Day ??? - The Changing Face of the Coffee Beans Project

It's been a few weeks since I've posted a blog. When I posted my last blog, I was feeling a bit frustrated and overwhelmed. I was having trouble keeping up with writing a daily entry for my coffeebeandreams project, even though I thought the basic premise of the project was working out well.

It's easy enough in the morning to find 5-10 minutes to read about a subject that interests me. It's much harder to find time to actually write about what I read. Add to this the fact that I'm job searching and we've moved several times in the last few months, from temporary housing location to temporary housing location- all with a young infant, and things have been a little bit dicey.

Despite learning something new every day for the coffeebeans project, I was feeling a little lost. What would I do for work? Was my few minutes a day of quiet reflection and learning really making a difference? Maybe I should switch to a weekly blog post?

Somehow, out of all of this confusion in my head, I decided that it was the right time to work on writing a novel. I've been slowly outlining and working on a novel since about February. And by slowly, I mean SLOWLY. (But, give me a break- the newborn days were t-o-u-g-h!) I've always dreamed of being a writer. But, of course, that's not a real job, so I went to law school.

Uh huh.

Once I realized that law is not exactly the flexible, unlimited career it's touted as being, I toyed around with the idea of going back to my first love: writing. The great thing about writing is, you can do it while doing other things, like searching for a real job or chasing an increasingly mobile infant around the house. As a bit of a type A, however, I can tend to be all or nothing about things, so when I started writing again in earnest earlier this month, I went a little crazy. I'm now up to 78,000 words. I've probably got less than 10,000 words left to go. I've been spending every spare moment writing like a madwoman. the first draft will need a lot of work, I'm sure, but... you guys... I'm *this* close to being done with writing an actual novel. No. freaking. way.

So the point of this blog, I guess, is an update that yes, I'm still doing the coffeebeans project every morning, and will have a more detailed update at some point, and also, I'm still writing- just pouring my energy into finishing a book. I can hardly wait to see how it ends! :)

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 82 - Taking a Break

I've decided to take a break from this blog. I'm not sure when, or if, I'll start blogging again, but what I was hoping would be a nice stress reliever has become very difficult to keep up with.

I will probably still keep the essence of the project- reflecting each morning over coffee for a few minutes- but the time required to actually blog about it is too hard to find with a 4 month old. I have to wait until she goes to bed at night to actually write, and at this point, trying to care for her without any help from family or friends is too exhausting and I think I probably need to just take the time to sleep instead of write.

Thanks, everyone, for reading! I do love writing, so perhaps I will start this up again when things get on a more normal schedule! I hope you have enjoyed the posts that I have been able to write!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 81 – Land of Monsoons!

Today I’m going to talk about the geography of India. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_India) India is pretty much a giant peninsula into the Indian Ocean, with coastline of about 4,700 miles. The mainland’s coastline is a mix of 43% sandy beaches, 11% rocky shores, and 46% mudflats or marshy shores. The Ganges is the longest river in India. The central highlands consist mainly of three plateaus. The northern part of Italy is largely defined by the Himalayan Mountains. To the west is the Thar Desert, the seventh largest desert in the world by some calculations.

The Himalayas and the Thar Desert influence India’s climate, which has summer and winter monsoons. The Himalayas block cold winds from blowing into the Indian subcontinent, keeping it warmer than most locations at similar latitudes, but across the total of India you can find climates ranging from arid desert in the west to alpine tundra in the north to humid tropical regions in the southwest. The country has four seasons: winter, summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon. During monsoon season, many areas remain flooded!

That’s it for today, but here’s a picture of monsoon season in India. As you can see, it is no joke!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 80 – Moving on to India!

I’m going to look at India for my next (and maybe last?) country of this month’s topic. I’ve always been fascinated by the bits and pieces I know of Indian culture, and, now that I’ve moved to Silicon Valley, I’m surrounded by Indians on a daily basis, since many of them move here for work. I decided it’s a good time to learn more about their country. Also, since Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, visited India on her self-improvement mission, it seems somehow appropriate that I learn about the country on my own little budget self-improvement project.

