Korea, and as far as I know, a book is probably the only look (difficult as it is) that I will ever get. 

As it is now, North Korea is not on my list of places to visit, but the book's explicit description and the author's attention to detail makes me think about some other books that have done the same thing: taken me to another place or time.  Unless I win the lottery or achieve immortality (I wonder which is more likely?), I will not be able to visit all the places in this world that fascinate or interest me.  There are not enough resources to make that happen.  However, books can get me close.  Isn't it amazing how we can take each other places, by accurate details and description of a setting?   

So anyway, this post might seem random, I am going from Pulitzer Prize winners to North Korea to descriptive settings.  I can tie this back to economics, I know it!  Here we go...My point, readers, is that you can travel into the library and use books to take you places, free! (P.S. I also checked the book out for free---saving myself around $14. Just thought I'd throw that in there too.) 

Here are some suggestions from library staff:

Ulysses by James Joyce (June 16, 1904 Dublin, Ireland)

My Antonia by Willa Cather (late 19th Century, Nebraska)

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan)

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (The Great Depression)

Fires of London by Janet Law ("You feel like you are walking through the suffocating and confining blacked-out streets of WWII London during the 1939 Blitz. It also evocatively explores the seeding underground of London life." available through Link Plus)

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (Texas, late 19th century)

Into Thin Air by John Krakauer (Mount Everest)

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende (19th century Chile and San Francisco)

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (17th Century Delft)
Winter of the World by Ken Follett ("I have been in Germany as Hitler takes power, in the homes of the rich and famous in the U.S.  I have been in the Parliament of Great Britain.  And, unfortunately, the brutal chambers of the SS.  The world is changing right before my eyes and the way people and nations are impacted takes your breath away")

Redwall by Brian Jacques This is fantasy, but here's a great quote from the author.

"In our imaginations we can go anywhere. Travel with me to Redwall in Mossflower County."

The Wanderlust Librarian| A Taste of Paris in the Bay Area (Throwback Thursday)

One of the things I miss most about my time in Paris (albeit short)  are the croissants. Many people told me that there are no bad patisseries in Paris. Lizzie and I tested that theory on our first day in the City of Light. We went to a patisserie across the street from our hotel. A huge window looking into the shop betrayed its contents. Inside was a warmly lit shop with a glass case full of pastries. As the door opened, there was a soft tinkling of a bell announcing our arrival. The smell was beyond intoxicating. The sweet scent of sugar and fresh baked bread air pushed past me in a dizzy blur.

My first French delight was a Pain au Chocolat (chocolate croissant) and a spot of Earl Grey tea. As I took my first bite, I was surprised at the crunch. I was accustomed to soft pastries. I savored every bit of butter, flaky, chocolaty goodness before I started my adventures in Paris. During my 3 day visit, I ingested many croissants (plain and chocolate!) and made sure to document every flavor in my brain.

Coming back to the United States, I was dismayed at my croissant choices. They were nothing like France. I longed for the cloudy mornings where the air was thick with history and charm. I wistfully looked out of my bedroom window and sighed.

That is... until I saw a show called The Best Thing I Ever Ate on the Food Network. A chef had talked about the Double Pain au Chocolat at a place called Tartine in San Francisco.  Did I hear this right? A DOUBLE Pain au Chocolat? I was on a new quest to find this miracle. I found it... and it did NOT disappoint. It met all of the rules on the "Proper Croissant" list. 

Here are the (non-official) rules that my friend (who studied in France for a year) and I made to designate a "Proper French Croissant" or PFC. The pictures are of Tartine Bakery's croissant that is as close to PFC I can get without hopping on a plane to Paris

1. The color: A PFC is a deep dark, striped affair. During baking, the top layer takes on a gorgeous mahogany hue. 

Stripey, crunchity, goodness

2. The bend: A lesser croissant will bend easily and let off a few flakes. A PFC will bend, but will shatter a million croissant flakes. It should make bread confetti. 

There were more flakes on my shirt and table.

3. The insides: PFCs take a long time to make. A lot of time is necessary to prep the dough with an insane amount of cold butter to make those gentle layers. When you break the croissant open, there should be folded layers of pillow soft dough.

