Monday Memories: "The Goal is between the Flip Flop and the Backpack"

family fun at the beach!

We are far from the most athletic of clans, but we make up in enthusiasm what we lack in regard for the rules. Sportsmanship is not our strong point. Most games end in all of us collapsing on the sand, out of breath, vigorously contesting which side claimed victory (and frequently, even at the very end of the game, still discussing who is on which team). Some members of the family seem to think you can compensate skill with rigorous debate. I belong in this camp. My motto is:  you can cheat, foul, yell, pull shirts and trip ankles, just as long as you're pulling off an adorable orange blouse while you do it! 

In this photo, my father is failing to catch, my sister is failing to block him, my cousin is failing to care, my mother and aunt are failing to participate and my grandma is just hangin' out in the middle. I may suck at sports, but it must be because an apple does not fall far from the tree. And amen to that, because I wouldn't give up this crazy clan or my genetically predetermined two left feet for anything!
 
Look up at the Sky!
 
Zanna

PS. Hanging out with the same crew at the lake, in a restaurant, and around the pool, way back in the day.

PPS. Another picnic at a California beach!

Monday Memories: Swimming in Chapada Diamantina

loving Brazil: a refreshing swim at the end of hike!

Really, is anything more delightful than a quick swim in cold water on the stickiest and sweatiest of summer days? I think not. Right now we're enjoying lukewarm sunshine and those first trickles of warmth but pretty soon August will be roasting us alive in our own skin and I for one cannot wait! I loved running through sprinklers during hot summers as a kid and I love jumping into cool lakes now that I'm (kind of) grown up. 

Mom and Zelda

This picture was taken on a family vacation to Brazil a few years ago. One of the highlights of our trip was the Chapada Diamantina National Park. Here, we were at the end of a long, hot, but breathtakingly beautiful hike that lead us to a lovely waterfall and this natural pool. Of course all four of us had to hop in!  It was sooooo refreshing and--once the water-tag started--so much fun!


Look up at the Sky!

Zanna

PS. Monday Memories of hiking in Costa Rica, a romantic weekend in Lausanne, Switzerland, and skiing in the alps with friends or just with Karl!

 

Monday Memories: Picnic in California

Family picnic at the beach (those not pictured are off treasure hunting for sea glass and shells!)

Today I had two exams back to back and they are going to keep on coming. One last two-week sprint, and the semester is behind me! 

All this studying and stressing and stupid, stupid procrastination is taking it's toll, and what I need now is a little sunshine. One of those special memories you can keep tucked away, only to be unfolded every now and then, when you really need it.  Just pressing away the well-worn creases and drawing strength from the remembrance of happy times. 

Part of my family lives in California and whenever we are visiting we always make time for a visit to my favorite beach in the world for a bagel picnic by the sea. I love those long, lazy afternoons, all of us hanging out together, eating on a blanket spread on the sand and then dispersing for naps, walks, and beach-treasure-hunting.

I just booked flights for a visit to the Bay Area this spring and I can't wait to head to the ocean and feel the sand squidge between my toes and that salty spray on my face. Here's to getting through the next couple weeks!

Look up at the Sky!

-Zanna

PS. Memories of a ski trip with Karl, playing "Who am I?", having some summer fun at the lake, a romantic weekend in Lausanne, and last year skiing with friends!

Bonfire!

I love fire. In a safe-distance-away, controlled-setting kind of way, of course. I love the way it looks and moves, all those flickering colors and fleeting shapes. I love it's warmth and coziness and maybe even the whisper of danger. Huddling around a fire feels primordial and right.

Karl and I were down south last week on a skiing getaway weekend, right on the border between Austria and Germany in tiny little village in the mountains. There we stumbled on a local celebration (outside, of course, in below freezing temperatures, because the people that live there year-round must be utterly resistant to cold) and man, what a bonfire! It was huge, the size of a small house, and magnificent. People stood around and drank beer while the flames licked high into the night sky and sent sparks and smoke flying across the snow. The whole scene was like Robert Frost's poem, Fire and Ice, come to life. There were kids playing everywhere (because this is Europe, after all, and safety is more an every man for himself, common sense kind of endeavor) and people laughing and talking but all I could do was stare into that inferno.