And there’s a LOT to learn. India, home to over 1.2 billion people, is the second most populous country in the world, and the most populous democracy. It has long been a region of historic trade routes, and four world religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism) originated here. India is one of the fastest growing major economies, but the country still struggles with poverty and corruption. It has the third largest standing army in the world (behind China and the United States).India is also home to diverse wildlife and habitats. And, let’s not forget- Indian cuisine is delicious! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India)

How’s that for an overview? I’m excited to spend some time delving more into this intriguing country! Stay tuned this week for more!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 79 – South African Art

Wrapping up South Africa today, I wanted to briefly talk about the culture there- specifically, art. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_art). A large number of South African blacks live rural, impoverished lives, and it is amongst these people that traditional culture remains the strongest.

Some of the oldest works of art in the world are South African- drilled snail shells used for jewelry from 75,000 years ago have been discovered in a South African cave:

Scattered ancient tribes had their own artistic styles, seen in numerous cave paintings:

In the present era, traditional tribal art forms were affected by the divisive policies of apartheid. New art forms developed, using everything from plastic strips to bicycle spokes. Starting in about 1850, European influence mixed with traditional art, and gave South African art an eclectic style which is still evolving today. Here is an example of modern art in South Africa: 

I think that wraps up my time looking at South Africa - tomorrow I'll move on to a new country! 

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 78 – Sickness in South Africa

In South Africa, an estimated 5.7 million people live with HIV. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV/AIDS_in_South_Africa) This is more than any other country in the world, and those infected are primarily black: while 13.6% of black South Africans are HIV-positive, only .03% of white South Africans are. Sadly, deaths from AIDS has resulted in approximately 1.2 Million orphaned children in South Africa. The infection rate in South Africa is staggering, at over 15% of the population.

In the past, South Africa’s leaders have denied tried to deny that there is a problem with HIV or AIDS in the country. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki denied that HIV was causing AIDS, and the Health Ministry hesitated to provide anti-retroviral drugs as treatment for those living with HIV. In 2006, the Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang even proposed a diet of garlic, olive oil, and lemon as a cure for AIDS. Such attitudes and policies have contributed to the deaths of over 300,000 South Africans.

Despite long-term denial, many governments in Sub-Saharan Africa are now working towards a solution to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The percentage of people receiving anti-retroviral treatment has increased dramatically, and efforts are being made to educate people on how the disease is spread and how it can be prevented. One of the biggest problems is combating people’s “fatigue” on the subject- many are tired of hearing about the disease since it has been such a widespread issue for so long.

It’s sad that so many people in Africa are sick, but it’s even sadder that so many children have been orphaned. Hopefully, the continuing work to advance education and treatment will prevent so many children from becoming orphans in the future. 

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 77 – Religion in South Africa

South Africa is a largely Christian nation- in 2001, Christians comprised 79.8% of the population. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa#Religion) This figure includes a variety of different Christian sects, and African Indigenous Churches make up the largest of the Christian groups. In fact, 60% of the estimated 200,000 indigenous traditional healers in Africa can be found in South Africa. These healers are called “sangomas” or “inyangas.” These healers combine ancient spiritual beliefs and a belief in the spiritual and healing properties of local flora and fauna to heal clients.

Other religions in South Africa are Muslims (1.5%) and Hindus (1.2%).

Xoxo,

Diana

Days 75-76: More on South Africa's History

Yesterday I read more on South Africa’s history (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa#History), but didn’t get to upload a blog because we went on a day trip and didn’t get home until really late. We went to Santa Cruz and walked on the Ocean Boardwalk. It was CRAZY crowded! So, today I’m finishing up my mini-history of South Africa:

In 1961, South Africa became a republic following a referendum, and Queen Elizabeth II was stripped of the title of queen of South Africa. Despite internal and external opposition, apartheid continued and resistance movements were harshly oppressed. Violence became widespread as apartheid became increasingly controversial, and many Western nations began to boycott doing business with South Africa. In 1990, the National Party government took steps towards ending discrimination when it lifted the ban on the African National Congress (ANC) and released Nelson Mandela from prison after twenty-seven years. After negotiation, the government repealed apartheid legislation, and in 1994, Africa held its first universal elections, which the ANC won by overwhelming majority. Nelson Mandela was elected as Africa’s first black president. (As many of you may know, he died in December of last year). South Africa then rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations. Post-apartheid, South Africa struggles with unemployment and poverty, although recent violence has not been as widespread as initially feared.