Look how wafer thin and delicate those layers are!
I can't wait to dig in!

4. The Taste: PFCs should be buttery and rich...and crunchy. It should be like a soft piece of bread that's been buttered generously. It's satisfying to have croissant crumbs on my shirt and on the floor. It means that I enjoyed the croissant fully (and that I'll need to invest in a bib). 

I know that this is another "before" picture, but I think
that the full appreciation of the outside layers deserves
a second look. 

The Wanderlust Librarian| Bookshelf Voyeur

I'm going to come clean about something.

I'm not particularly proud of this... but I'm going to say it anyway.

I look at other people's bookshelves.

Don't worry readers, I don't look at YOUR bookshelf... just the people I know. I don't judge people on their bookshelves, I just like to see what they read.

A bookshelf says a lot about a person. It shows their interests. It may tells me where they've traveled or want to travel. It says a lot about their influences. It also speaks to their childhood and what stories bring them back to center. It tells me their secrets and dreams. It shows me their past and reveals their future. Bookshelves reveal so many so many things.

I recently found a book called "Unpacking My Library: writers and their books". I requested it from Link + and it is exactly what I wanted it to be! The book shows the bookshelves of different writers and asks them about their selections. It's one of those books that caught my eye because of its size (small) and its title (catchy). 

As part of the One Book, One San Joaquin program, many libraries in the Stockton-San Joaquin system will be hosting programs that will highlight the books being read for the program. One of those programs will let you take a look at the books that influence people around our county. This program, "My Ideal Bookshelf", is a collaboration between local participants of varying ages and professions and local artists. The participants submitted their 10 favorite/influential books and the local artists (also of varying ages) painted their bookshelves. Come check out this great art exhibit on Monday, September 9 in Stockton at the Cesar Chavez Library from 6 p.m-8 p.m.

What do books have to do with travel? 

Everything. 

Books are the ultimate escape. They take you to places you may not ever visit or have always dreamed of visiting. Books can help you to travel backwards and forwards in time. It can expand your limits beyond your town, your state... and even the planet! 

Literary adventure is out there! Visit your local library today! 

xoxo
The Library Bloggess 

The Wanderlust Librarian | Building a Mystery (Spot)

I love California. The day trips I can take are (at most) an hour or 2 away from my house. I can be at the beach or the mountains in no time at all.

This particular trip started off innocently as one of my group needed to go to Frys. "What's Fry's?", you ask? It's an electronic store for everybody! Look at it like the Costco of electronics parts. From layman to computer engineer, this place has it all. Individual Fry's stores also have different themes ranging from Ancient Rome to the History of Las Vegas. The closest Fry's to the valley is located in Fremont (to the West) or West Sacramento (to the North). Needless to say, the group wanted to get the maximum amount of excitement if we were going to drive out towards San Jose.

A discussion of visiting either Mission San Jose  or the Mystery Spot was asked of the group. I had been to neither place, but I voted for the Mystery Spot since it sounded spookier. Luckily, many of our group chose the same. The drive towards the coast was gorgeous! The weather in the Valley was pushing 95 that day, but the weather in Santa Cruz was cool 82.

We chose a place to eat from watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The Santa Cruz Diner was a great place for us to stop and have lunch before going to our 4:30 pm tour at the Mystery Spot. The diner is known for the Vietnamese soup pho, but since I'd had it before (it was delicious), I enjoyed a chili dog (a guilty pleasure reserved for vacations) instead. 

The Mystery Spot was a short 10-15 minute drive East from one of the main streets in Santa Cruz, Ocean Street. It's off on a bumpy, partially paved road that winds deeper into the hills. The clearing in the path opens to a parking lot and a bright yellow sign stating your destination. There's nothing overly remarkable about the space. There's a gift shop, a snack shop and a couple of bathrooms. The tickets are affordable at $5 per person and $5 per parked car. You can purchase your tickets online or in person. Beware about purchasing in person, if you have more than a couple of people (I was there with 5 other friends), there may not be a tour available until way later in the day. If you purchase online, you can choose a tour time, but your purchase price goes up to $6 per ticket. When I visit again, I will definitely purchase online. The convenience of scheduling a tour time will help you plan a full day in Santa Cruz. 

