Reflections on "Mirror Mirror"

I have just finished Mirror Mirror, finally, after starting it more than a month ago.  Most of it I finished in a couple of days.  Such is the nature of Gregory Maguire's books - one cannot put them down.  This I knew when I first started, and thus dragged my feet in truly delving into it, for I knew that it would be a serious book that would require more thinking than the average entertainment (such is also the nature of Maguire's books).

To say that I enjoy fairy tale retellings would be an understatement.  The fractured fairy tale imbues a fascination I cannot avoid, which has themed many of my works, including my senior thesis (loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood). For one, I was raised on Disney movies, and however corny, sappy, and unrealistic one might find them, nonetheless they are beautiful works of art, if we are going to be truly honest.

Maguire's works are also pieces of art, although in a much different sense.  First of all, his gift of writing, of knowing how to arrange words in such a poignant and beautiful way, is completely unique from all other writers of today.  He captures that mystical, fantasy voice.  Mirror Mirror goes on in a sort of beautiful, yet vague, way, much like the mist described in the mirror when Lucrezia and Bianca see each other within it for the first time.  I had forgotten how beautiful Maguire's language could be.

I had also forgotten how vulgar his stories could be.  There are some parts of Wicked and Mirror Mirror that are disturbing and grotesque.  Such is understandable when using the Borgias as character inspiration.  With finishing the book, I feel like Bianca awakening to the world again, after a long, confusing dream.  But in a good way.

Summary of Mirror Mirror

Mirror Mirror is a retelling of Snow White, as one might guess from the title.  It is written by Gregory Maguire, writer of Wicked.  Maquire sets the story in northern Italy, where Bianca lives with her widowed father, Vicente. Bianca is the Snow White character.  Aristocrats Lucrezia Borgia and her brother Cesare arrive and pressure Vicente into a quest to obtain the legendary branch of the Tree of Eden.  In his absence, Lucrezia takes charge of his small castle and soon grows jealous of Bianca, and thus of course the story continues in its traditional sense.

The book features multiple perspectives; in fact, it even switches between first person and third person.  It's a little confusing at first, but I got used to it.  Interestingly, it manages to do first person, and then also third person omniscient, all in one book.  The writing itself is pure poetry.  I feel as though I would have to reread it a couple of times - it's one of those books.

The two obvious important objects of the book - the fruit of the Tree of Eden and the mirror - both bring about self-awareness.  I found this particularly fascinating as I studied Jacques Lacan senior year of high school, and though I remember little I do remember something about mirrors and infants learning self awareness by looking at themselves.  Also there is a scene in Paradise Lost when Eve happens to look at her reflection to admire it; at the time I thought it strangely vain.  I can't remember the exact wording of the passage, nor whether she had eaten from the tree yet.

Also noteworthy is the inclusion of real life characters from sixteenth century Italy, the Borgias.  The Borgias are well known for their incestuous, corrupt, murderous ways.  To be honest, I knew nothing about them until I started reading.  The two Borgias that are prominent in the story, Cesare and Lucrezia, are children of Pope Alexander VI and one of his many mistresses, Vannozza dei Cattanei.

As disgusting as some parts of the novel can be, I do respect the way that Maguire gets back to the roots of fairy tale stories like these.  It rang truer to the Grimm version, and it's nice to break away from the Disney-ified versions.  Those only familiar with Disney's Snow White might not recognize the tricks that the evil stepmother character uses to dispatch of Bianca (such as the comb and bodice).  Although Lucrezia's eventual punishment is different from the original Grimm tale as well.

Some have criticized Mirror Mirror for being rather slow.  This seems like a fair criticism, if you're not one for pretty language and substantial plot development.  I can understand that desire.  It does move a little slowly at the beginning, but for me, the writing was beautiful enough for me to have patience with the novel's pace.

Overall, I would recommend the novel if you are already a fan of Gregory Maguire and can appreciate his narrative style.  If you haven't read anything of his, I would recommend picking up Wicked first, and seeing if you like that.  Because he is so unique, and also pretty intense, I'm not sure if everyone would like the story. But it's definitely good for fairy-tale lovers.