Nelson Mandela

Happy Sunday, everyone! More tomorrow!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 74 – A Turmoiled History

Today I’m going to begin discussing the history of South Africa. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa#History). South Africa has a very long history of human habitation – it contains some of the oldest human fossil sites in the world. The Bantu-speaking people had settlements in Africa from the fourth or fifth century BC, and this was the dominant ethnic group in South Africa at the time of initial European contact.

The first European voyage to land in Southern Africa was in 1487, but it was not until 1652 that what would become Cape Town was established on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. In 1795, Great Britain took over the Cape of Good Hope. Conflicts between the native and European peoples in the area continued for several decades into the 19^th century. The discovery of diamonds and gold in the late 19^th century intensified the European-South Africans’ struggle to control the indigenous people, and led to the Boer Wars, which ended in 1902. In 1909, the British Parliament granted nominal independence and created the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910. In 1931, the United Kingdom passed the Statute of Westminster, making South Africa fully sovereign and independent from the British government.

In 1948, the racial segregation begun by the Dutch and British colonial rule was strengthened under the National Party. The South African people were legally segregated in what was known as apartheid. Although the minority, the whites enjoyed a high standard of living and controlled the black majority. The black majority suffered disadvantage in every area, including income, education, housing, and life expectancy. In 1955, the Freedom Charter, demanding a nonracial society and end to discrimination, was adopted by the Congress Alliance. More on that tomorrow!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 73 – A Quick Lesson on South Africa’s Government

Today I read a broad overview of South Africa’s government. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_South_Africa) South Africa is a constitutional democracy. It has similarities to the United States in that it is a three-branch system. The Parliament of South Africa, made up of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces, holds legislative authority. The President of South Africa, who is head of state and head of government, holds executive authority. Parliament elects the President to serve a fixed term. The current president of South Africa is Jacob Zuma. The Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Appeal, and the High Court make up the judicial branch. The South African Constitution is the supreme law of the land in South Africa.

South Africa's Flag

South Africa's Parliament

By the way, I’ve been shortening these blogs a little bit to try to fit them better into the coffee reflection timeframe. Hopefully I will find a good balance!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 72 – South African Cuisine

Today I looked at South African cuisine! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_cuisine). South African cuisine is very diverse, and is even called “rainbow cuisine” because of this. It is heavily meat-based. South African barbeque is known as braai. There are several typical South African foods and dishes. A few are: amasi, which is sour milk; biltong, which is salty, dried meat like jerky made from Antelope or other venison; and potjiekos, a traditional Afrikaans stew cooked over a cast iron pot.

Braai!

Nom nom nom… that’s it for today. I have a job interview tomorrow so I’m off to prepare for that! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 71 – Switching to South Africa Today: A Mini-Geography Lesson

So, as promised, today is a new country: South Africa! I have not yet been to Africa, but I’m eager to go, and South Africa is one of the countries there that I would like to visit. Here is some information on South Africa's geography (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa#Geography). 

South Africa is located in the southernmost region of Africa and its coastline spans more than 1500 miles and two oceans! (the Atlantic and Indian). The interior of the country is mostly a vast, flat plateau. The south and southwestern parts of the plateau are known as the Great Karoo, which is sparsely populated scrubland. North of the Great Karoo is the dry, arid Bushmanland, and then in the very northwest of the country is the Kalahari desert. The deep interior of South Africa has its hottest temperatures, with the official hottest recorded temperature being 119.84F in 1993! The mid-eastern, highest part of the plateau is known as the Highveld, and here is a relatively well-watered area that contains much of the country’s commercial farmland. The southeast escarpment of the Highveld is formed by the Drakensberg mountains, which have limited skiing in the winter.

The coastal belt moves from hot and dry in the northeast to subtropically hot and humid, to dry scrub land in what is known as the Little Karoo. A narrow coastal strip between the Cape Fold Mountain range and the ocean has moderately high year-round rainfall and is famous for its indigenous forests in the otherwise forest-poor country. In the southwest of the country is the Cape Peninsula, which has a Mediterranean climate. This area produces most of South Africa’s wine! Cape Town is located in the Cape Peninsula and is South Africa’s legislative capital. It is also home to about 3.7 million people.