Tours are called over the intercom about 5 minutes before the tour starts. You meet at the base of hill where your guide explains what the Mystery Spot and it's history is. Since I don't want to give too much away, you go to a small shack up towards the top of a steep-ish hill and you get to experience the Mystery Spot in its full glory. The tour lasts about 45 minutes and it was definitely worth the $5... AND you get a bumper sticker at the end of the experience. 

I went with a 14 year old and a group of adults. We all had a fun time. Lots of laughs, unsteady feet and friends catching each other in 18 degree leans! Make this trip a leisurely outing with friends or with family who love to have fun!

Remember when planning an outing, it doesn't have to be far away! Day trips are out there! 

The Wanderlust Librarian | How I survive ComicCon

ComicCon is an animal like no other. It's like no other convention I've ever attended. Nor is it like any place I've ever visited in my life.

For those who have read my blog, you know how much I LOVE lists! Here's a new one just for you!

Here are my tried and true tips for surviving ComicCon... or ANY convention you're going to:

1. Plan ahead

So. Many. People! There are tons more to
the side and behind me! Bring snacks.

At ComicCon, there are many panels and discussions happening at the same time. There are times where things you want attend are conflicting. Make sure to put BOTH of these items down on your agenda. A contingency plan is always key when trying to get through a big itinerary. There are times when venues are not emptied between each panel or discussion...so you may have to listen to other panels while waiting for the one you really want to see.

2. Bring sustenance
Snacks and hydration are the thing when hiking around. I'm proud to say that I've made a breakfast burrito last for 5 hours! Convention food is usually unhealthy and expensive. Bring a refillable water bottle and many portable snacks. I've learned that trail mix is great because it has a little of everything. Chocolate, chips and crackers will inevitably get pulverized in your bag...so don't attempt it. You're better off with sturdier foods like energy bars, granola bars, rice krispie treats and cookies! 
**note** Bring a little extra to share. A little kindness goes a long way. Some of the best people I've met and are still friends with, I've met in line or waiting for a panel.

External batteries

3. Bring the juice... 
Energy, I mean! With the explosion of smart phones, everybody is in touch with everybody all of time. This colossal use of cellular power really drains batteries. I do have a lot of alternate power sources to give me the extra phone power. Far be it from anyone to miss a prime picture opportunity because the camera ran out of power. I've learned to just save the pictures and post them all at once, later on...when I'm near a computer. 

4. Take your time
Rushing only makes you worry. If something doesn't work out your way, just make the best of a bad situation! (see rule 1). I've seen so many cool things and happened to run into so many cool people when things didn't work out on my list. 
Don't ever make apologies for the things you like. There's a convention, so obviously, there are others who like what you like. Enjoy the experience and share it with everyone when you get home! 

5.Picture proof....or it didn't exist! 
You go to a convention for something you're interested in. It doesn't always mean that people will know or understand that interest. I take pictures with people I know and am interested in. Most of the time, that's met with "Who's that?" Here are some of my favorites from this year! Bonus points if you know both! 


One of the best descriptions of a ComicCon experience is told by the awesome, Simon Pegg in his book "Nerd Do Well"  . Enjoy!! 

Until then, Convention Adventures are out there! 

He also smells delicious! 

Waking up early means you get the awesome pics! 

The Wanderlust Librarian | (Rules for) Leavin' on a Jetplane

This summer has been unusually high in air travel for me. I usually drive, but this year I have been lucky to snag some great deals at just the right time! Don't get me wrong, driving is great, but the gas prices have made my pocketbook sad. This year, I'll be traveling to 3 locations: Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego. All 3 places are within an hour and a half plane ride from my favorite airport, so they're not too far away. I do, though, have some great tips for plane travel that might just save your sanity! 

Pre-flight preparations: 

1) Go to your local library: Did you know the library lends e-books? You can bring your Nook or Kindle on your flight and hold tons of books with no weight at all! The library is also a great place to buy books at the Friends of the Library booksale. If you like the feeling of a book in your hand, this is the place for you. The cost is right under $1.00 per item (sometimes less!) and it's also helpful if you accidentally leave the book somewhere.