HIMYM Season 7 Loses Momentum in Third Episode

How I Met Your Mother season seven premiered last week.  I should have done a post last week, but I was busy reading.  I enjoyed the double episodes that aired last week; they were funny and hinted at the possibility of Robin and Barney getting back together, which I think would be legen-wait for it...dary.

In this episode, the major plot points of the first two episodes took to the sidelines to make way for flat, not funny jokes about Lily's pregnancy breasts and a recap of Ted's encounter with his first flame (of the series): Victoria.

Victoria... Surely everyone remembers Season One's biggest minor character, the cupcake baking sweetheart that seemed maybe a little bit too much like Ted.  Their combined corniness and sappiness made even me cringe, but in a sense, I still always felt like they were a good match.  The Robin-Ted-Victoria triangle is probably one of Ted's biggest mistakes, and I know a few fans who dislike Ted because of his actions there.  Maybe last night's episode will have changed their minds and allow them to forgive Ted as Victoria has.

The Victoria encounter was a much needed closure to their relationship, which ended badly and tensely and never seemed quite resolved, as Ted quickly moved into a relationship with Robin and didn't seem to dwell on his mistakes with Victoria for too long.  To be honest, I would be happy with Victoria ultimately being "the one," but I think the series has pretty clearly established that she is not.  So I definitely enjoyed this segment of the episode.

With that said, I thought the second part of the episode - the subplot between Lily, Marshall and Barney - to not only be flat and juvenile, but also a step back from Barney's character development in the previous two episodes.   It felt cliche and strange, considering that he is trying to be serious with Nora, and I doubt she'd be happy about his actions during this episode.  She seems to be completely forgotten in this episode.  I know that Barney's sexual tendencies define his character, but maybe they shouldn't.  After all, they seem to be trying to change his character (something rare for sitcoms) - he is getting married by the end of the season, after all.  Plus, the 'male friend wanting to see platonic female friends breasts' has been done before, I'm sure by many sitcoms, but off the top of my head I can just think of Kelso wanting to see Donna's breasts in That 70's Show.

Furthermore, the transitions between the two plots also seemed forced.  Robin kept asking Ted what happened, and no one else appeared to be interested.  Why Robin? Why should Robin be the catalyst to move Ted's plot along?  Was it because she was the only character left after Marshall, Lily and Barney got side tracked?  Was it something to do with the direction the series seems to be taking?

In the final moments of last night's episode, a major bomb was dropped in the form of Victoria's analysis of Ted's relationship failures.  Robin.  Is she just bitter?  Possibly, but it seems like a serious analysis of Ted's character that the writers will be referencing and using to influence the events in the rest of the season.

I'm not so sure that Victoria's analysis is accurate.  Yes, Robin was a problem for Stella, but only because Stella was projecting her own fears about her ex-fiance onto Ted.  With Zoey, I don't recall Robin ever being a major catalyst to their relationship failure.  No, it was the fact that Zoey opposed Ted's major project and passion, so far as to completely risk ruining Ted's reputation and therefore sacrificing any chance at reconciliation in order to preserve a building that, in all honesty, was a health and safety risk.

Does Robin stand in between Ted and his romantic success?  There haven't been many indicators of that in previous seasons.  Robin obviously still has feelings for Barney, however, and I would expect Robin to be a bigger obstacle for Barney (in the future) than for Ted.  To be honest, as someone who maintains friendships with previous boyfriends, I am skeptical of the "they can't be friends" plot.  It's possible to be friends with exes, and it's annoying when writers and people in general promote the opposite.

As for Barney and Robin: While Robin's feelings for Barney were also shoved aside for this episode, the end seemed once more to hint at a possible change in dynamic, not only for Ted and Robin, but also for Robin and Barney.  In the last shot, when Ted foreshadows the upcoming changes, Lily and Marshall have left.  Robin and Barney sit across from each other, and Ted sits facing us and facing them.  It is as if he is on the sidelines, observing them.  It seems, to me, to be foreshadowing a potential relationship there.