Here is a picture of the Drakensburg mountains! More on South Africa tomorrow!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 70 – Italy Wrap-Up

I think today is going to be the last day I write about Italy. There are so many more things I could read about, but I want to get to research another country or two this month. If I try to cover everything about Italy I want to, I will be writing about Italy for the rest of the year! Frankly, it’s a little overwhelming to try to fit research about an entire country into morning coffee time, even when attempting to break that research into bite size pieces. Nevertheless, I will soldier on with this experiment. After all, at least some parts of an experiment are bound to fail. Perhaps this month will be more difficult or less organized than some of the others, but at least I will learn from it!

Since part of my goal was to learn more about countries that I’m interested in visiting someday, I looked today at the travel destination in Italy I’m most interested in, Venice, and I found this fun article on what NOT to do in Venice: http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/18/112434/62/travel/What+Not+To+Do+In+Venice%3A+The+Top+5+Tourist+Mistakes.

The most interesting recommendation? NOT to take a gondola ride. This was a bit disappointing to me, since this is something I’ve always wanted to do in Venice. Apparently, however, these days the gondolas are just overpriced and overpacked with tourists. The article does recommend taking a traghetto for under a Euro instead. It’s a gondola shell, which the locals use for quick, cheap transportation across the Grand Canal. However, you better have good balance since you’ll be standing in the little boat. (Hmmm… I’m off to work on those yoga poses).

Traghetto

I do like to make an effort to experience at least some things that the locals do when I visit a new place. I think it’s a little ridiculous to be completely anti-tourist, since you are, in fact, a tourist. There are usually tourist attractions that are worth seeing. The trick is figuring out which ones are worth it and avoiding the rest! Does anyone have experience with gondola rides? Do you agree/disagree that they are not worth it? What other tourist traps have you fallen prey to? I’d love to hear some good stories from those of you who like to travel!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 69 - Italian Cuisine!

I cannot complete my discussion of Italy without at least mentioning Italian food… Wine and pasta are what I think of first when I think of Italian food, but my favorite Italian food is Tiramisu. Tiramisu is a relatively recent invention, with most tracing its invention to the restaurant “Le Beccherie” in Treviso, Italy. However, there is some debate over whether this is the case, and several other versions of Tiramisu’s creation story exist. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiramisu) 

Whatever the truth behind Tiramisu’s invention, it is one of my favorite desserts. Traditional tiramisu is made with finger biscuits, egg yolks, sugar, coffee, mascarpone cheese, and cocoa powder. I love the coffee flavor- which should come as no surprise since I’m basing this whole blog’s premise around morning coffee! Just to tease you… here is a picture of tiramisu!

Now, I want to know… what is YOUR favorite Italian food?

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 68 – Religion in Italy

I started reading about Italian culture... a lot of things make up the culture of a country: language, religion, art, food, business, sports, and more. Today I briefly looked at religion.

Most people know a little bit about religion in Italy- the majority of Italians are Roman Catholic. This is no surprise, since Vatican City is located within Rome and is where the Pope lives. Interestingly, Vatican City is a walled enclave within Rome and is actually an independent city-state- the smallest independent city-state in the world by both area (110 acres) and population (842). I never realized that about the Vatican before. I’m not sure how this fact escaped me, but I think it’s actually quite fascinating. St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are located in Vatican City, as well! The Roman Catholic Church is separated from the state but still plays a role in politics (no surprise there).

A small percentage of Italy’s population follows religions other than Roman Catholicism. Italy’s second largest religion is Islam, due to the Muslim immigrant population. Italy also has small representation from other Christian denominations and Jews (although many Jews emigrated from Italy following World War II).

So there you have it- religion in Italy. No big surprises, I guess, although for me it was fun to discover that Vatican City is an actual independent city-state! Mr. Coffeebeans already knew this... did you?

Vatican City

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 67 - Rounding Off That Italian History Lesson…

Today I’m going to finish up my very quick look at Italian history. The unification of Italy’s different city-states into one single nation is known as the Risorgimento. Most agree that this process ended around 1871 with the Franco-Prussian wars. Giuseppe Garibaldi is revered in Italy today for his part in the unification of Italy, but the Northern Italian monarchy of the House of Savoy gained control of unified Italy.