2) Pack Efficiently: This is much easier than it sounds. I try to plan outfits that can be mixed and matched into other outfits. I recently bought a cotton stretchy dress that can double from casual (with sandals) to fancy (with a colorful necklace and heels). If you're going to be gone for more than 5 days, see if there's a place where you can do laundry. I have these all in one sheets in my suitcase for just that purpose. There are smaller travel packs at your local store! 

3) Have a comfortable shoulder bag: For me, the shoulder bag doubles as my purse on the plane. I can hold my Nook, my wallet, camera, empty water bottle, magazines, cell phone, lip gloss, electronic plugs and chargers and gum all in there for easy access during the flight! (No lie... I carry all of that in my bag).  I keep my nicer purse wrapped up safely in my luggage for use over vacation with way less to carry! 

4) Print out your boarding passes at home: A majority of airlines allow you to print out your travel documents at home. This will save you time so you don's have to stand in line at the airport.

At the airport: 

4) SHOW UP EARLY: It's better to be safe than sorry. It's never easy to gauge if there will be a lot of people in the security line or if you'll breeze right through. Feeling worry about a line or rushing is never a good way to start a trip and if you're early, you have more time to relax at your gate and read!

5) Check the departure boards often: Many times, I have been met by a gate change before I get out of the security line. A lot of airlines will also offer a text message 

6) Find a comfy place with a plug for your electronics: I love knowing I'm not using any juice when I'm fiddling around on my cell phone or reading my Nook! If not for your electronics, then a comfortable spot for you to wait for your flight. 

7) Relax because you're on your way!

Please don't feel like you have to take all of my advice, but being organized and timely will help you to feel less anxiety at the start of your adventure. 

Stress-free adventures in the air are out there! 

:) 

The Wanderlust Librarian | 21st Century Memories *revised*

If there's anything I love more than my daughter and travel, it's taking pictures WHILE travelling with my daughter. I love the memories that are made with a quick push of my finger. Even when we're at home or at the store, there is always an opportunity to cement that moment.

Pictures have come a long way. A run of the mill digital camera can hold at LEAST 250 pictures per memory card. That's insane!  For me, the best of the best pictures get printed and displayed. If you decide to print your photos, there are many ways to manipulate the photos to make the perfect shot so you get the copy that you want. It's SO easy to take 20 pictures of the same thing and delete the bad photos that didn't make the grade.

Remember the agony of waiting for developed pictures? That hopefully the pictures you took on vacation came out looking decent? I spent many an hour with my dad at at the Photomat waiting for our photos. It was exciting to relive the trip and see the sights, but it was in the first few moments of looking through the pictures that you would see the real drama: people walking in the shot, blinking folks, blurry movers, a thumb. Those pictures were a bust.

Technology has now given everyone the power to share our lives with a few clicks. Friends and family can now live a moment with you within minutes of it happening. My cell phone takes amazing pictures and I can share funny things I see on the street or the food I'm eating.

Caramel Corn in North Beach

Ashland, Oregon has humor! 

I find some of the best pictures I've taken of my daughter have been spur of the moment. It doesn't have to be dignified... just fun!

2011 In front of Pixar Animation in Emeryville

Feb 2013 :My kid and Mulan

There are many picture sharing applications for smartphones out there. These applications have filters which change the way the pictures look. The ones that I use most on my Android phone are Instagram and PhotoGrid. These apps push my vision beyond one picture. It's a great way to theme out pictures that would otherwise be a little boring on their own.

She's Batman....

Glasses have gone beyond the Groucho Marx look! 

Mimicking the musical poster!

Disneyland Delectables!

Oakland Airport glass

The pictures you take can be saved on a memory card and brought to your local photo printing place. This will allow you to frame the amazing photos you take.

I take pictures that are visually interesting to me. There are times that I think, "what a beautiful sunset" or "I just want to remember this moment forever.". Those are the times to take those pictures. Don't hold back because you think the pictures you take won't be interesting to others. Your vision is what's meaningful to you and the memories from those photos will last forever.