I would love for this to happen, and I would be disappointed if Barney ended up with Nora. I always thought that the end of Robin and Barney's relationship was kind of a cop out.  I would love it if the reason for that ended up being something like, "Wow they really are good together - we will have to save this for the ending."  I'd much rather him end up with Robin than Nora... but it seems weird that they would have Barney get married at all... 

With that said, apparently Season 8 will be the last season of How I Met Your Mother.  What could happen between Barney getting married and the end? 

Overall, I felt it was an awkward episode, but definitely important for setting up the developing story line.  It's going to be an interesting season.  As much as it sucks to hear that the group dynamic is going to be changing, as implied by Ted's final lines, it was probably pretty clear that would happen when Lily found out she was pregnant.  As we have already learned in the series with Robin and her best friend, Jessica Glitter, pregnancies (apparently) largely alter friendships (I have no experience in this department).

Where will the season go from here?  We'll just have to wait and find out. 

The Future of Books

Interesting post from TechCrunch regarding the future of books and publishing: "The Future of Books:  A Dystopian Timeline"

As a lover of books, and someone who will always love the feel of an actual book in hand, I find the article somewhat depressing.  It is offered as a 'dystopian' future.  But I can't really disagree with the general progression he describes here.  Maybe not necessarily at that pace... in less than two years, he thinks that ebook sales will surpass sales of regular books.  Maybe they will, I haven't looked at any figures.  But the way I buy books, I don't know if that's true.

I definitely see books becoming what records are today - relics of the past that nerds and hipster use to adorn their bookshelves.  I certainly will be one of those people.  Even if I do get an eReader soon, which I have been considering, I will not dispose of my current collection.

I think humans are materialistic creatures, and we like to show off our possessions.  Book collections are like that.  I like being able to hold certain books in my hand.  I read Mockingjay on my Droid, but I still have a desire to go out and purchase an actual copy.

I would be surprised, though, if my future children ever had such a desire.  Proud, of course.  But who knows - maybe in thirty years people will wonder why we wasted so much paper printing books.

We definitely live in an interesting time.

First Thoughts on "First Meetings"

Just finished reading First Meetings by Orson Scott Card, a compilation of 4 short stories set in the Enderverse.  Technically, I skipped "Ender's Game" (the novella) because I've read it before.

I really enjoyed the first two stories, about Ender's father and mother.  I would actually love to read more about them, especially from their point of view from the period right before Ender's Game, when they get married and start having children.  I think this might have been addressed in some of the Bean books (is that called the Shadowverse, maybe?), but it would be interesting to hear thoughts about Peter, how much they knew about what he did, etc.

In "The Polish Boy," Ender's father, John Paul, the seventh son of "noncompliant" Polish parents (who have gone against the "two children only" rule), attracts the attention of Battle School teacher Colonel Graff.  Graff and John Paul then proceed in a chess game to see who can get what they want.

John Paul is on the verge of being maybe a little too precocious - and he reminds me, interestingly, more of Peter or of Bean than of Ender.  He just seems to have a little too strong of a grasp on what's going on around him.  As smart as Ender was, it didn't seem like he had that level of insight when he was the same age.  But I guess that was supposed to be the point about Ender.  Smart, but innocent, to a degree.  Insightful, able to evaluate the other children's abilities, but not quite questioning enough, critical enough, or curious enough as Bean, who figures out a vast amount of information that Graff never wanted the children to know.

I think what I enjoyed most about "The Polish Boy," actually, was witnessing the meeting of Graff and John Paul.  I don't know if it was ever alluded to within the Ender books - if it was, I never realized it - but it added a nice touch that Graff and John Paul's relationship goes back that far.  I did have trouble suspending disbelief about Graff's Rumpelstiltskin plan, but what was helpful there was that Card has done a pretty consistent job of showing just how good of a "chess" player Graff can be.  Had I only read Ender's Game and then "The Polish Boy," I'm not sure I would have bought that plot point.

Story wise, it was alright.  Sometimes I think character development is Card's strength, but (see below) other times I disagree with myself.  There was a lot of dialogue, not much description at all, and a lot of inner thought.  But it flowed well and was a fast read.