The 1920s found fascism growing in Italy under Benito Mussolini. Italy sided with Germany in World War II, which eventually resulted in its invasion by the Allies and Italy’s surrender in 1945. Mussolini was killed in 1945 by communist Italian partisans.

In 1946, after World War II, Italy voted to become a republic. What followed was a confusing mixture of politics- corruption, unrest, numerous political parties… etc., etc. Today, Italy is a parliamentary, democratic republic with a multi-party system. Italy’s executive power is held by the Council of Ministers, with the Prime Minister as its head. (The current prime minister is Matteo Renzi.). The two houses of parliament primarily hold the legislative power, although the Council of Ministers can introduce bills and holds the majority in parliament. The judiciary is independent and headed by the High Council of the Judiciary. There is a President (currently Giorgio Napolitano) whose position is separate from all the other branches. He is elected by the lawmakers, appoints the executive, and is the president of the judiciary. He is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Italy's Current President

So there you have it… a very, very brief finale to the Italian history and government lesson. I, for one, have learned a lot of things I never knew about Italy... much more than I could have covered in a short blog post. If you're interested in learning more, I encourage you to read more from the following pages: http://www.italylogue.com/history,  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Italy, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Italy. 

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 66 – A (Very!) Brief History of Some of Italy’s History

Today it’s back to regularly scheduled programming. I’m going to briefly look at the history of Italy. Of course it’s difficult to really boil the entire history of Italy down into a few blog posts, but hopefully I can hit some of the high points.

Italy is perhaps best known for the Roman Empire, but it’s history is very, very long. There is evidence of human life in Italy dating back to prehistoric times. Other large civilizations came before the Romans, too, including the Etruscans and Greeks. In the eighth and seventh century B.C., the Greeks settled in southern Italy, bringing a Hellenic influence to Italy. The Etruscans and Greeks in Italy did eventually fall to Rome, however. The Roman period consisted of the Roman Republic and then the Roman Empire (and of famous names like Julius Caesar!). At its height, the Roman Empire was enormous- look at the map I found below to get an idea!

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy consisted of a hodgepodge of city-states, with southern Italy falling prey to Islamic attacks. Eventually, however, Italy emerged from this dark period into the Renaissance, with Italian trade routes serving as conduits of culture and knowledge. In 1348, the Black Death killed about one third of Italy’s population, but Italy recovered from this disaster with a resurgence of cities and trade. Many famous works of Italian art and scholarship came from the Renaissance period, including works by Italian artists you are sure to know, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Following the Renaissance, Italy was invaded by numerous countries, most notably France and Spain. There was no unified Italy as of yet, and the city-states did not band together to fight off the foreign invaders. This means that Italy during this time period was foreign-dominated…

More tomorrow on the Italy’s unification and history in modern times!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Italy#Literature.2C_philosophy_and_science
http://www.italylogue.com/history

What No One Told Me About Motherhood

Actually, I have a few more things to say, even though it’s unrelated to my normal blog posts.

There are a lot of things nobody told me about being a mom. Nobody told me how hard it would be on my body to be pregnant, or how, months after giving birth, everything would still be so painful or just not working right. Nobody told me how so many of my non-parent friends would abandon me, too busy to care about, let alone celebrate, the little life I was so excited to welcome into the world. Nobody told me how many of my parent friends would gloss over my concerns as the stupid, unimportant worries of a first time mom. Nobody told me how lonely 1 a.m. is. Or 2 a.m. Or 3 a.m. Or, even, 1 p.m. Nobody told me who to call when the night was too long and the day too harsh and bright.

Nobody told me how much I would be judged. How everything I did would be wrong. How people would say I need to just do what I know is best for me and my daughter, but then in the next breath tell me authoritatively that what I’m doing just isn’t right. Nobody told me that my baby’s father would get a gold star from everyone just for changing a diaper, but I would be expected to tirelessly breastfeed her around the clock while too tired to get up and do something about my own roaring stomach. Lack of energy perpetuating lack of energy. Nobody told me how I would have to ignore the rude comments and long-suffering stares from strangers when I had to feed my baby in public. How dare I make everyone so uncomfortable? And how dare I let her bother everyone with her crying? Retreating back to lonely seclusion at home seemed like the only answer. Nobody told me how I wouldn’t be able to think anymore. How, the brain that got me through one of the best law schools in the country and used to be able to handle legal problems at one of the nation’s biggest law firms wouldn’t be able to do much more than repeat the mantra: feed baby, change baby, feed self, sleep. Nobody told me how much I would cry. How everyone tells you beforehand that it’s normal and okay, but then, somehow, when you’re reaching for the tissue box for the millionth time that week, it’s all of a sudden not okay with them. Nobody told me how much I would worry. How I would check 5,723 times every night to make sure she’s still breathing. Nobody told me what it would feel like to try so very, very hard, and still feel like you’re failing.

