malaka!

the only dutch i've learned from my roomie. or not learned. it's greek. from poppi.

thinking out loud.

today our morning class was the introduction to gastronomy. perfect for our first monday of a full week of classes. it seems as though gastronomy doesn't have a very clear definition or understanding in any language - which i guess is why we're all here, why we have no idea what we'll do with this degree. if you take into account the significance of what astronomy or economy represent to you then gastronomy is the all-encompassing subject that deals with everything food. our teacher explained the concept of critical thinking and how it's important to go into depth about a subject, think outside the box, ask a lot of questions, and to analyze enough to create a different frame of reference than what's presented in front of you; we learn from these food experts and understand their ideas to be true, but what and who can we really trust? he challenged us to question what is "good"? berchoux wrote about "good" food rules, brimod wrote about what he considered "good" food places/restaurants and brillat-savarin wrote about his opinion of taste in his book, physiology of taste, which has been famous since he wrote it, mainly due to the fact that he had a "good" publisher. these men are all historically the origniators of food writers but we cannot accept their "goods" as absolute truths.

one of the first questions our teacher asked us was to tell what our roommates don't like about gastronomy. i could only think of things we had in common and things that arina likes - fresh fruit juice, cheeses, crackers with cheese, her pepper mill, pistachio gelato, the hand-held food processor, spicy food :) - we hadn't much talked about what we don't like. but around the room the question went on being answered, and besides different foods that people don't like for allergy/religious/taboo reasons, a common theme was the idea that gastronomy creates a sort of thought of elitism. interesting idea because especially in NYC, everyone wants to write about food and restaurants, find the best hamburger, the best cup of coffee....what does it mean to be an elitist? our teacher said that anyone who knows how to read portrays an elitist because it means you know how to read, you had to ability to learn how to read.

as the class delved further into different revolutions that have changed the world of food, we focused on modernity and media. he compared Rachael Ray to the opposite of a gastronome and called her a "she-devil." she is not a chef, she has never claimed to be, but is instead a tv personality. this celebrity figure appeals to the mass audience - which is why she is so popular on the food network (or not popular, but still, most everyone at least knows who she is). didn't we just learn that gastronomy is about including all aspects of food - whether its "good" or it's bad? didn't we just discuss how we hated that gastronomy exuded elitism? in her defense, maybe she doesn't cook, or create recipes of the healthiest foods, but she is popular because she appeals to the mass public of most of america. not everyone has time to cook for their families, nor have the money to spend a lot of money on food (didn't we learn that good food doesn't have to be expensive?) but she encourages the nation to cook at home and to share their meals with their families rather than a drive through/quick dinner in the car. i am not a fan of her cooking or her talk show, but i have respect for the concept of her tv show and for what she has made of herself - she might be annoying and quirky, but she has built an empire just as wolfgang puck has - he has tinned soups and restaurants in airports - who's complaining about him?

part of modern media is blogging - oh, hell0 - it's important to think about your audience. rachael ray has a distinct audience. julie/julia was a blog and who cared about reading that? hollywood did, and now she has a book and a film starring merryl streep. but how can you compare julia child with rachael ray? yeah they might not have the same food concepts (and considering different time periods esp in the world of gastronomy), but for some reason julia child has way more respect. i feel weird defending rachael ray because working at the food network, i found her to be annoying too, but i understand her 30-minute concept and appreciate who's she's reaching out to to encourage cooking at home. but if we're going to understand gastronomy in this course, it should be about all food aspects - the good and the bad. if rachael ray is popular, there is a reason. if we're going to complain that people think gastronomy is perceived as elitist, then how can we think we're better than rachael ray?

italian Difference #4

everything is closed on sunday. period. except for the gelateria. and IKEA.

Italian Difference #3

the window blinds. i like to call them gates. because they are fantastic metal screens that come down and block out any glimmer of light at any time of day. i could sleep till noon with no perception of time, or take a nap in the middle of the day in complete darkness. they're great. hello, sunday morning...or afternoon.