The same goes for the second story of the collection, "Teacher's Pest".  (Ohh, I see what they did there.  Pet. Pest. Ha.)  This story covers the meeting of John Paul and Theresa, and I just ate this story up.  The premise is John Paul is attending college and annoyingly gets put into a section of a class that "wasn't even his third choice."  Guess who's teaching the class!  You bet - Ender's future mother, Theresa.

I loved the dynamic between the two.  The "guy falls in love with girl and has to convince her to love him" plot is one that I often find contrived, and yet difficult to resist anyways (I still enjoy it).  Like I said, John Paul's arrogance makes him more likable as a character because it gives him a flaw, and well, flaws make more interesting characters.  Maybe part of me just also likes a touch of arrogance, for no discernible reason, in male characters.  As long as they are smart, charming, and ultimately a nice guy.  I probably watched too many smart-girl-gets-the-popular-boy movies as a teenager.  It's damaged my judgment.

Thus, I found the story incredibly entertaining, and would have gladly read more about them.  Did you hear that, Card?  (Of course not.)  I want more John Paul and Theresa stories!

I have to say the opposite for "Investment Counselor", the story about Ender.  I don't really know why, but I've disliked every story about Ender during his post adolescent years. As a character, I thought he was great in Ender's Game, but once he grows up, he becomes annoying.  I blame Card's writing.  I think Ender becomes too much of a know-it-all Gary Stu.  What makes his father interesting in "Teacher's Pest" is his attitude.  He's blatantly arrogant, it's his weakness and that makes him more likable.  Ender just is always calm and smart and knows the right answer and has the patience to manipulate people in a "nice" way that's for their own "good" and it just gets annoying.

Plus, I hated Novinha and thought Ender could do better.  I don't remember why I disliked her - it's been about 6 years at least since I read the books - but I remember being frustrated.

Maybe the problem is that I sense a certain lack of interest in Ender's character?  In Ender in Exile, nothing really happens, he walks around a spaceship meeting people and being the target of a marriage plot put together by an ambitious class climber.  In "Investment Counselor," Ender doesn't really do much at all.  He's not really a character with agency.  He screwed up and didn't figure out his taxes while on his journey; the only thing he did was convince the guy to let him go through customs.  Jane is the hero of the story, and yet she is not really the protagonist.  What would have been more interesting was when Jane reveals to Ender what she is exactly.  Not in replace of this story - the conversations between Ender and Jane are interesting - but as an addition to it.

How I would have pictured Benedetto,
if there weren't illustrated pictures

My real dislike for this story was the writing, actually.  It was mainly a summary, "Ender did this and then he did this and then Jane rescued him the end."  Furthermore, the development of the "villain," Benedetto, is non-existant.  He is a flat, scheming villain and as far as that class of character goes, all he is missing is the thin greasy mustache to tweak and a maniacal laugh.  Then, at the end, we are supposed to believe, "Oh well he is a good guy after all, he cared about providing for his family because he had nothing growing up."  That sort of ending is only believable if there are some hints to it earlier throughout the story.  We get a very close third person narrator for Benedetto, and yet we never get a glimpse that he's going to such illegal, extravagant means of obtaining money because he's worried about his family.  No, all we ever are hinted at is that this man is, plain and simple, greedy.  In fact he is greedy enough to rival Hoggish Greedly.

This was a story that Card clearly could have written better.

So while I didn't read "Ender's Game" (novella) this time around, I have read it.  Although it was several years ago, I remember enjoying it well enough.  I prefer the novel, but my dad said he liked the novella better, so I guess it's a toss up depending on your preferences in a story.  I like the additional character development in the novel, but my dad likes the more straightforward focus of the novella.

Obviously the theme in this collection is how important characters met each other.  With "The Polish Boy," it's how Graff met John Paul Wiggin.  With "Teacher's Pest," it's how John Paul met Theresa (Ender's parents).  With "Investment Counselor," it's how Ender met Jane.  A great idea for a short story collection, but I wish that it had more stories in it. Overall, First Meetings comes out ahead as a good read, although it does leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, since the worst story of the four is at the end.

2012 "Doomsday" and Isaac Asimov's Nightfall

As 2012 approaches, it's hard to avoid hearing news about how doomsday is upon us.  I ignore it most of the time, but today I happened to think of Isaac Asimov's Nightfall.