But…

Nobody told me how strong and royal her little hand’s grasp on my finger would be. Nobody told me how the sound of her happy squeal would break my heart in the best way possible. How fascinated I would be to watch her kick her legs back and forth with the sheer joy of just moving. Nobody told me how the sound of her first real giggle would make up for the tears of a million nights. Nobody told me how much she would love trees, and how adorable it would be to watch her wrap her hand around a leaf in wonder. Nobody told me how full of awe her eyes would be with every new sight and sound. Nobody told me how the first time she wrapped her chubby little arms around my neck, seeking a comfort she could not find anywhere else, that I would realize I had finally found meaning. And nobody told me that every morning when I pick her up from her bassinet and am rewarded with an uninhibited, earnest grin, that I would feel like I had never been truly loved in my life until that point.

Nobody told me how absolutely perfect she would be.

Day 65 - Italian Gelato

Long day. This is all I have to say for myself right now: 

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 64 - Italy's Varied and Gorgeous Geography!

Today I’m going to talk about the geography of Italy. (http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/italy/itland.htm) Most people know that Italy is a peninsula- its boot shape is pretty famous. This peninsula has created several bodies of water, including the Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea. I had heard of the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, but not the other two.

Northern Italy is dominated by the Alps, and Italy’s highest peak, Mont Blanc, is shared with France. Northern Italy also has a beautiful Lake District with many mountain lakes. The Apennine Mountains, which are a range of the Alps, form the backbone of the Italian peninsula. Several rivers rise in the Alps, including the Arno and Tiber. Italy’s longest river, the Po River rises in the Alps and runs to Venice, with the valley it dissects being Italy’s most fertile farmland.

Mont Blanc

Plains make up about 30% of Italy’s land area, and some areas along the Adriatic Sea are low and marshy. Italy’s coastline consists of numerous bays and gulfs. The Amalfi Coast south of Naples and the Cinque Terra have spectacular, rugged coastal scenery.

Amalfi Coast

In addition to the mainland peninsula, Italy has many famous islands, most of which are of volcanic origin. Sardinia and Sicily are two well-known islands. In fact, much of Italy is volcanic in origin, and Mt. Vesuvius near Naples is constantly monitored since it could potentially erupt at any time.

With such a wide variety of terrain, you can see why Italy has such a varied climate, as we saw yesterday. I would love to explore the coastline – it looks amazing! Which part of Italy’s geography appeals to you the most?

More on Italy tomorrow!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 63 – First Up: Italy!

The first country I’m going to look at is Italy- a country I have always wanted to visit. I think of Italy as the land of espresso and gelato, but I want to learn more. I feel as though my view of Italy is terribly stereotypical, so I’m going to take a little time to hopefully remedy that!

Today I read about Italy’s climate: Let’s just say, if you’re planning a trip across Italy, you’ll have to pack a variety of clothes! Italy’s climate is diverse due to its vast longitudinal span and mountainous interior. In northern Italy, the climate is harsh, with very cold winters and very hot, humid summers. Central Italy has a milder climate with less difference between summer and winter temperatures. The cold season is not as bad and the sea keeps the summer temperatures from being too hot. Southern Italy and the islands also have less harsh winters. (http://www.italia.it/en/travel-ideas/the-sea.html).

I always think of a Mediterranean climate when I think of Italy, and you can definitely find that there. However, there are many different climates and not all of Italy is going to have comfortable Mediterranean weather! As I mentioned above, the mountains in Italy contribute to its varied climates. More tomorrow on that mountainous interior, and the geography of Italy!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 62 – Next Topic!

