Friday, October 9, 2015

Meet Me in Montauk

*Edit* 10/9/15 Another post from our "funtivities" while at the Women's Therapy Center. A day trip to the Hampton's and Montauk was perfect to get out of the hotel room




August 2014:

I keep calling this summer, "summer of George". It has been the best summer of my LIFE so far. Isn't that crazy?! I am in love with it and enjoying every moment. I keep pronouncing that I am on "island time" and haven't been beating myself up about this or that. God has really opened the door for us to have a truly enjoyable summer and I'm so thankful! I'll try to break down different fun days into blog posts so I won't ever forget all the amazing, tiny, beautiful, things.

Hamptons/Montauk Recap

Have you ever had a day so perfect you can't believe it happened? I know, that sounds annoying and upbeat but IT'S TRUE I have had many of those days this summer! (This is where I would insert a genuine   #blessed but I'll try not to be THAT upbeat, haha).  While we were away on our trip we took a day trip through the Hampton's and ended up in Montauk. It was a beautiful day weather wise, sunny, mid 80's, low humidity. By the time we got to Montauk there was a breeze and it was really nice to be able to wear jacket on the beach.  (I love the sun but HATE sweating).  The breeze wafted around this floral smell from these pink and white flowers growing every where, there were neat little paths leading you to the beach and things were picturesque to the max.  It really opened up my eyes to the beauty of the North Eastern coast. While I love the south and have enjoyed every beach minute at any beach (Southern California, the Carolina's, the Bahamas, Florida) I gotta say, Montauk MAY have been my favorite?! I think it was the vibe: outdoors and beautiful but not neon and cheap. Maybe it was because it reminded me of Moonrise Kingdom as well. Who knows, but it impressed me and I can't wait to go back.  Maybe because I ate the best crab cakes known to man and want to eat those forever.  *Ok, I looked it up and the flowers were wild beach roses. Man, I'm gonna need a candle of that. Seriously, best fragrance ever.

  We drove through the Hampton's on the way to Montauk and every house looked like Ina Garten's house and there were ANTIQUE SALES AND YARD SALES EVERYWHERE!!!!! We stopped at a church rummage sale and snagged some stuff for FREE as they were shutting it down and didn't want haul anything back inside. I got a black and white old school photo of the Empire State Building  photographed from the top of the Rock, some woven placemats for my table, and some random other things I can't remember. The church was also beautiful and parking was easy (which is always a bonus) in Montauk and East Hampton.

Here are a few million pictures; I will be dreaming of wild beach roses and salt water tonight!



































(the church with the rummage sale)

Thursday, October 8, 2015

That Time I Met Zach Braff

I've always been a fan...from Scrubs, to Garden State, to Wish I Was Here, I've just always appreciated that guy. His sensitivity, his sense of humor, taste in music....basically we would be buddies irl had we been friends since childhood or something. Or if I kidnapped him. I'm sure that would convince him! #stalkeralert

When in New York during my treatment, it was high priority for me to see a Broadway show. I really wanted to see "Bullets Over Broadway" because it sounded fun AND Zach Braff was in it. I'm sure actual broadway actors hate when hollywood comes to 42nd Street, but in his defense he had been in London producing and what not his own play the year before which I think spares him of some of Hollywood resentment. LOL. I also wanted to see "The Cripple of Innishman" as well, because it sounded like a good play but also DANIEL RADCLIFFE. (That didn't happen, which I still kind of regret but money we aren't made of, hehe). But yeah, I was all ZACH BRAFFFFFFFF!!!! WOOOOO!!!!

Doctor Ross gave us some advice on how to get a good deal (the doctors will totally give you advice on stuff to do, we had a list a mile long before we even got there since we both had been to NYC before) and we trekked into the city our first Friday night there. Needless to say the train into the city from Long Island was bonkers, but very good people watching.  We got off the train and walked around, we kind of wanted to eat dinner at Shake Shack but we were too nervous to be late for the show. Surprise, surprise, the line at Shake Shack was super long so we skipped it and just went straight to the theater. (In the words of my college missions trip leader "early is on time, on time is LATE!").

Being the life paparazzi that I am, I took 1,000 photos. The theater was gorgeous (and actually, if you have seen the movie Birdman, it was the same theater where so many interior/exterior shots were done--- very cool). The show was so fun! Of course I bought the soundtrack on iTunes so I can sing the Tiger Rag and annoy Ted whenever I want. After it was over I was all "we gotta stick around and try to meet Zach Braff, it's our ONE CHANCE"! Ted was all "I'm starving and we're not gonna meet him, let's go roam the streets for food!"  Then we saw a queue outside the main entrance and I decided to stick around and see what happened.  A few minutes later,  out popped a freshly showered and changed into street clothes Zach with his bicycle in hand!  I gave Ted the most crazy "I TOLD YOU SO" look. My exuberance of getting to give the "I told you so look" was soon replaced by nerves.   What if I didn't get to meet him? What if he wasn't nice? WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!! I didn't remember to get an autograph but we did take a selfie together! I wish I would have told him he was good in the show, but I couldn't think. I couldn't even remember how to use my phone. In the words of Napoleon Dynamite, "IDIOT!!!"  Oh well. Zach, if you're reading this: you were good in the show. And for the record, he was very, very nice and cool to his fans.

I did feel for a few of the other actors who kind of popped out hopefully but got zero recognition. I also wish I would have talked to them and told them they were good in the show. OTHER ACTORS IF YOU'RE READING THIS, YOU WERE ALSO GOOD IN THE SHOW. SORRY ZACH BRAFF GOT ALL THE ATTENTION.

Without further ado, here are a few pictures. For posterity! 




I think I was so sweaty by this point. How do people tool around the city in boots and looking chic? Dang. 


  The beautiful chandys! 
 When meeting Zach Braff was just a twinkle of hope in my eye. 



 Tada! I managed to figure the phone out...


Ted, probably dying of starvation ;) 




 Sorry we missed you Dan. I would have taken LOTS of pics for your hashtag. 

 the shake shack we didn't go to (sad music). 

 "Hello fans, I'M HERE! EEEEEAAAAAAGGGGGLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEE!" (notice the Wish I Was Here shirt)

 "Sure, let me just sign that program for you!" (why didn't I think to do that? silly) 
 "wow, it means a lot to me that you're telling me you thought I was good in the show. Now we're best friends". 

"Huggy hug hugs" (said like JD, from Scrubs)

 She probably couldn't remember how to work her phone either 
Zach says, "well, I'll just keep this phone then". Also I love the range of emotions of the one lady and her husband to the left. 

Hooray for good memories!

As a note for anyone who might be visiting here who are considering going to WTC, I think it's so important to take time to celebrate you and your personal journey on your trip. This is a momentous event that will make a HUGE difference in your life! Even if your budget is tiny remember to make this a happy and fun occasion--you deserve to be celebrated! Over coming a mostly unheard of medical situation isn't easy on anyone, and you WILL be cured if you go to the Women's Therapy Center! Hats off to having courage, to being brave, to kicking anxiety's butt!  So celebrate that, celebrate you, and celebrate the beginning to the rest of your life. That's an order:)