Nightfall is a science fiction short story about a planet that orbits six stars, and therefore never experiences pure darkness.  Because of this, the concept of darkness is truly terrifying; adventurous, daredevil folk will risk exposure to darkness by going through a thrill ride tunnel encased in darkness, but if I recall correctly this only lasts a few seconds or minutes.

As the story progresses, several scientists make discoveries about the nature of their planet and civilization.  First, a psychologist studies the effects of darkness exposure; second, an archaeologist discovers evidence of multiple civilization collapses; and third, an astronomer discovers irregularities in their orbit pattern.  Also referenced throughout the story is a cult that expects doomsday to occur soon.¹ Warning: Spoiler Alert! Ultimately these discoveries lead to the final epiphany: the irregular orbit is caused by a satellite, that will block out the only sun appearing in the sky, and the world will be enveloped in darkness.  However brief, the psychologist believes it will be enough to drive society mad, and, as the archaeologist's discoveries suggest, bring about the collapse of modern civilization.  Turns out, the crazy cultists were right!

Because of that cult, when I hear doomsday predictions, I think of Asimov's short story.  I don't put much stock in doomsday sayers, but it's still there, tugging at the corner of my brain.  What if? 


Disclaimer: I may be misremembering things, so I definitely recommend you check out Nightfall. It was one of my favorites of the short stories we read in my Science Fiction class in college.  Apparently it is also a novel, so I will have to check that out soon too.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightfall_(Asimov_short_story)

Are there negatives effects of "positive thinking"? Book Review

So I haven't had much opportunity to read Mirror, Mirror as I just moved to Virginia, and have been busy doing moving-related stuff and also playing Pottermore.  However, while in the local library today, I happened to glance at Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich.  Generally I'm not attracted to non-fiction, but we were actually talking about positive thinking a few weeks ago at my previous job, so I guess it was sort of good timing.

I picked up the book just to kill time while my friend contemplating getting Outliers, and got completely enveloped in the first chapter.  Thus it was decided - this book had to come home with me.

I just finished the first 44 pages, and it is definitely a fascinating look into the (ironic) negative affects of positive thinking.  I suppose it sounds rather cynical and depressing to talk about.  I don't think the book by any means is trying to say "People should be sad!"  But it is important to recognize that putting on a false face of cheer definitely can have negative side effects.

So far, the author has talked about her experience with breast cancer and the "think positive" message that perpetuates breast cancer support groups.  She discusses (very thoroughly) how pervasive this theme is within not only help groups but the general breast cancer populace as a whole.  In fact, she mentions, there is even a common sentiment among breast cancer "battlers" (as they never use the word victim or patient - and integral part of the positive thinking vocabulary) and survivors that being diagnosed was a good thing that happened because it enabled them to discover what was really important in life and how to stop worrying needlessly about pointless things and focus on the things that matter (such as family).

Eventually, with about three pages left in the chapter, she gets to the point that the "thinking positively" is not scientifically proven to be at all effect, but can even have a negative impact when people feel forced to put on a smiling face while suppressing their urges to be angry and upset about the ultimate changes their life will take.  This can cause further stress.  Plus, while the power of positive thinking can make "battlers" feel like they actually have some control and gives them something to "do", it can also cause feelings of failure when the positive thinking does not actually succeed in preventing them from getting better.

This is all only in the Introduction and Chapter 1, I have much more to read, but I'm exciting to continue.  I do think there is some merit in thinking of positively.  First of all, if you're positive that means you're happier, right?  Isn't that what positive means?  And if you think positively, such as "I can do a good job," then you'll believe in yourself and try harder.  If you think negatively, that you won't do a good job, then that can make you give up sooner (why bother? I'll suck anyways), and then ultimately you won't do better.  It's a self fulfilling prophecy, and as my fencing instructor would constantly tell me, my biggest weakness as a fencer was mental -- I thought I would lose, so I did lose.  "Self fulling prophecy," as he always said.

Of course it seems completely logical and obvious that if you are forcing yourself to think positively, when inside you feel horrible, there's going to be a dissonance there that causes stress.