What I Miss #1

Sriracha. the italian food i've had so far has been scrumptious and definitely doesn't need it, but my fridge just feels empty without it.

first night out

friday night. our first night out in colorno. we decided we should stay in colorno instead of parma since we haven't been out and about much here and we'll have plenty of chances to go to parma - also the whole bus/taxi situation - we don't know the other people that well to be crashing there yet. we were invited across the hall for dinner. poppi made a traditional hearty and deliciously warm greek "poor man's" soup made with lentils and veggies. Jules made a pizza with veggies, burrata and anchovy topped on foccacia bread. samara made a kind of chicken marbella with green olives, capers and tomato sauce. there was also a coleslaw (minus mayo) and green salad, slices of mixed cured meats and parmesan, rolls of fresh bread and red italian wines.

then off it was to the Pub. yes, it's just called the pub. it wasn't packed but filled with a scattering of italians - most were watching inter milan futbol in the smoking section - so we grabbed a table and were shortly met by catherine and lauren and then two people who were in the italian gastronomy and tourism master program. ana and cindy. they have been here since november so we asked them a ton of questions. they seemed to have some issues with the other people on the program - naturally we won't be friends with all 25. they didn't think there was much going on in colorno - clearly - and liked going into parma, the "city," but were always happy to come back to colorno. they think that the staff have a couple of kinks to work out as it is a new university: it is most important to be patient. they like most professors but not all and they appreciate honest feedback. the coursework is heavy at times but it's also a graduate program and so i would assume that's expected and said that the work, and the program and life in general, is what you make of it. their program is newer than ours so it might not be so figured out and might be the reason for the extreme variety of people.so they sorta had mixed feelings on their overall experience, but i'm not going to let that affect my perception of life here.

love this pic -->

we drank "local" beer, harp. according to arina if it's not dutch it must be local! we played darts - electronic darts - which i had never played before but it was a good game of cricket once we figured it out! we made friends with the bartender, malo, who gave us all around of jameson shots with pineapple juice chasers. OH and the toliets. oh man - if i never had a full bladder at the pub again i would die happy. i think i might just run home instead. they literally are just holes in the ground. no bars to help you squat, no barriers to protect from splatters. it's just awful. enough said. then arina and i met our first italian friends! actually, marco was from south america but could speak italian, spanish and english. my spanish was really flowing and awesome. i forget his friend's name but he was certainly adorable and barely spoke english or spanish. it was quite amusing the banter and translations between the four of us. maybe, if we ever see them again - how big can colorno really be, we can set up a cambio to learn italian. did i mention they are on the rugby team?

<-- me and james franco/jdjdj

Italian Difference #2

Running on the street. i just don't think that they do it. with their winding little streets, their miniature cars and scooters, oh, and the snow on the sidewalks. they also probably don't go running on the streets with an ipod in one hand and a map of colorno in the other.

Eat Less, Eat Better, Eat All.

today we met Carlo Petrini, on Italian time of course, who is the founder of the Slow Food Movement and also the founder of the University of Gastronomic Sciences.It was an honor to meet him, and he came in and shook every single one of our hands, looked us in the eye and said Ciao. he doesn't speak english, so we had a translator who spoke into our headphones, but you could still see his expressive italian gestures at the front of the classroom a few seconds ahead of what we were hearing. i thought what he had to

say was very interesting and i have a ton of respect for him, so i will re-write some of my notes in the following:

gastronomy is not just cooking, techniques and recipes portrayed on tv - that type of food in media is what he calls gastronomic pornography. gastronomy encompasses science and humanities, and we have to look at it and understand it at every complex interdisciplinary aspect (anthrophologically, historically, sociologically, economically, technologically). agriculture, biodiversity, weather, landscape, and metabolism are all taken into account when we try to understand food as well as try to explain the dynamics and systemics of the consumption mode. this year is not about culinary school: i most likely won't be opening a restaurant when i come back like some people think this is why i'm here - that is if i come back :o)

the breath of life should be in harmony with the breath of nature.

the planetary crisis we are living in is financial, environmental and energy based. we focus ("fuckus" in an italian pronounciation...) on the price of food rather than it's value and think of it as just a commodity. our interest in hyperproductiveness makes more food then there are people in the world to eat it, yet so many people are still starving. the intense animal farming and production due to the demand of food also causes a loss of biodiversity and losing species is just like losing a bit of history for generations to come. did you know that a cattle farm create more C02 pollution than a city?

do you ever wonder why we are here on earth? what is the point of working until you have earned enough to retire then you are too old to enjoy it and have wasted your youth on working? to create a synco-relationship of work + leisure and to look for the meaning of life doesn't necessarily mean work less, but to like what you do. we deserve to have the right to pleasure - and it should be everyone's right. when the Slow Food movement started in 1989, they believed good food should be available for everyone to choose, not just for the rich.

