Maine:
My trip to Maine was definitely one of the more sentimental parts of the month because it was the first time in years that I'd been able to travel there to be with my family, something I'm sure I took for granted when I was younger. As I expected/hoped, it was a very relaxed and enjoyable visit; I stayed with my grandma during the week, my favorite moments being the chats we'd have together during breakfasts and lunches. I surprised myself with how much we talked, considering I never really chatted with her a whole lot when I was younger (maybe it has something to do with us both being quiet types and being in the context of family gatherings). It made my week so much better being able to connect like that; I miss her already!
Apart from my time with her, I spent time with my aunt and uncle and their two cats, and the rest of our time adventuring to parts of Maine I haven't explored in years! This included:
-Maine State Museum in Augusta: I've been here for years and this was one of the few years I actually absorbed some information from the placards, haha!
-Old Orchard Beach: where I had a taste of the famous Pier French Fries for the first time in years, complete with salt and vinegar
-Lake St. George: where we picnicked, tossed a ball around, and swam in the lake (I also went diving for rocks and pebbles to add to my collection)
-Gifford's Mini-Golf and Ice Cream Stand: where I won a free game of mini-golf and ate one of my favorite ice creams: Maine Black Bear, vanilla with a raspberry swirl and raspberry-filled chocolate cups. Yum!
From left to right: Lilies at my aunt & uncle's house; lobster souvenirs at Boothbay; a listing of exclusive Maine ice cream flavors at Gifford's; Woody the ham cat; a Boothbay trolley, one of several; the Maine coastline at Boothbay; the Pier at Old Orchard Beach; a view of Lake St. George; the At Home in Maine exhibit at the Maine State Museum
This year, we visited Boothbay Harbor for what was my first time, and it was such an adorable place on the water's edge! There were lots of little shops that had a very rustic country-style atmosphere; half of them smelled like balsam fir as I walked in the door, as should be expected of a Maine souvenir shop, haha. I visited one of the biggest New-Age shops I've ever been to--Enchantments--although I couldn't take any photos inside the store for security reasons. Not far away was, hands down, one of the best ice cream places I've ever been to: the Boothbay Harbor Ice Cream Factory, which had tons of delicious flavors and quite the fan following! I picked the Wild Maine Blueberry ice cream without hesitation (when in Maine, right?), and wasn't disappointed--it was chock FULL of real Maine blueberries within blueberry ice cream, and the creamy texture was unlike any other I've ever had!
This was a map with pushpins of people's home locations, so you could see how far they traveled to have a taste of Boothbay's ice cream! There was one spot left in Jersey just for me!
What else can I say about Maine without talking your ears off? Well, I can say what I've told everyone else I know: the scenery is amazing, the air is so crisp and fresh, and it feels like nowhere else I've ever visited, even after all the summers I've traveled there. It's a unique experience unlike any other; the people are kind, the rocky shore is a sight to behold, the state is dense with trees and greenery, and there's a humble calmness to the landscape that goes beyond my ability to describe it. You can drive for miles and see nothing but isolated homes, fields tall with grass, pine trees, and small local farms; while it must not be the most convenient place to be, in relation to traveling distance to supermarkets and other shops, there's something very sweet about the idea of living away from the hustle and bustle that appeals to me. I like to think you keep your sanity a bit longer that way, too! (Haha.)
Connecticut:
After visiting Maine, I visited my home state, Connecticut, and stayed with my parents for a week while visiting some other family members as well. It was so nice to see them for a change; I guess you could say I still get a little homesick every now and then, especially the longer I visit. While in Connecticut, I:
-Visited with my grandparents and snapped pictures of their huge garden. My grandma can't garden like she used to, but luckily many of her plants and flowers grow back year after year! Her garden is filled with all sorts of interesting statues and decorations. I even found a little black cat hiding behind one of them!
Away she goes!
-Stayed with my aunt and uncle, where I got to take a trip to Stew Leonard's (possibly the most adorable market I've ever been to, complete with animatronic produce). My aunt helped me shop for my boyfriend's birthday party, and we spent an hour or so looking at all the quirky things in the nearby Goodwill, one of my favorite pastimes. We also got a chance to all play original XBox together, which is always a blast!
Faboo banana!
-Went to Chuck E. Cheese with my cousin like all grown-ups do! (Haha surrrre.) I try to make this a semi-regular thing when I stay in CT long enough to visit my cousins, since I'm the one who got them to go back in the first place. I have no shame and it's something fun to do regardless of how old you are...that's what I believe anyway!
-Threw a birthday party for my boyfriend at Smiles Entertainment Center (which is now closed for business, strangely enough). Though some of the games and things were in disrepair, we still enjoyed ourselves just being together with many of our friends, some of who even came out from Jersey to celebrate! We played laser tag, enjoyed a roller coaster simulator, and took to the DDR machines for some intense sweaty fun!
Sarah, in the groove...literally!