As far as the writing style goes, Ehrenreich is very conversational, easy to understand, and a pleasure to read.  Which is exactly the kind of non-fiction that I like.  Her anecdotes are interesting and add to the story, and the many examples she provides, while somewhat tedious at times, support her arguments well.

Anyways, I'm going to have to get back to this book so I can keep learning!

Bones Fall Preview Leaves Me Wishing It Were November

Just saw this preview for Bones on Facebook and had to share it!  I'm super excited and already wishing it's November (okay, in all honesty I've been wishing it were November since the season finale...).

I love Bones and Booth's interaction and it's going to be exciting to see how the baby changes things.  On a total side note, I love Hodgins' little smile as he overhears Booth and Bones bantering.

I read that the season will start with Bones in her third trimester, meaning that she will be delivering it partway through the season.  At first I thought this a little odd, as many shows seem to drag out the pregnancy over the length of the season.  However, I realized two reasons why it's a good thing they're doing it this way:

1. It will be different from last season, where Angela's pregnancy was drawn out (why repeat the same format two consecutive seasons?)
2. It will give us a chance to see how Bones & Booth interact after the baby is born 

Reason Number 2 is what I'm really excited about.  That's really the interesting part, right?  So I think it's actually a really good thing they're not stretching out that storyline.

Another thing I'm curious about is Hannah.  It was implied she'd be returning.  I fully expect her to, but in what context?  Will she realize she was an idiot for not saying yes to Booth?  Honestly, I didn't like her - there was an awkward smugness to her, I always thought - but how could you say no to Booth?  Crazy girl. 

I am totally bummed that there will be less episodes this season.  Is this supposed to be Bones' last season?  I hope not, but it sort of has that feeling of impending closure.  With Bones and Booth getting together and having a child, it just seems like the series is nearing its end.  

Traffic and Travel: Lessons Virginia Taught Me

So it's my first week in Virginia, and something that has stuck out to me is the Traffic.  Yes, Traffic with a capital "T".  Everyone blames New Jersey for having bad drivers, but in my experience I've found both Boston and DC to be much worse.

The traffic rules in DC don't help. There is a road in DC that has six lanes.  The two center lanes can change direction, depending on the hour (it's based on rush hour).  The outside two lanes can turn into parking.  It's very strange and confusing (no wonder the drivers aren't good).

My friends in Boston told stories about how people would run red lights, but the funny thing about it was that they would run them just before they turned green, rather than running a yellow/red light.  Very odd.

So what's the big deal in Virginia?  It's hard to pinpoint exactly what the difference is between Jersey roads and Virginia roads that make the traffic so much worse.  But here's what was running through my head on my way back from work:

Jersey's Jug Handles

In Jersey, these are all over the place. My boyfriend, who is from Ohio, has said you won't find them anywhere else and he considers them rather odd.  I was trying to decide what was better: Jug handles or left turn lanes.  Obviously on a busy road, you need some special way to help those people trying to cross traffic.  I still want to put some thought into this, but for some reason I am actually preferring jug handles.  It seemed to help with the flow of traffic.  Maybe I'll try to find a civil engineer to discuss this with (my cousin got his MA in Civil and Architectural Engineering so I'll see what his thoughts are).

Finding Flow

Maybe it's just my particular route to work, but there seems to be much more stop and go rather than smooth flow.  Granted there is a toll road that I could take that does not have traffic lights, but, well, it is a toll road, and I wouldn't be on it long enough, and I'm afraid that traffic will still be bad.

What's up with the Weather?

It's been rather rainy here so maybe that has something to do with it.  People keep saying "Virginians don't know how to drive in the rain", but I hear people from all over the country say things like that.  What I think it ultimately comes down to is that different regions just drive differently.  I have no statistical data to prove this, just experience.  With different road designs you have different traffic patterns, which I can imagine would create a different "driving mindset".