it's interesting how much more expensive cheap food is if you take into account the total cost: on the environment, the packaging, the CO2 emissions, the transportation, and the medical health bills due to obesity, diabetes, heart disease etc. good food can be cheaper and healthier if you take into account 6 principles:

1. local agriculture and local production - global transportation is pricey
2. seasonality - healthier, tastier, local
3. decrease consumption - don't buy 3 for 2 deals, don't have full shopping carts, use more wisdom
4. fight against waste - don't buy what you will throw away (calls the refrigerator a family grave b/c half will be thrown into the garbage which is comparable to throwing away your relationship with nature)
5. cook leftovers - some italian dishes are made with leftovers: ribollita with day-old bread, his favorite of his grandmother's was stuffed pasta (but ummm why don't italians believe in doggy bags?? they looked like we had 3 heads the other day, but hey, we enjoyed our dinner the next night immensely..)
6. eat less - costs for gyms, personal trainers - should learn to be your own...inside laugh

another holistic approach to food is the basis of Terra Madre (the most important Slow Food network, which we are attending in October!!) which is principle and concept of reciprocity. we all live on mother earth together, and should live for freedom, equality and fraternity. there have been wars over freedom and equality, but not fraternity, which is important to have to even enjoy the others so that we understand and respect each other. the concept of reciprocity is not an equivalent exchange (producer/consumer, what the economic market is based on) nor is it philanthropic (purely altruistic, like non-profits) but it is a gratuitous gift with an expectation attached. if i give you something for free, then you offer what you can even if its not an equivalent value. philanthropy shows that i'm strong and you're weak because of what i can afford and you will benefit from my power, but reciprocity generates new energy to be passed along. when applying this concept to the world of food, don't think of it as a political theory, but a fundamental approach to food where we can create a tangible, concrete utopia that exchanges wisdom and knowledge that can change the food process. if we sow utopia, we will harvest reality.

our first home made dinner

last night arina and i decided to cook dinner at home. we apparently didn't buy any pasta at the grocery store because we figured we'd be eating enough of it throughout the year, but we had some couscous and some fresh veggies. it was super simple and very delicious!

recipe:

cut up half an onion and saute it in some olive oil until soft and

add some minced garlic - we used a generous two cloves. then add some chunky cut up bits of half a red and yellow pepper and a half a courgette cut into similar sizes. if your chicken breast is frozen like ours was, why not add some quartered italian salami (not the skinny deli sliced kind). cook it until it becomes softer and colorful and the aroma fills the kitchen. meanwhile, add some boiling water to the pot of couscous - take a guess if you are missing a measuring cup - there's only so many things a kitchen can come

equipped with. add some diced tomatoes to the pan and some cut up pieces of rocket until they wilt. when the couscous is finished, drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil, grate some parmesan cheese - feta would be nice, but it is italy after all - and maybe a dash of balsamic vinegar for fun. spice up the veggies with some sprinkled crushed red pepper, sprinkle over crunchy flakey sea salt and include slivers of fresh basil. combine the vegetables to the couscous and enjoy with a nice glass of cold white italian

lidl wine. maybe compliment with a side of pickles and some hot wanna-be sambal pepper sauce.

after dinner, we went across the hall to samara's and poppi's for some wine and cheese and to meet some of the other students who also are living in colorno. nice evening for a snowy day! above: samara, arina and me

Tip #3

Join a gym. seriously. this is no laughing matter. first of all you're in italy which is home to fantastic delicious food in general. second of all, you're in school learning about food - it's hard not to want to or have to try everything to experience it at least once and to appreciate it. as one girl put it today, gastronomy is about learning every aspect of food, not an anthropology major studying with a focus on food, but we're understanding and seeing it through every lens - scientifically, historically, economically, sociologically...there's no way to avoid eating lots while you're here. especially since they give you the option to eat lunch at the ALMA restaurant every school day (a prestigious Italian culinary school housed in the same palatial building as us). We had the pleasure of eating there today, and have a week to test it out. I think the food is the product of what the students were cooking that day. today was a buffet of salad, sauteed vegetables, mixed chopped asparagus, crispy fried artichokes, ricotta stuffed and rolled into fresh bright yellow pasta, mashed potato-like squash, roasted pork with crispy skin, dark green wilted spinach, linguini with lobster bites in a creamy tomato sauce, risotto with peas, an assortment of fresh fruit and various breads of sorts, and i'm sure i'm forgetting some dishes. for 1,000 euro you could eat lunch here for the year, which i think works out to be about 10 euro for lunch every day - doesn't sound so bad for the amount of food and the quality of deliciousness. however...the gym costs 56 euro a month....and rumor has it that one girl last year gained 12 kilo/30 lbs in the first two months that she was here and by the 5th month everyone had gained so much weight they all joined the gym. (!!!!!!) so for 1,000 that i could spend towards my tuition or traveling plus the gym membership, plus maybe for the poor sake of the scale, and of course my sanity, i think i might have to forgo the tastiness. i don't know. serious dilemma. we're supposed to be learning and appreciating and experiencing good food - how can i give that up?