-Celebrated his birthday with my dad and grandparents at the Royal Chinese Buffet, probably the best Chinese buffet I've ever been to! Not only was their food selection huge and tasty, but they also played Happy Birthday for us, brought out pieces of cake with candles, and gave us cute scented seashell candles as gifts! I thought that was pretty neat, especially for a buffet!
The birthday boys: My dad, my boyfriend, and my uncle
-Stayed with my parents, watching movies with them and playing Wii games (mainly the fishing game I got for my dad for Father's Day, since his neck injury kept him from real fishing). These days, my parents aren't always in the best physical shape to go out and do things, so we usually spend more time at home together. But just being with them is nice sometimes because it gives us a chance to talk and relax; playing board games has much potential for fun too, since every now and then we like to play Yahtzee or Scattergories (and sometimes I'll make my dad play Pretty Pretty Princess with me, fufufu).
From left to right: Beautiful flowers I saw on my way back to my hometown; my first cat, Smokey; a frog prince sitting enthusiastically in my grandma's garden; singing milk cartons at Stew Leonard's; playing Aladdin on my aunt's original Sega Genesis; my friends and I at Smiles; cashing in on tokens at Chuck E.'s; birthday cake brought out for us at the buffet; the Portal cake I made for my boyfriend's birthday, half of which was accidentally discarded later on
Otakon:
Finally, the last of the big three July trips: Otakon 2011 in Baltimore! To date, I have to say this was probably my favorite Otakon, and one of the most ridiculous as well! Between the strange animes we saw for the first time (the US premiere of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" and Korean short "Coffee Samurai," to name a few) and the hotel room antics, it was memorable and fun despite the humid Baltimore heat.
Left to right: A wishing wall in the Dealer's Room (my wish); teru teru bozu/paper dango/carp kite at the Japanese Crafts for Kids panel; packing up the car for the weekend; me and my friend Rick's lobster sidekick, Bob; a fursuiter hiding among plushies in the Dealer's Room (and subsequently scaring me); a random mannequin covered in toys at the Papermoon Diner; a view of the Otakon crowd, Kylee concert, her US debut; me next to an autographed PMMM wall
Here's what went down:
-Artist Alley/Art Show: This year's artist alley really left an impression on me! It's fascinating to me to see what the trends are from year to year, who stays and goes, and what kind of new talent is being showcased for the weekend. This year, one of my current favorite plush artists, Ms. Moon of Moon's Creations, sold her Moon Buns and miscellaneous amigurumi in the Alley, and upon shopping for a friend, I just knew I had to get myself a little something eventually:
This is Tako Takoyaki! He was the second to last one she had and my personal favorite, so I snagged him up and--wouldn't you know it--I was the 100th customer, earning a free crocheted Soot Sprite! Neato!
-Kylee concert: I heard Kylee was a talented artist, but little did I know she'd be putting on such a great show at Otakon! Spirited and sweet, her songs really stood out and had us moving in our seats. Check her out for yourself!
-Coffee Samurai: This was easily one of the most bizarre "what the heck?" things I saw all weekend, for sure! Only one episode long, it's a Korean short anime about a samurai who wished to be reincarnated with a body as strong as steel, only to end up as a coffee machine in his next life. The whole room was constantly filled with laughter! Its ridiculousness struck such a chord with me that I feel inspired to cosplay it next year, even if no one recognizes me, haha.
-Craft workshop and Ota-chan: Leave it to me to want to make crafts at a convention, haha! I made a myriad of things in the children's room and craft workshop (and thankfully wasn't the only adult doing so!), and ended up dragging my friends with me to do the same. We made picture frames, origami, foam dragon portraits, and more; my youthfulness knows no bounds sometimes, haha. It was definitely worth it! Maybe I'll volunteer there next year, since I want to work with children someday and that would be a neat experience to add to my repertoire.
-Papermoon Diner: One of the most unique dining experiences I've had took place after Otakon, at the Papermoon Diner, which I remembered after having been featured on Travel Channel's Diner Paradise! Let me tell you, the walls we literally covered with random things; the ceiling fan near us was covered in old buttons, there were mannequins with old toys, magnets, and miscellaneous things stuck to them, and creepy baby doll parts in several places (including a jar of baby heads near the register). There was definitely some nostalgia seeing some of the old toys, but it was also a place I'd hesitate to eat at in the dark, haha! Very colorful place, though (there was a huge wall of Pez dispensers upon walking in), and with some great food to boot; I had the Crabbi Patty (a crab cake burger) with fries, which was simply amazing! I figured, when in Baltimore...
Not your typical diner by far.
All in all, I have to say this July was one of the most memorable and eventful I've had in many years; I was very lucky to travel as much as I did, and I'm happy to have gotten so many pictures and memories with my loved ones! I could write much more, but I've already written a novel of a blog, haha!
How was your summer, readers? Care to share any neat vacation spots or good stories?
Best wishes,
-Angie
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