For those of you that have pets and children... cherish them. I think I have more pictures of and with my child than my parents have for the duration OF my life. She's an easy subject to photograph and just as silly for those fun, candid pictures. I'll enjoy these pictures far after she decides she's too cool for me.

There is never a bad time to take a good picture. Embrace the moment and share your life!

Until next week, have some amazing adventures and take some amazing photos!

The Wanderlust Librarian | Rena's Paris

"What an immense impression Paris made upon me. It is the most extraordinary place in the world!"  - Charles Dickens

It's Valentine's Day. I'm fortunate enough to have my blog post on such a lovely date. What better subject to write about than the City of Lights... the city where love blooms eternal.. Paris. 

Paris has been burned in my brain since the first time I laid eyes on the Eiffel Tower...on television. Paris influenced me to take 4 years of French in high school instead of Spanish. French cuisine inspired me to try duck a l'orange and escargots (for the record, both REALLY good!). It wasn't until I set foot IN Paris, that my love truly set in. 

The village steeple : taken by Lizzie

The trip I took to Paris was a last minute addition (just 2 1/2 short days) to my week long vacation in London . My friend and I took the Eurostar Train out from London and it took a short 2 hours and 15 minutes from station to station! I was enchanted by the French countryside. There was a church's tall steeple marked the center of the village. I was grateful for the villages further from the train tracks so they didn't speed by.  

The moment I stepped off the train, my world changed. My entire life gathered itself up into a solitary moment of sole on pavement. My heart fluttered like a girl with a crush. My love affair had begun. I spent at least 10 minutes repeating the address of the hotel "trente cinq, rue des Ecoles" so I didn't look like a dunce when we finally got in a cab. 

The Hotel Saint-Jacques was simply delightful. When we got into our room, there was a queen bed and a twin bed. A well-traveled friend recently told me the twin bed was meant for families traveling with small children. This was interesting, as I am used to a hotel room with two beds having 2 of the same size mattress! My friend, Lizzie, graciously took the smaller bed. 

Big Bed / Little Bed... let me sleep! 

Cutest keys ever! 

One of the magical things about Paris is the charm. Most everything I encountered there was a delight and so...Parisian. I'm not embarrassed to say that I remained wide-eyed and giddy through my entire trip. I'm not ashamed to say that I enjoyed being a tourist and basking in the magic. 

It was...IS so much like being in love. The thought of it now makes my heart swell and beat a little faster. There are days, even a few years after visiting, that I wake up and feel like my experience there wasn't real. It's like a dream....Paris is. I feel like my life was given new spirit because I was there. 

The next visit I have will be in 3 short years. I look forward to renewing my spirit and sharing the magic with my daughter. Have you visited a place that was magical? Please share in the comments! 

Until next time, enjoy my pictures and have amazing, lovely adventures! 

Notre Dame from the front (sorry, I
didn't see Quasimodo! )

Le Tour Eiffel 

Of course, there's me... standing scared on the Eiffel Tower

The back of Notre Dame is just as impressive...
AND has a park! 

The Wanderlust Library| Sickness Abound

I apologize in advance for the lack of post today. I've been ill and have not had the mental strength to push out a good post. 

On the heels of that admission, make sure and get a flu shot! My illness would have been way worse had I not been inoculated. Take care of yourselves, readers. It's a germy world out there. Don't get caught unprepared!

Hand Sanitizer is out there!

The Wanderlust Librarian | Adventure Time!

The new year always brings out the possibility of getting some new adventures planned. Some trips are annual ventures (San Diego Comic-Con) while others will require extensive planning and saving up some funds.

All I can do is plan well enough to make these things happen.

Usually around this time of year, I'm torn between buying a physical thing (a new television) or getting some plane tickets. This year is no different. I've always been the kind of person that is all about the experience. I love the concept of living life in a positive and thoughtful way. I sometimes think that a television will help me to enjoy my home time....but then again, wouldn't traveling somewhere be a better use of my hard earned dollars?

*sigh* the agony of choosing. It's driving me batty!

I apologize in advance for the short post, but there is an epic blog post in the works for my next trip!!

Adventure is out there!!