during the presentation today too, paulo said that students gain

on average 5-10 kilo (japanese not so much...damn irish genes). that is not acceptable since i barely fit into my jeans from drinking pbr's for a year in portsmouth. i tell myself that i will go running along the river....it's ironic that the students gain weight here, i mean, it makes sense, everyone expects it, but the fact that we're supposed to be learning about good food and nutrition and changing the way the world perceives and uses food seems to be the opposite. and david is here from taiwan because he sees how children there are getting fat due to their un-nutritional diets and when asked 50% of them say they like to have mcdonald's for dinner. he is here on this program because he wants to go back and change the way they eat, but what will they think if he goes back fat?!

first day of facoltà

The anticipation has been subsided. We have met our class of 25 students and had our first day of classes today. "Team Zinzani" walked over to the Reggia together (there are 6 of us in our building: Samara from Vancouver, Kalliopi from Greece, David from Taiwan and Jules from Belguim. We also met Lauren from Chicago, Katherine from Boston and Diana from Italy last night who came over for some wine and cheese so we knew some familiar faces today). We had a presentation from the directors and tutors and then a quick tour around the sensory analysis lab, the main classroom, main hall and library of over 10,000 food related books (the ones in english were only in one corner though). Of course, but of course, we all had to stand up and go around saying our names, where we were from, why we were here etc. I wasn't too nervous, surprisingly for my shy self as I guess I assumed in a few days we'd all know each other and completely forget this first introduction, however, I think I blacked out while talking rapidly and sat down and thought to myself, that's not at all what i had planned out to say in my head. oh well. awkward and typical. Some people seem to have more experience working on WOOF, small farms or delivering food, some had education or law backgrounds, some had desk jobs they weren't passionate about and everyone was very international - a couple americans, france, germany, japan, israel, canada, mexico, australia - a good mix of relatively young people who we all seem to have the same interest and passion in food, whether or not we know what we'll do with the degree at the end of the year or not. there are only 5 boys in the program which will be interesting since the majority of the people i hung out with in portsmouth were boys (xoxo kyle, marie, beka). everyone seems nice though, and most of them seem to live in parma. it's kinda annoying, but at least we'll have couches to crash on over the weekends. arina and i also seem to have lucked out on the amount of stuff we had already in our apartment - some people didn't have cleaning equipment or kitchen utensils left for them.

<-- the Reggia di Colorno aka the Ducal Palace was once a fortress and then turned into home of Maria Louise, the wife of Napoleon. This is a shot taken from the bridge, walking over from our apartment. The University of Gastronomic Sciences is on the top floor.

our first class was molecular science. yikes. it makes sense though since we can't study gastronomy without chemistry as food is basically a make up of molecular compositions and it is important to understand the reason why we eat is to introduce energy-producing compounds into our bodies that we can't produce ourselves (do i sound like i just literally reiterated that or what?). our teacher doesn't believe in molecular gastronomy, a popular trend chefs are following these days, but thinks its just food science rather than anything fancy that deserves a different name. minus all the complex chemistry formulas and words like solvents and solutes, dissolve vs melt, polar and non-polar, positive and negative and neutral, fatty acids and lipids, osmosis and semipermeable, fermentation and oxidation, autotrophs and endotrophs, catabolism and anabolism, ATP and ADP, pH and pOH, polymers and monomers......it was actually pretty interesting (thank goodness because that's why i'm here studying gastronomy). Did you know that:

• We actually eat polymers (a link of monomers joined by removing water) but in order to digest them we need to add water through a process of hydrolysis which is why when you eat a lot, you feel thirsty because your body is unable to digest the polymers without the presence of water?
• Mold grows only where air is available which is why you see mold only on the top of a jar of food, not at the bottom?
• Protein is one of the most important foods because it is the only source of nitrogen that we can introduce into our bodies, not like plants who absorb it naturally from the soil?
• When we eat food we are actually eating cells which are still alive? aka biting into an apple. heeeyyyy vegetarians.
• Why we don't eat hay? i don't know scientifically why...but i think we might find out tomorrow.

