Merry Christmas!

Whew! It's been quite a while since my last post. Turns out that pharmacy school really doesn't lend itself to much free time, as everyone had implied. As much work as it's been, I have truly enjoyed school so far and have been learning so much. It is nice, though, to get a break for Christmas and I have been enjoying it by shamelessly browsing my new favorite website, Pinterest, and reading a lot of girly magazines and Nicholas Sparks books, anything that strictly contrasts the biochemistry, physiology, and pharmaceutical science books in which I've been buried since mid-August.

Now, it hasn't been ALL schoolwork since the beginning of the semester. Tyler and I have enjoyed finally being able to see each other every day and went to the Duck Jazz Festival in September, dressed up as Legends of the Hidden Temple contestants for Halloween, went to a Western-themed bowling party, carved pumpkins, and went to a lighted boat parade a few weeks ago to kick off the Christmas season. My sister and I took our first road trip to the Miss North Carolina USA beauty pageant in High Point, NC and had an interesting encounter with a severely overbooked hotel. (We learned that some hotels rent "parlors" for nightly stays. In fact, they give said "parlors" to guests when they have overbooked. We were the lucky ones to be moved to a "parlor," which was a sugar-coated euphemism for a living room with a pull out couch.) We had a great time at the pageant though, and loved being able to spend "girl-time" together.

This past weekend, to celebrate the end of a very long semester, Tyler and I went to Williamsburg to see Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. Tyler, being a little less enthusiastic about the Christmas holiday than I am (insert sarcastic face here), patiently endured the exorbitant display of Christmas lights strung through hundreds of trees, various Christmas songs resounding from speakers throughout the park, and even the cascade of "snow" that billowed from building tops. Busch Gardens has only done Christmas Town for a few years now, usually the park is closed from November to March, so it was a great experience and the perfect way to get in the Christmas spirit. We saw a few shows, saw some penguins, experienced the thrill of a terrifying new ride that plunges riders from 280 feet in the air (it took us getting about 10 feet off the ground to immediately regret our decision to ride), toured the park from a sky ride, and rode the new "Europe in the Air" virtual simulation ride that "flew" us to Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the fields of Ireland, the mountains of Switzerland, and the beaches of Italy. Most impressive of all were the thousands and thousands of strands of lights covering almost every square inch of the park.

Now its just a few days of work and a couple of Christmas parties until the BIG DAY! Merry Christmas everyone!

Nicole

Its been three weeks since Tyler and I got back from Mexico and I've asked him at least once a day if we can go back. We spent our week at The Royal in Cancun, a five star, adults only, all-inclusive resort right on the beach, and it was by far the most luxurious and relaxing places I've ever been.

The Cancun airport was confusing and busy as we stepped off the plane. We tried to put our extremely limited Spanish language knowledge to use to decipher the signs for customs, but instead decided to follow the crowd and hope for the best. Thankfully, we ended up right where we were supposed to be. After going through customs, the next challenge was figuring out a way to get to the hotel, an arrangement I was most likely supposed to be in charge of before we left the States (though I like to think Tyler dropped the ball on that one). The shuttle area was loud and confusing as we were bombarded with people shoving brochures in our faces and asking if we needed a ride or wanted a time share, offering shuttles, taxis, vans, and just about any other form of transportation imaginable. I was too overwhelmed to make a decision, so Tyler talked to a man in charge of a line of shuttle vans and secured two seats on the next shuttle to the Hotel Zone. About ten minutes later, we threw our bags into the back of the van and were on our way. The first stop was for a couple checking in at the Ritz-Carlton. Tyler and I laughed at the thought of going to the Ritz-Carlton, but little did we know that our hotel would prove to be just as luxurious.

Upon arrival, we were given a glass of champagne and cold towel. The lobby was extravagant and one of the first things I noticed was the lack of glass on the window openings. The entire hotel was open to the wonderful breeze coming off the ocean. A bell boy took our luggage and I was given a sarong before we headed up to the room. The view was absolutely amazing and after waiting for our luggage to be brought up, we headed straight down to the lobby to get a drink and go out to the beach. My first drink was a red and orange fruity drink, exactly what I had pictured, and Tyler had a Mexican beer that ended up being his choice beverage while we were there. We walked out to the pool area, surveying the swim-up bar, oceanfront restaurant, and beach bar before walking out to the ocean. I've never seen water so beautiful and so clear in my entire life. It was still pretty cold, but I was amazed at the incredible teal color and the way it changed to a bright blue and finally a darker blue further from the shore. We found beach chairs right by the water, ordered two more drinks when the beach butler came around, and enjoyed the warm air and sunshine until dinnertime.