I haven’t blogged in the last few days. I haven’t really had any coffee reflection time, either. After we got back to Chicago from our vacation, and into the land of internet, we also went into warp speed trying to finish up everything at our jobs in preparation for our move to California. It was a crazy several days, culminating with a very delayed flight yesterday. We were on the tarmac for three hours due to weather delays, and then had a four hour flight when we finally were able to take off. By the time we landed in San Jose, all three of us were worn out and pretty much done! Especially Baby Girl, who had been fighting a little bit of a bug, too.

After a good night’s rest, however, I’m feeling refreshed. I had time to sit down and enjoy some coffee this morning! We are temporarily living in corporate housing until we find our own place here, which I hope will be soon. After weeks of living on the road, and then a month or more of living in corporate housing, I’m sure we will be ready to have our own place again! Mr. Coffeebeans starts his job on Monday, and I’m in the process of looking for a job for myself since I wasn’t able to transfer with my firm.

Since I didn’t have time to have coffee or reflect on anything over the last several days, I’m just ignoring the last few days entirely and moving on to day 62 and the next topic! I enjoyed researching natural wonders over the last month, and it sparked my travel bug, but I missed the more intellectual level of research of the first month when I researched art. So, I decided to try something different and attempt a little more intellectual look at travel. There are many, many countries I want to visit, but I don’t necessarily know a great deal about those countires. So I want to pick a few countries I’m especially interested in and spend several days in a row learning more about them. Not just about their top travel spots, but a little bit about their government, history, and culture. So, stay tuned tomorrow as I decide on the first country I will look at! What countries are you interested in learning more about?

One more thing… I would be remiss if I did not congratulate the Germans on winning the World Cup today! Mr. Coffeebeans was very excited about that! It was a long, close game, but Germany prevailed!

Xoxo,

Diana

Day 61 – I Almost Feel Badly Talking About Brazil Today…

So as I said yesterday, today I’m going to finish talking about the seven natural wonders of the world. I’ve already discussed six of them, and the last wonder on the list is the Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (also known as Guanabara Bay). Those of you who have been paying attention to the World Cup know that Brazil lost horribly to Germany in the semifinal today. Germany scored seven goals to Brazil’s one, which is almost unheard of in soccer. And to make matters worse for Brazil, the game was in Brazil. Of course, Mr. Coffeebeans and Baby Girl were excited since Mr. Coffeebeans is German. Well, Baby Girl didn’t really understand why she was excited, but Daddy was so she was!

Despite Brazil’s humiliating soccer defeat today, I’m still going to talk about the last natural wonder I haven’t discussed- the Harbor of Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro means “January River.” The Portuguese explorers who discovered the Harbor named it for the date they discovered it- January 1^st (in 1502). It’s not actually a river, though, but rather a huge bay. This Harbor is the largest bay in the world based on water, and was created by erosion from the Atlantic Ocean. Granite mountains surround the Harbor, including the famous Sugar Loaf Mountain, from which you can see panoramic views of the Harbor. Visitors can see the Harbor by air tour, boat tour, or traveling to the top of one of the mountain peaks overlooking it.

The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro is interesting among the seven natural wonders list, because instead of being in a remote or very natural location like most of the other wonders, it is in a big city. This means that it can be harder to have a “natural” world experience when visiting this wonder, but it also means visitors can see a natural wonder while enjoying the culture and comforts of a big city. You can read more about the Harbor here: http://sevennaturalwonders.org/the-original/harbour-of-rio-de-janeiro/ and here: http://www.unmuseum.org/7wonders/rio.htm

That’s it for this month and the Natural Wonders! Stay tuned tomorrow for the start of a new month and new topic!

Xoxo,

Diana

Days 51-60: I'm Back! Picture Post and Catch-up Time!

We are finally back in the land of cell service and WiFi signals! After Bryce we went on to Zion National Park, then the Grand Canyon's North Rim, and then Glen Canyon. We had from little to no cell service and pretty much no working WiFi, which is great for focusing on vacation but not so great for keeping up with blogging. So, to make up for it, here is a big picture catch-up post!

Bryce Canyon - We did a few more hikes, including a “Bristlecone Pine” hike. Bristlecone Pines are some of the oldest trees on earth, with some in Bryce Canyon as old as 1600 years! We also hiked through the actual canyon, which was really nice! It’s a totally different feeling when you are in the canyon itself and “part of” the hoodoos. Obviously the scenery is very different than viewing the canyon from above, but it’s beautiful, too.