At least that's what i have in my notes.

Tip #2

at most bus stops, you have to buy the ticket from a tabaccheria, however, no one usually checks for tickets as you get on the bus. so you could technically ride for free - although at the risk of a 40 euro fine if caught without a ticket. it really only costs a euro and change, no big deal, but just act like a stupid tourist that doesn't know any better and could possibly get away with it! not that we will take advantage of that or have already. i'm just saying...

innevato

my roomie arina and i took the bus into parma to try to find some decorations for our house and to pick up some things as the airline never put her second bag on the plane and it is currently being transported across europe via coche. we didn't have any sort of direction when we got there, were just wandering, checked out the vodaphone store, bought english-italian dictionary, and then the snow started coming down pretty hard. weaving in and out of the little side streets, trying not to slip on the cobblestones, and the snowy wind whipping into our eyes, we stumbled upon a little chocolate/coffee/wine bar. we needed something to warm us up so the bartender suggested a red wine from tuscany and brought us out a plate of parmesan chunks drizzled with balsamic vinegar (above). just what we needed. we thought we had the bus schedule figured out, but just as we arrived, we saw the bus turn the corner a block away. we tried, miserably, to run after it without slipping on the snow, but it just kept driving away. when we managed to get on the next bus, it didn't go all the way to colorno so we had to get off and go into a little wine and cheese store to stay out of the snow where (0 degrees!!), although the guy wouldn't let me take a picture of all the ham and salami hanging on the wall, we bought a bottle of local lambrusco, some pepper jelly he suggested (well he didn't speak italian) to go with creamy soft cheese that tastes like sambal, and some crackers. back at the apt, we had our first dinner - cheese, crackers, tomatoes, salami, leftovers from the night before (it's so funny that arina has never heard of taking food to go from a restaurant and was so embarassed when we asked to take it home, but she definitely realized how great it is when we ate it again :)) and of course the wine. italian tv shows are a riot - they are so cheesey and overly dramatic. very amusing.

view from our balcony

apparently, the snow never stopped overnight and we got a knock on the door this morning from one of the teachers saying that our orientation was postponed until tomorrow because of the snow!! a snow day already! we assumed in northern italy they would be able to handle the snow, but apparently not!

down the street.

Italian Difference #1

The shower. I'm 5'9" but...unless you're 5'6", the shower most likely is going to be waayy too short, the shower pressure is not up to par, you'll have to hold the shower head in your hand to wash your body and hair, and you'll have moments of extreme hot and uncomfortably cold water. Maybe it's time to start taking bath's.

Via Zizani 7B

we moved into our apartment yesterday. Via Zinzani 7B, 43052 Colorno (PR). (click bubble A then, street view...there's no construction outside, but we are the three storied yellow house - and our balcony is on the 3rd floor. yes, hulling our bags up all those stairs was quite the feat.) Our apartment is a lot bigger than i expected - we each have our own room, one bathroom, a kitchen, living room, and two balconies. the people before left us with some cleaning supplies, slow food magazines, tons of kitchen utensils and appliances, and a hair dryer which was nice so that we didn't have to buy those. each room has a ton of closet space, desk, bed with pillows and duvet, shelving and bureau. There's a washing machine (and clothes pins to hang out your knickers to dry) and a tv. i will Not being using the scale but maybe try out the bidet :o) All pretty nice for student housing! There's an IKEA close by, LIDL is the Italian version of Costco - sort of - but more importantly, the bottles of wine are all under 2 euro! and then we also went to Conad which is a supermarket that has more of a selection. it'll definitely be interesting though managing without a car; we'll have to figure out the bus system.

Tonight mum and I went to dinner with Arina (left) and Samara at Trattoria Corrieri in Parma where we had torta frita (pictured in Samara's hand: fried bread - puffy and popular with the fried funnel cake flavor but not as sweet), house made pasta with sausage, tortellin's and tagliatelli with wild mushrooms (delicious and buttery) to start and then eggplant parmesan (very light and flavorful, not pounded and breaded), and tagliate with brie and

rocket.

