#Simple Math

Calgary is cold.

Hawaii is not.

The high for Calgary today is 2 degrees Celsius.

The low for Honolulu today is 22 degrees Celsius. (Yes Wyatt, I thought of you.)

Calgary has icy patches on the roads.

Hawaii has beautiful beaches.

Half-assed winter vs. Tropical goodness.

....sorry Calgary, this is an easy choice. I'm going to Hawaii, see you in a week!

Love you, blog world! Have an awesome time creeping the internet while I'm tanning my face off!!

PS - RyGuy, you better take care of yourself while I'm gone. I don't want anymore of your monkey business!!! I want to come home to a healthy (somewhat) guy. Pleasepleaseplease be good to yourself. Also - GO COLTS! Love x

#For The Birds

So this is going to come as a shock to most of you.

Because I don't normally do things like this.

But I've started running.

Yeah. I know.

And it's not like normally where I run until I feel a little bit winded and stop. Then I brag for weeks that I went for a run.

Nope. It's really not like that.

It's actually along the lines of for really real running.

Well, jogging.

With some walking in between.

But I've gone 3 times this week! I know! It's only Thursday! Twice with my sister wife and once with my football player brother! (Also, thinking you can keep up with football brother and live to tell the tale is a very grandiose delusion. Very grandiose, indeed....)

Anyway, I just wanted someone else to be proud of me for actually trying to do this. Because it's super lame to be the only one proud of yourself. (Well, I think my mom is proud too, but she has to be. It's her obligation as woman who gave birth to me.) Also, check back later tonight, or early tomorrow! I'm going to have a pretty awesome post up about my trip!

#Dirty Little Secret

A break from Belarus posts, yes? I'll be back to those in a jiff!

Well I actually took a bit of a break from blogging at all this past week. I've just been supa supa busy!

Well, kind of. Busy enough not to blog I guess.

Sooooo I have this guilty pleasure. I can only indulge myself during the summer months. Because it's just not possible the rest of the year round.

You are only allowed to read past this point if it is a judgement free zone.

It's Big Brother.

I know, I know. It's reality tv at it's worst. I used to think that too! A social experiment to see what lengths people will go to for money? Who would watch that? It sounds stupid and lame. But man, it's funny to see the things people do and say out of greed. It really shows manipulation at it's finest.

The funniest part about Big Brother is how annoyingly boring it is...yet so addictive. Why do I care what these people are doing? I literally can't even stand the sound of some of their voices. But I do. And I keep going back. Week after week. Year after year.

"Expect the unexpected." That's the tag line for this stupid show. But as the seasons have gone on the "unexpected" things that Big Brother throws at the contestants have gotten lamer and lamer. Literally to the point that they should just say "Expect the unexpected - we're not throwing anything in there this season! That is what is unexpected! Because we always do dumb shizz that makes no sense in any way! Our unexpected twist is no twist!" That - or get new writers or something.

So why watch it? Because. Just because. There is no other real reason.

This is what my blog has come to. Reality TV. I think I'm on a downward spiral here...

Anyway, moral of the story is: Big Brother. You think it's lame. Then you watch it and all of the sudden you're addicted. Or not. Also, try to live your life the opposite of the way people act in that house. Yes. Done.

#Dear Sunshine - Belarus Part 3

 Dear Sunshine,

I love you a lot. You make my days brighter. I love your big, gassy, shiny, warm, starry self. You illuminate my world.

I was a little bit discouraged when you didn't come hang out in Minsk with me. I thought maybe you got lost or something, or maybe you didn't know where Belarus was on a map. I was missing you lots when I was being rained on by clouds and thunder and darkness.

I missed your warmth. The way you could make everything look prettier. The way colors were brighter and heat was projected. I couldn't believe you had left me stranded in a foreign place.

Then I looked around me. And I saw you in the faces and smiles of the people surrounding my existence. I felt your luminous presence breathing life into me through kind words and acts of kindness. I realized that I didn't need to miss you, that you were there, illuminating the pathway to my new life and renewed faith.

