Carly and Patrick

The more I move around, the more I come to understand just how delicate relationships are. I've learned that respecting fragility, maintaining a soft heart, and treasuring the light in another often means surrendering to God's timeline and setting a relationship free. 

Letting go is a growing pain, a necessary one, but a pain nonetheless. When friendships come and go, the ones that stay become especially meaningful. 

Carly and I met in the first grade, some sixteen years ago, and we've continued to walk through life together, no matter the thousands of miles that have physically separated us for the last nine years. Last July, Carly graciously welcomed me into her beautiful state of Utah and our seven days were filled with nonstop chatter - I'm talking about hours of laughter during our road trip down to Southern Utah and around her kitchen counter. There was too much to catch up about; some things can't ever be adequately explained or effectively communicated over devices.

One evening, Carly, Patrick, and I hiked up to Little Cottonwood Canyon to see the wildflowers that were just about to bloom. Did I mention they're about to tie the knot!? Here's to my dear best friend and her wonderful fiancé. 

P.S. Anyone looking for unique, custom-made, luxury rings can look no further than Patrick Adair Designs.  

The Mediterranean Diet: A Food Tour of Athens

"Borei na travixo ti fotografia sas?" 

Greek food is more than the gyros, moussaka, and yogurt it's known for - once you align your expectations with the term "Mediterranean Diet," images of fresh seafood, produce, and cheeses come to mind. After some research (YouTube is the best!), we arrived expecting Greek coffee, koulouri, and pies, too.

The Streets of Athens

Graffiti, ancient relics, and leafy greens (not the kind you eat) are all key to creating the Athenian street scene. Athens boasts a million and one things to see and do, but nothing is as authentic as tasting the local flavor by wandering on foot. If you get lost, look up - like Cornell's McGraw Tower or the North Star, the nearly always visible Parthenon is your compass. So take it slow for an hour or two each day you're in Athens, and meander through the countless squares. My favorite neighborhood? Anafiotika, the hidden village under the Acropolis. There's a cute little souvenir shop featuring contemporary Greek designs called Forget Me Not. You'll be glad you stopped in, but if you can't, check out their website!

#SheSaidYESudasan (Emily & Teddy's Wedding)

Ithaca Through the Seasons: Summer 2019

 

Kalampaka and Meteora by Day

Lunch at Meteoron Panorama 

"I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it."

- John 17:14-16

In, but not of. These monks seem to have a different interpretation of that verse...They live in monasteries perched on top of cliffs! 

Memories of the Heart (My Travel Journals)

I thought it had started when a family member gifted me a scrapbooking kit for my eighth birthday - you know, one of those from Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Little did I know, this meditative process of documenting travels and curating memorabilia was inherited from my mom.

Ancient Athens

I've been sharing about our trip to Greece - how we planned our itinerary to maximize our time while intentionally scheduling rest and exploration. If you're going to visit Athens, however, you don't need me to tell you to visit the Acropolis! 

P.S. Another reason to visit in the winter? Fewer crowds! Per videos, it looks like ants are swarming the Acropolis in the summer. 

The China Diaries (2009)

Sixth grade was hitting a lull with President’s Day weekend around the corner. I was in our library room helping my mom move some boxes, the perfect time to corner me into a conversation and drop an unexpected question. “What do you think about going to China for a summer camp in July?”

“No, period, and another period just to be sure,” was my reply, but four months later, I found myself packing a month’s worth of clothes, snacks, a cat’s cradle string, and a deck of cards.

Ten years ago today, my parents, brother, and I met up with my aunt, uncle, and cousins, Camillia and Julian (whom we affectionately call Cam/Cami/Camie and Jules) at Newark Liberty International Airport. The swine flu epidemic had reached peak publicity and bloody riots in Urumqi were erupting, but the camp directors (Pang Lao Shi, Tian Lao Shi, Ge Lao Shi, and Lai Lao Shi – whom I nicknamed “Mr. Lies-a-lot”) assured our parents that we’d be taken care of, regardless of the itinerary changes. We, on the other hand, had little to care about – with twelve hours of movies, games, and no parent supervision to look forward to, nothing could stir up anxiousness. Oh, did I mention we all got individual cartons of Häagen Dazs on the plane? Best flight I’d taken at eleven years old.