Mum left us after dinner and I was really sad to say goodbye, but was happy that I had nice room mates to go back with - I don't know if they'll even come close to comparing to my portsmouth roomies!! :o) xoxo she's off to ireland, but i'm really glad she came with me to help me move in, be my support and be able to see my new life in italy and everything with me for the first time.

Colorno is a lot smaller than Parma, but I'm glad that I chose to live here because the bus only runs every hour and is like 30-40 minute ride. There's a lot more flexibility living so close to the university - we are probably less that a 5 minute walk. and maybe the small town will help me focus on my studies rather than going out :o) maybe. did i mention bottles of wine for less than 2 euro??

Tip #1

One of the first things to do when living abroad is to unsubscribe to all those daily/weekly emails that clutter the inbox and are usually unread. I'll keep the UrbanDaddy's and NY Grub Street's, Failblog's, and some newsletters, but delete those HauteLook, Rent the Runway, Thrillist, Tasting Table, store coupons and discounts and mailing lists...most of them are now inapplicable or not useful and more importantly, not worth the time reading while abroad.

Bienvenidos

so...mum and i finally made it to italy! it was a rushed, teary goodbye - last minute packing and throwing things into my bags, phone calls and texts, goodbye's on the street, writing thank you and farewell notes to neighbors, one last visit to Cava...I was really sad to leave Dad at the airport, but a sleepless-2.5 movies-a family guy lauren conrad episode-the modern family pilot and one lousy beef or chicken dish later...we were in Dublin. so many cutie irish people, i wanted to recruit them all to Ri Ra. Of course we had to have a full irish breakfast - not as good as mum's and not so appetizing at 5 in the morning, but still. then we were on the flight to milan and i think i was just beyond exhaustion to have any feelings. it was good just to be in transit. we managed to get my four bags into this tiny car and off we were to parma (below). parma is a really cute little city - tons of old historic buildings, very colorful, romantic, cobble stone streets, little stores and a bunch of restaurants and cafes, museums and churches. the weather is cold and dreary but that doesn't hide its charm. we had lunch at san barnaba - our first proscuitto crudo di parma, braised radicchio with melted cheese, tortelli alla parmigiano and zuppa di verdure. and a very good house red wine. then we wandered around a bit and randomly ran into my new apartment roommate Arina! she's great - very friendly and chatty and it seems like we have a lot in common. a nap and shower was definitely needed though to wake me up. then we wandered to enoteca, which was a fun hipster sorta wine bar with tapas where we had a glass of cava, mixed crostini and patatas bravas. then onwards to dinner, we went to la greppia where we had no idea what half the menu was but ended up having some local/traditional dishes which included fettuccini with chestnut flour and ricotta (and mashed potato decoration), braised red cabbage with gorganzola that seemed more like pate, chestnut& apple stuffed tortellini and also artichokes stuffed with cheese and porcini mushrooms with a cheesey sauce. and a very good local sangiovese di romagna red wine. i don't know how the italians manage to stay slim with all the white carbs, cheese, and wine...I'll guess I'll have to learn. or i'll just be the happiest fat person who lives by the motto, "when in rome." i just love to try everything to experience it at least once.

tomorrow we are able to collect our apartment keys from the campus office and move in. i have a list of errands to do so it will be busy! i am very much looking forward to it though :o)

this is it!

at the gate, about to board to italia!!

ciao!

i wanted to do something with my life, anything, but i didn't know what to do. so i did this. this is my something. - jason watt.

Bucket List

• radicci brunch
• d street morning binge-fest/karaoke
• walk over memorial bridge
• colby's breakfast w/ vogel
• eat dinner at cava
• eat dinner at four
• late night gilly's
• event at music hall
• beach
• eat gaslight pizza
• visit one historic museum
• bitchin' dance drive - young turks
• use up my gift certificates at j crew and vicky secret
• buy converse
• tattoo
• go to kittery trading post
• north conway
• anneka jans
• red hook tour
• loco coco's margaritas
• go to tj's on a saturday night
• polka at the press room
• sausage guy outside tj's
• text someone on feb 13th
• visit wentworth mansion
• tree top zip line at bretton woods
• walk through new castle
• get kicked out of hibachi restaurant.