Thank you for showing yourself to me in the form of joy and love lustrously glowing from the eyes of young adults.Thank you for giving me a new definition and awareness of sunshine. And most of all thank you for guiding me through my pain and weakness by shining through the hearts of others.

Love,

Rye xox

#30 Hours Later - Belarus Part 1

I don't have much internet time.

So here's a quick rundown of my travels here.

YYC, Calgary - we were not going to be let on the plane. we were told we needed a transit visa to get from Russia to Belarus. then they said it was fine. so we left.

Heathrow Airport, London - there was little to no concern about the visas. that I witnessed any way. We sat in an airport for 8 hours. we wandered and found salmon in a box. I slept two of the eight hours we were there.

Moscow Airport(?), Moscow - we were held captive for 7 and a half hours because we did not have a transit visa. We had no food or water, we only had each other and metal chairs. those chairs were extremely uncomfortable. like, to the max. We were sent through security then sent back out to be escorted to the plane by a van. because we are rebels and were not allowed on Russian soil.

Minsk Airport, Belarus - more delays as we had to fill out immigration forms. then we went outside and smelled fresh air for the first time in over 30 hours.

No joke. 30 hours of traveling. I was asleep for at least half of it, because I slept on every single plane ride, for the whole thing.  WITH NO DRUGS! Plus at airports I slept. I was a sleeping machine. Plus also there was lots of prayers and stuff. It was the longest 30 hours of my life.

That was a long story short, it's much better in person I promise you!

Any way, I miss everyone back home, and I don't honestly know how much I'll be updating my blog after tonight. I love you all millions and millions and I'll write when I can!

xoxo Rye

#The Point Of No Return

I can't back out now.

I'm going.

It doesn't matter how nervous I am.

I'm going.

I had my first glimmer of excitement today. It was quickly squashed by talking about the flight itinerary.

I'm going.

There are six other people coming with me. Six people who went from strangers to family. Six people who have loved, supported, and comforted me. Six people who are counting on me to do my part.

I'm going.

You called me to this. Please work through me to have Your will accomplished. Take this fear and anxiety from my heart. Fill the space left with Your love for me to spread to other people. Please.

I'm going.

I've been overwhelmed by the kindness of the people around me. People close to me, people not very close to me, people who know me really well, and people who only really know my name. I want to give back to the world what I've been given.

I'm going.

I have to finish shopping, washing, folding, crying, packing, prepping. Because

I'm going..

#Whitey Tighty

My legs are so white.

SO white.

So white, in fact, that they glow through my pants. People think I'm an angel becuase I have glowing legs. But I'm not an angel. Just abnormally white.

I want to tan, but I'm in an office today. Wearing pants. Not tanning.

I'm going to have to get some sunless tanner or something. How am I supposed to wear a cute sundress in London and be cute and asian with white legs?? Legs probably whiter than all my whitie counterparts who will be traipsing through London with me!!!

Goals for the next 2 weeks - Work out legs so they are more publicly acceptable, tan legs, buy cute sundress to wear in london that does not make my legs look super white.

#There's so many fine women

This morning I woke up.

Stretched.

Showered.

Shaved.

Brushed hair and teeth.

Put my party pants on.

Tomorrow night is the birthday of one of the sweetest, cutest, most loving girls I know. Which = party time. I'm so excited to go dancing with my ladies that I put my party pants on well in advance.

Pants are not cool. Unless they are party pants. Then they are supa cool.

So let's go husband hunting. With our party pants on.

#A Day In The Life

This is mostly what my weekend consisted of:

work
friends
skype dates
more friends
2 bbq'd meals
shopping
movies with mama
being hit in the face
being compared to mustard
becoming an asian sidekick (sensation?)
playing "get to know Shelby"
watching the weirdest movie ever invented...then being scared to walk to my car alone
quelf
planning some adventures
catching up on hellcats and how I met your mother
being called "babe" by Rosi
prepping for Belarus
dancing around my house
teaching 7 year old boys about Jesus
attempting to bring my poor dead bamboo back to life
cleaning my car

yep. that's pretty much my life. and I wouldn't want it any other way.