At Pelicanos, the restaurant right over the pool and literally on the beach, we were given a menu. I was expecting a slim choice of buffet-type items, but we were amazed at the tuna, steak, shrimp, sea bass, pasta, salad, and soup selections we could choose from. We continuously asked our waiter if everything was actually free, as we expected a huge bill at the end of the meal. That's when the realization hit--we definitely did NOT belong at a place this nice. We made that joke the entire trip as The Royal continued to surprise us.

One of the days of our vacation, we signed up for an excursion to see the Mayan ruins. Along with that tour, we also ziplined and repelled through a jungle, kayaked to an underground swimming hole, and hiked through the woods. It was definitely an adventure! It was about a two-hour drive to the ruins, and we were picked up at 7am by the van to take us there. It wasn't until we got out of the Hotel Zone that you could really see the poverty that I had no idea even existed. We passed through small towns where children were walking to run-down schools with no windows and shabby playground equipment. After making our way into the jungle area, we geared up for the rappel descent and then hiked up to the ziplining area.

Next up was kayaking and the cave swimming hole. The water was cold but so clear, and our guide pointed out the stalagmites and fossils in the rocks.

After lunch, we rode to a Mayan village to tour the ruins and climb the Mayan temple, Coba. We toured the first village and then rode bikes to the temple to conclude our excursion.

Every night at the hotel, there were shows and dinners hosted by the hotel. We made friends by the pool one of the days and went to the Mexican-themed dinner with them, where we were served margaritas, listened to mariachi band, watched people ride a mechanical bull, and saw a cock fight on the stage. Another night, they had an international-themed show where they dressed up in costumes from countries around the world and danced to various music. There was always something going on, and that's one of the things we liked about The Royal. They had coffee tastings, beer tastings, wine tastings, and martini tastings in the lobby, and we never went more than five minutes without an employee asking if we would like another drink. The food was exceptional and the beach was perfect.

On our last night, the hotel hosted a Caribbean-themed dinner right on the beach. They set up tables with colorful tablecloths, a beach bar, a stage area and live music. We were served fish, steak, chicken, potatoes, vegetables, corn on the cob, rolls, baked potatoes, and of course, our selection of alcoholic beverages. I was so sad it was our last night there. The Royal really was an exceptional hotel and we even tried to contact Travelocity after our first day in Mexico to change our flight to a day later because we knew we wouldn't want to leave. But the Caribbean night was the perfect way to end a wonderful trip.

We didn't have to leave for the airport until 1:00 the next afternoon, so we had the morning to enjoy the last bit of our vacation. I cried when we packed our bags to leave; I wasn't ready to get back to the real world yet. It was the best vacation I've ever been on and we're already making plans to go back!

Happy June!
Nicole

Hats off to the graduates!

I can't believe I graduated from college yesterday.

Tyler came to Chapel Hill on Friday night after work and we went to Franklin Street to celebrate the end of the year along with the remaining students that stayed in town for graduation. The bars were (not surprisingly) packed. We settled on a few Yuenglings and Long Island Iced Teas at Carolina Coffee Shop for awhile. The next morning I had to help check out straggling residents that hadn't left yet before packing up my own room. Mom and Dad came up and helped load everything in the car and we all got ready for graduation.

Knowing that I still have four more years of pharmacy school before I can actually graduate from school, I saw this graduation ceremony as more of a formality (and a requirement set forth by my Mom) and initially was pretty nonchalant about attending. But, being that it was Mother's Day weekend and I wouldn't be home on Sunday to celebrate, I humored her by purchasing the cap and gown and sending in my RSVP card.