Baby Girl and I in front of one of the Bristlecone Pines

Gorgeous view of Bryce Canyon

Hiking through the canyon itself at Bryce

Hiking through the canyon itself at Bryce

Hiking through the canyon itself at Bryce. As you can tell, Baby Girl was not impressed and decided to take a nap instead!

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Zion National Park - After a few days at Bryce Canyon, we moved on to Zion National Park, where it was HOT! The temperatures got well above 100 Fahrenheit every day that we were there, so we tried to hike in the late evenings or early mornings. We did a hike one evening that went to some waterfalls, and also a hike to a "weeping rock." When we couldn't take the heat anymore, we drove up to some higher altitude viewpoints that were cooler! Zion was beautiful- the prominent feature is Zion Canyon, which is cut through Navajo Sandstone by the Virgin River.

Look closely- can you see the waterfall?

Twilight Forest Hike at Zion National Park

Mr. Coffeebeans underneath the Weeping Rock at Zion National Park

Underneath the Weeping Rock at Zion National Park

Baby Girl is a little unsure about this hike...

Lava Point viewpoint near Zion National Park. We went to one of the higher viewpoints to escape the heat. 

Grand Canyon North Rim -  You may remember that we spent the first few days of our trip at the Grand Canyon's South Rim. The North Rim is really different. At over 1000 feet higher than the South Rim, the temperatures are much cooler there, which was definitely a welcome change from the heat at Zion. It’s only about 10 miles across to the North Rim from the South Rim, but you have to drive about 220 miles around to get from one to the other. Not as many people go to the North Rim, but I'm glad we took the time to see it. It's a different perspective from the South Rim. At the South Rim you really see the vastness of the Grand Canyon, while at the North Rim, you see better the different colors of the rocks and the vegetation. The North Rim felt more peaceful, too, since it's a little less visited and not as crowded. Although, we were there for the Fourth of July so it was still relatively busy.

Grand Canyon North Rim

Grand Canyon North Rim

Grand Canyon North Rim

Baby Girl on a hike at the North Rim. She is obsessed with trees

Amazing cloud shadows at the Grand Canyon's North Rim

Point Imperial - the highest overlook at the Grand Canyon's North Rim

Point Imperial - the highest overlook at the Grand Canyon's North Rim

Fourth of July Sunset at the Grand Canyon's North Rim

Glen Canyon  - Our final stop on our trip was Glen Canyon National Recreation Area near Page, Arizona. There is a large reservoir there known as Lake Powell, which is created by the Glen Canyon Dam. I'm including a picture of the Dam even though it's not a natural wonder, since it was a pretty cool part of our trip. We took a tour of the Dam and got to see how it was built and is maintained. We did a few hikes in the area and drove up to Alstrom Point, which was a crazy drive on a very rough dirt road. It was mostly deserted, so it was nice to spend some time away from crowds! 

Lake Powell in Page Arizona

Glen Canyon Dam

Baby Girl loving one of our hikes near Glen Canyon

Mr. Coffebeans on the drive up to Alstrom Point

Looking at the huge drop off at Alstrom Point

The view at Alstrom Point

View of Lake Powell on the drive from Alstrom Point. the white line is where the Lake goes to when it's completely full, so you can see the water level is low at the moment.

Checking out the view on the drive from Alstrom Point

We thought the landscape looked a little bit like outer space!

The drive back from Point Alstrom

A rain cloud raining on one spot near Glen Canyon. Reminded me of cartoons where the cloud rains over just one character

Now we are in Flagstaff, Arizona, on our way back to Phoenix where we will catch our flight back to Chicago. It's been an amazing trip! Mr. Coffeebeans has been serving as photographer on the trip and he has done an amazing job- almost all of these are photos he took. (The only ones that aren't are the ones I took of him!) Even though this month has turned out to be a little different on my blog due to the trip, and I wasn't able to update every day as I would have liked, I hope you enjoyed this catch-up post!

I'm on day 60 now, but I'm going to spend one more day tomorrow on natural wonders since I still have one more of the "Seven Natural Wonders" to discuss. Then, I'll move on to the next topic. Stay tuned!

Xoxo,
Diana