Then I noticed clusters of people huddled around some sort of "warmers". I had to take a closer look. From what I could make out, they were hollowed-out tree trunks with smoldering ashes inside that emit heat as a kind of makeshift mini-fire. I was fascinated. What keeps the whole long from burning? How does it self-contain? I have no idea, but I huddled up to one too as the night got colder and I must say; I'm a fan!

Look up at the Sky!

-Zanna

Monday Memories: Sun, Snow, Skis!

The view from the living room window.

As I mentioned here, Karl and I ditched this icky winter weather last week for some sunshine and sport on the slopes!

We spent five days in the tiniest tinyest alpine village you ever saw, where the views are breathtaking and the rules are rigid. Seriously, only four families live there year round, and

Karl on his board--he's actually a certified instructor!

you can bet everybody knows everybody else's business. Karl's family has a vacation home there, and you can ski right up to your own doorstep! They have been visiting the same valley since his grandfather's day. Though his mom officially owns it, all cousins, aunts and uncles, and friends are welcome. You just have to give her a call to see if it's free when you want to go. Needless to say, Karl knows the village and the slopes inside out--but this was only my third time so I'm still learning! 

Stopping at a ski hut for luch!

It was great to get away just the two of us, especially as I am entering exam season now and won't reemerge for a couple weeks.  We had wonderful weather and new snow and lots of time to talk and smooch around on the lifts. I'm so glad we made time for this little trip!

One of the highlights was enjoying that hearty Bavarian cuisine. Lots of "wurst" (sausage), knödel (bread dumplings), spätzle (egg noodles), and pretzels with extra sides of meat and carbohydrates and more meat and more carbs. Just what you want after along day skiing in the cold! Of course, Karl loves his apple strudel, but my favorite is "flädle suppe", a flavorful broth with thin strips of pancake floating around. Yum!
 

Knödel soup, pretzel, apple strudel and flädlesuppe!

 Look up at the Sky! (or down at your plate!)

-Zanna

PS. More monday memories of playing "Who am I?", lake fun, a romantic weekend in Lausanne, and hiking in Brazil!

Monday Memories: Skiing in the Alps

Patrick, Frederika, and Karl with our epic snowman!

Just a short post today, because we are beyond the reach of reliable internet...in the Alps! I love it here. The mountains are majestic and the snow makes everything so serene and still.

Karl's family has a vacation place here and we come almost every year for some snow, sunshine, and skiing. Last year, we went with a couple of friends from medical school, Patrick and Frederika, but this years it's a romantic getaway à deux, which is lovely after the hustle and bustle of these busy winter months. 2015 is just flying by and I'm so happy to have a couple days of calm with my sweetheart to leave it all behind and just enjoy eachother's company (and some hot chocolate and good books too)!

Look up at the Sky (it's a fantastic night sky here)!

-Zanna

PS. More Monday Memories here, here, and here.

Monday Memories: Pool Cousins

Cousin Bobby plays "the throwing game" with Zelda

I only have one sister- Zelda the Goofball, Queen of Makeup and Math, our family's fashion arbiter and eternal baby. I sometimes wished for more siblings, but other times I was jealous of the attention my baby sister commanded and was glad our parents' booboo blowing and artwork admiring skills were only split between us two. In the end, it just felt right to be just us four--and continues to feel right to this day. But we had a saving grace: a large, chaotic, and kid-heavy extended family. And although they live on the other side of the country, if not of the other side of of the world from us, the adults always made a huge concerted effort to meet at least once a year, often in California. And of course, those sun-drenched days of being spoiled by grandparents and carted around in a caravan of cars were fun fun fun for us kids.The only hardship I remember was the mandatory 30 minute wait after lunch before being allowed to reenter the pool. Only the half hour before the doctor gives you your test results compares. 

Cousin Lina, Zelda, Me and Cousin Bobby in Grandma's Pool

I can't wait to see my kids and Zelda's playing in a pool together. Cousins have such a unique position in a kid's life: age matched, not as bicker-y as siblings and closer than friends.  I hope my kids have as awesome a relationship with theirs as I do with mine! This week we found out Bobby got into Stanford Law School and I am just over the moon proud for him. 

Look up at the Sky!

-Zanna

PS. If you need a overview of the cast of characters find one here!

PPS. More Monday Memories here and here!