The Wanderlust Librarian | An Adventure of Epic Proportions

Gift giving comes from the heart. It comes from a good place where opportunity and thoughtfulness meet with a warm embrace. Giving the gift should touch your heart and the heart of the receiver. One of the best gifts I ever gave didn't cost me a lot, but the emotional payoff for the receiver was more than I could have ever imagined.

I met 17 year old, Don (name changed for privacy) when I was working a smaller library. He was a good kid. He met friends at the library so they could use their laptops, volunteered to help with the Teen Programs, got decent grades and was just an all around good kid. About 4 years ago, I was planning my trip to London with my best friend, Lizzie. We had the opportunity to go to Paris for a couple of days and (after speaking with my daughter, Scout) had made the decision to go.

Like a good researcher, I checked out guide books from the library about Paris to make a list of things I wanted to see. I was really excited about my trip to Europe. My library was a small, neighborhood library, so most of the patrons and all of the staff knew about it. One of the big decisions I had to make was going up the elevator in the Eiffel Tower. I am ridiculously afraid of heights and didn't know if I wanted to spend money on something that scared the tar out of me.

Don came up to me one day and said "You have to go to the Eiffel Tower. It's really cool. I know you said you were afraid of heights, but you really need to go." With a few quick steps, he had left my desk and was soon at a table with his friends. 

I was intrigued. It wasn't WHAT he said, but the WAY he said it. He sounded so sure and confident. He also sounded like he knew what he was talking about. It caught me off guard and I wanted to talk to him a little bit more.

I was able to pull him aside to tell him that I was curious about what he had said a few days before. In low, hushed tones, he told me a tale that was jaw dropping. A couple years prior, his parents had left him in the care of his older cousin (25 years old) while they went to visit some family in Mexico for a month. The older cousin had thrown the idea out of going to Paris for a week. Don had a passport from his family visits to and from Mexico and some money saved from chores and a part time job...he made the snap decision to go. Within a couple of weeks, he and a handful of cousins flew to Paris. Don told me that they stayed in a hostel and just spent their days wandering the streets, eating pastries and visiting famous sights. His eyes lit up when he talked about the Louvre. He recounted how he and his cousins knew no French, but managed to get around town. He talked about climbing the stairs in the Arc de Triomphe, getting to the top and watching the circle of cars whirl around and around the base. His whirlwind trip was a success; with his parents having never known that he went. Don didn't buy any souvenirs for fear that his trip would be found out. The only thing he had was a picture of him and his cousins in front of the Eiffel Tower that he thoroughly hid. He brought it in to show me the next day.

In relation to my own trip planning, I thought of Don in Paris and how a journey so epic had to remain mum. I found it amazing that the other cousins hadn't let the secret slip. Don said the cousins left his name out of any storytelling and he did a lot of the picture taking so he wouldn't be found out.

At the Charles de Gaulle airport outside of Paris, I went to one of the gift shops to look around. There was a little metal Eiffel Tower / Arc de Triomphe statue that just called to me. It beckoned me to take it back to Don. I purchased it immediately.

When I returned to work, Don came to ask me how my trip went. I regaled him with stories of my travels. I told him that I had something for him. I wanted him to know that this gift for him could be a physical representation of his trip. He would be free to  display the little statues without fear of being found out and honestly tell his parents he received it as a gift. But...that really, both he and I knew that it was a symbol of a great trip.

I reminded him that he went to Paris first and that I was grateful that his moment of honesty and excitement helped me to (one time) conquer my fear and embrace the experience. When I finally made it to Paris (saving this for another entry), I DID go to the Eiffel Tower and I went up the elevator. It was scary.

As I had mentioned before, Don came into the library a lot. When I was told I'd be transferred to a new library, I welcomed the new challenge...but I was also sad. I would miss my co-workers and the patrons that I had grown to know. 

It's been a while since I've seen Don. Once in a while one of his friends will come to the library to say hello and I'll inquire about him. As far as I know, he's going to college in the area. 

If I ever see him again, I'll ask him these questions: 

Did he ever let his parents know about his adventure abroad?
Has he gone since?
Does he still have the statues?

The one question I will never need to ask: 

Do you regret going to Paris? 

....I will never need to ask that question, because I already know the answer.