Golden Hour at Meteora

Right before parking at the outlook point, Kostas gently but firmly warned us to be careful on the ice. As he was saying this, he caught my eye in the rear view mirror and his eyes gave a knowing smile. I nodded sheepishly. Mom and Dad, neither of whom noticed the exchange, simultaneously asked, one in Cantonese and the other in English, “Did you hear that, Hannah?” 

College Time Capsule

4 years, living in 3 states, attending 2 schools for 1 degree (featuring 0 all-nighters and countless tear-soaked calls to my mom!). What a ride it's been.

The Oracle at Delphi

As I was preparing to leave Ithaca and thinking fondly of everything I love about it, the more I realized there were little bits of "Greek influences" throughout the city (aside from the name itself). 

161 Things I'll Miss About Cornell

1. All that's pretty and pink. (Note to self: visit during the last 2 weeks of April if you want to relive this wonderland)

Sunday Dialogues: Turtle Shell

Is it something that makes me, me, or is it a result of growing up in the same house for 13+ years? I don't know when it all started; I just know it felt a lot worse when I left Emory.

If you tap on my shell, you'll quickly realize, as it cracks and disintegrates before your eyes, just how much of a facade, a cold front, a defense mechanism, it all is. Really and truly, I'm fragile as heck.

Shayla in Spring

It’s mighty fine being a dietetic student. Most of your closest DPD buds are transfers, definitely share your love for science, will spend 9+ hours preparing to feed 811 people with you, and are drop dead GORGEOUS. Lucky lucky me. 

Travel Guide to Santorini

Santorini - it's white, it's blue.

Chances are, you've seen photos of the sun setting over a cave house-studded caldera. And if you have, there's an even greater chance that Santorini is on your list of places to visit one day. That was true for me and my family. Despite wanting to plan a more restful vacation, we couldn't not squeeze in a stop at Santorini. In other words, I was going to see that sunset.

Here are my recommendations if you're planning a trip to Santorini:

Duke Farms

Journey to Fira, Santorini

The journey to caldera began on a frigid January evening in New Jersey. Twenty hours later, we stumbled along the hilly streets at midnight, en route to the only (and soon-to-be-favorite) gyro shop open. 

Curried Lentil Soup with Garlic-Butter Naan

My friend Gabby sent me a few photos of the spring that's blossoming on Emory's campus in Atlanta. I'm still stuck in soup weather, so here's yet another vegetarian-friendly, lentil soup recipe that'll hopefully make you feel all warm & fuzzy inside - even on a busy weeknight! 

Minimalist Baker's Lentil Fesenjān (Pomegranate Walnut Stew)

One of my Spanish professors this semester is visiting from Argentina, where they're currently experiencing summer, and I gotta give her kudos for braving Cornell's winter. She arrived a week before our -20*F days! When the sun's rays finally peaked out and kissed our window, she jumped up to celebrate. Profesora comes in everyday with a weather report (in Celsius, of course), and I always leave her class with a cheshire cat grin plastered on my face. She's incredibly accomplished, so sitting next to her in our small class of 6 students keeps me in awe. No matter how regular our conversations before class are, I marvel at how personable she is - she, too, loves walks in nature, and you bet your bottom dollar I gave her a list of "bucketlist" places to visit during her semester here. 

The recipe I'm sharing in this blogpost is adapted from Minimalist Baker's Vegan Lentil Fesenjān. Dana, the mastermind behind Minimalist Baker, couldn't have titled her blog more appropriately. Minimalist Baker's brand is marked by its simple, fuss-free and feel-good recipes. I, on the other hand, tend to further minimize recipes out of laziness or frugality, so here's my take on Dana's Fesenjān. I've also rearranged some cooking steps to help maximize this stew's depth of flavor.

This flavorful-while-simple recipe makes me think of my wonderful professor - someone who's renowned in her field, well-rounded (I've never taken a physics class and here I am, recalling thermodynamics and "entropy" from previous P-Chem units, in a contemporary Spanish literature and art class), and pure genius, but at the very core, is wonderfully human and down to earth. Esta receta es para ti, Profesora!