Five Favorites: Destinations for 2015

The Eiffel Tower, Paris, April 2014 with Karl on a blisteringly cold, sunny day

As I this blog reflects, I love to travel! So to get me through the cold and gloomy winter we've been having, I like to fantasize about the places I'm longing to go. Some of these are just pipe dreams, some are in the process of being planned, and one or two are already booked! 2015 is turning out to be an exiting year, suitcase-wise.  Since this is my last year of formal medical school, I won't be having as much time off in the near future and I want to put these last twelve months of freedom to good use. So without further ado: my top five destinations for this year!

1.) Gdansk (Danzig), Poland. This was a Christmas gift from my darling Karl. Last year he gave me a long weekend trip to Prague and it was perfect! This year we'll be visiting one of the most beautiful cities in Poland. Right on the shore of the Baltic sea and almost perfectly preserved for centuries, I've been dying to set my eyes on this gem.  Its a bit of a drive from here, so we may have to break our trip in Berlin, but thats just a added bonus from my perspective!

2.) Kruger National Park, South Africa. This one is booked, and I'm beyond excited! We decided as a family to celebrate my parents' 25th wedding anniversary with a trip. The four of us got together to start planning the party and we just realized: this is so dang expensive and its just for one night! we could go on a big huge faraway adventure for the same price! And the decision was made.

3.) The Kingdom of Swaziland. Must start reading about Swaziland, sadly under-informed.

4.) Mozambique. The last stop on our trip. The beaches are pristine, the snorkeling is fantastic (although I always find it weird, the sensation of having your face in the water and yet being able to breathe) and the capital of this former Portuguese colony, Maputo, is supposed to be an up and coming center of African chic! Zelda is sure to find some unique clothing pieces which I will then promptly borrow/steal as sisters are wont to do.

5.) US of A. This one is half planned half wishful thinking. The thing about growing up half on one side of the Atlantic and half on the other is that you always seem to be homesick for somewhere. I miss brownies, skyscrapers, cowboy hats and California highways. I miss the way "have a great day" sounds in an American accent and I miss CHERRIO, which THEY DO NOT SELL HERE, most of all! Also, Karl has never been and it would mean so much to me to show the man I love the country I adore. So let's hope. And we'll see.

Look up at the Sky! 

-Zanna

Monday Memories: Hiking in Brazil

This week I'm missing my family! After spending so much time together over winter break its strange to suddenly be separated. Since we all live scattered around the globe, vacations have always been the most important way we connect. Meeting up in some foreign place and discovering new sights and sounds together tightens our little family community like nothing else! My grandparents (who used to live in Mexico but are now in California) are the most adventurous travelers of us all and continue to travel across the Atlantic, visit new countries, and even attempt to learn new languages far into their eighties! They are such an inspiration, so today I've found a old photo from 2008, when all six of us met in Brazil where my mom had some work to do, and traveled around that amazing land. Awe-inspiring landscapes, a vibrant and unique culture, and an impressive diversity knit together in a melting-pot to rivals that of the US... it's no wonder we all fell in love with this country (and particularly with the Brazilians who are the coolest of the cool people you'll ever meet). We actually made the trek from far-away Europe twice, that's how much we loved it! 

Here, we're hiking in Chapada Diamentina National Park with our friendly guide (in blue). It took a six hour bus ride from Salvador de Bahia to arrive at Lencois, a picturesque colonial city from which all walks in the national park commence. We hiked every day, all day, including lots of clambering over stones as seen here, and my grandparents were amazing;  they scrambled over boulders and laughed the whole way. We had the time of our lives, and I still look back so fondly on those days in the Brazilian sun, stopping for picnic lunches and watching Grandma inch across the most unstable hanging bridge you've ever seen with a huge grin on her face. We're so lucky to have this time with family, it's the greatest luxury I can imagine! I hope I am blessed with good health and an indefatigable spirit in old age, so that I can give my grandchildren the same kind of memories they gave me.

Here, we stop in a rock formation near a waterfall for lunch. Zelda and Mom at the bottom appear to have dug in before the rest of us even arrive! Grandma's in her sunhat, me and Papa are last in line. Grand-papa is our resident photographer, so he's never in any pictures...

Look up at the Sky!

--Zanna