Putting it All Together: How Traffic Analysis Helps Your Travel Plans

What does any of this have to do with travel?  Well, if you're driving or planning on renting a car, it probably isn't a bad idea to do some research on the traffic rules in that area and try to get a feel for what traffic will be like.  Sites like Google Maps and Traffic.com can show you what the general flow of traffic might look like (green is for fast, yellow for medium, red for very slow). Don't stress too much, but do a Google search and see if anything comes up.  I just did a Google search for "What is traffic like in Washington DC" and the first result (click the previous link) says "in a word, terrible".  Also try "worst drivers" and see if your destination city is on the list. (Apparently Washington, DC tops the list of worst drivers)

Also think about: what time of the year is it?  If you are visiting a place in September, keep in mind that the new school year could cause some back ups as people adjust to the additional cars on the road.  If you are vacationing in the winter, be aware of any weather conditions, like snow or ice on the road.

It never hurts to be prepared and understand what you're getting into.  Stay safe!

Labor Day Weekend Journeys - Eating Out While On the Road

After much back and forth across the state of Maryland, and countless added miles to my car, I have finally settled in Virginia! ...at a friend's apartment, of course.  I still have yet to find my own place, but hopefully I will find one soon and then begins the next stage of my life.  Exciting.

Over the past three days, I have driven from central Jersey to upstate Delaware (Friday), then from Delaware to northern Virginia and back again (Saturday), then from Delaware to Laurel, Maryland (Sunday), and finally, at last, from Laurel back to northern Virginia, where I will be for the rest of the week.

So I'm becoming quite familiar with the highways down here.

Moving on... Noteworthy News from the Journey...

We Discovered Local Restaurant in Laurel, MD: Pasta Plus

Yesterday for dinner, my boyfriend and I had to make the grand decision of Where do we eat dinner? I was craving pasta, as I haven't had it in awhile and its a comfort food, so the choices were: Olive Garden or Pasta Plus.  We decided to try the local place, Pasta Plus.  Situated in the middle of Route 1 (ugh), it was a little bit difficult to get to, and the restaurant's exterior was nothing to be excited about.  Just a plain sign in a strip mall, and you couldn't even see in the windows to get a feel for the place.  I got a little nervous, but we went in and it was a whole new atmosphere.  Elegant decor, even a little faux tiled roof by the kitchen, helped this place suddenly feel homely and charming.  I ordered the Gnocchi Tomato - mmm delicious, the sauce had a little kick to it, but then maybe that was just me as I often find things spicy that other people think are plain.

It just goes to show that it's worth it to try local places when you're traveling to a new town.  As someone who is hesitant to try new places and who loves just sticking to what I know, I totally understand that when you're far from home, sometimes you just need what's familiar and that's OK.  I hate it when people look down on me for just craving a dish that I already know.  But with that in mind, it is nice to try a new place when you can, because you never know what gems you'll find on the way.

Labor Day Weekend Adventure

Happy Labor Day Weekend!  What are your plans?

My boyfriend just said that 27% of travelers plan on visiting The Big Apple.  Me, on the other hand?  Heading in the opposite direction.  This Labor Day Weekend, I am moving from New Jersey to Virginia.

Quite the big adventure!

I start a new job on Tuesday (exciting!).  So this weekend, it's all about moving down to Virginia.  That includes: apartment hunting, lots of driving, and of course, singing "Vir-gi-nee-a is my hoooome" (from the Lees of Old Virginia from 1776).

The fact that I would be nerdy enough to be singing a song from 1776 is enough evidence that I am a big fan of Colonial American History.  Naturally, Washington DC would be a beloved travel spot of mine.  In 2010, my boyfriend and I visited DC three times - 1) for spring break, 2) visiting a friend, and 3) the Rally to Restore Sanity.  And three times was all it took.  I was hooked.

Actually, speaking of Richard Henry Lee and that particular song, it is interesting to think about how amazing modern travel is.  When Richard Henry Lee departs Philadelphia at the end of "Lees of Old Virginia", while he says he expects to return "shortLEE", the actual travel time of his journey to Richmond would be about 2 - 3 weeks.  What does it take now?  Well, New Jersey to the DC suburbs takes about 4 to 5 hours so I imagine it's something similar.  Sure makes you appreciate what we have today! (Maybe after losing power for two days in the wake of Hurricane Irene has me more appreciative of the 21st century)

I will keep this updated as to my adventures with moving, but for now, Beatles Rock band is calling my name!