I expected a lot of family photos, cliche graduation speeches and the standard graduation music. What I didn't expect, however, was the overwhelming feeling that came along with walking across that stage. Being a W, I was in the very last row of graduates, giving me enough time to stare at the daunting staircase that led to the stage and then back down at my 4-inch heels, praying that I wouldn't be forever leaving my legacy as that girl who tripped at graduation. With every name called, I got more nervous about my hat falling off, my hair looking weird, tripping up the stairs, etc. Finally, it was our turn. When I got up to the steps, I don't remember if they even pronounced my name right. I do remember that I have never felt so happy in my entire life.

There was a reception that followed the graduation ceremony so Tyler's family (who had come to Chapel Hill to see me graduate as well!) and my family went outside to take pictures. Afterwards, we grabbed a beer from He's Not Here, one of Chapel Hill's legendary bars that somehow I hadn't managed to visit in my time as a student, and then Tyler and I headed to Kannapolis with his family so we could get ready for our (really early) flight on Monday morning to CANCUN, MEXICO! This will be my last blog post for a week while we enjoy the sun, sand, and alcohol at The Royal in Cancun, a 5-star all-inclusive resort. While there, we're also going on a day-long trip that includes a tour of an ancient Mayan ruin, kayaking through a river, climbing the highest peak in the Yucatan Peninsula and zip-lining through a forest. Other than that, we'll be relaxing on the hammock of our oceanfront balcony, laying by the pool, and lounging on the beach while the "beach butlers" bring drinks, food, suntan lotion, and magazines. I'll be sure to update when we get back, but for now, here are more pictures from graduation weekend.

Happy summer!

Nicole

Easter Weekend and Angela's Visit

Last weekend we started the Easter weekend celebration with a tradition in which I hadn't taken part since I was about five years old--blowing and painting Easter eggs!

Of course, Dad went overboard as always and had to get the "top of the line" Easter egg dying kits. My Dad has a habit of overdoing...well...almost every function in our lives. My dorm room looks like a mansion and my school projects always outshined those of my classmates. I remember in fifth grade I had to make a shoe box replica of a hospital room for a project on Louisa May Alcott. Dad wouldn't accept a project in a shoe box, so he constructed, from wood, a to-scale replica of not just one hospital room, but an entire hospital. Imagine how I looked walking into school, with everyone else holding a small shoe box and me holding a two-story wooden hospital.

Not only did he go overboard on the dying kits, (Mom sent him to the store for a box of the colored pellets that you put in water; he came back with a No-Spill, Smiley Face Egg Dying Kit and a box of Glitter Dye) but he also found a way to go overboard on blowing the eggs. Instead of using pins like a normal family would, my Dad pulled out his drill and, using a tiny drill bit, made holes in the top and bottom of each egg.

After blowing 36 eggs (Dad scrambled the insides for our dog to feast on all day), we dyed and painted them all. Christopher's interest lasted for about two eggs, then he went outside to help Dad wash cars (what a boy!) Angela, Mom, and I finished painting the rest, coming up with creative designs and scenes like zebra print, the Old Well in Chapel Hill, a penguin, monogrammed eggs, summer scenes, camouflage, and Disney characters. I have to admit, it was a pretty impressive basket of eggs by the time we were done.

That night, we celebrated Easter with another tradition--watching the Passion of the Christ. It is an incredible movie and was such a powerful reminder of the reason we celebrate Easter. The next morning we dressed in our Sunday best for church, where Christopher found a baby turtle in the parking lot that we had to return to the pond before leaving for Elizabeth City to spend time with our family there. Then more family came to our house for a traditional ham dinner.

The next morning, Angela and I got up early and left for Chapel Hill, where she would be spending the first part of her Spring break! I was SO excited to show her around campus and around town. While she was here, we went shopping, she went to my staff meeting, she helped me babysit in the afternoons, came to class, went out to eat on Franklin Street, and even went to see a movie at Varsity Theater. While babysitting, we took Aadit to the Orange County Animal Shelter where we saw kittens and puppies up for adoption (and fell in love with a few!) We celebrated the last day of class (a BIG deal here in Chapel Hill) together by going out on Franklin Street, and then Angela left to spend the rest of the break at home. It's hard for me to imagine her being old enough to be a college student next year, but she fit into the college scene perfectly!

Only one week of college left! Time really does fly.

From Chapel Hill,

Nicole