White Christmas.

Happy day-after-Christmas!!! 364 days!!

Okay, so anyone who has known me longer than 2 weeks [or two minutes, depending on the conversation] knows that I love-love-love Christmas, cold weather, and snow.

I watched White Christmas tonight. I know some people don't like classics [you crazy kids] or musicals [I am one of them... except for some classics& The Newsies], but this movie is fantastic, and is absolutely one of my favorite Christmas classics, songs, dances, and all. It makes me want to be a dancer &/or take voice lessons.

I'm so glad I'm going to Colorado in 9 days, because if I were just staying here in Southern California, I'd be super bummed out with our non-snowy winter-- especially after that movie! I'm thinking next year will hopefully be my first white Christmas [or white December, at least, since I'd be back here for Christmas] and that brings a lot of excitement.

It also gets me thinking about my list of places I need to visit:

First on the list:
New Zealand. Hands down. Not gonna lie, since I saw the first LOTR film, I've been bent on visiting New Zealand, because its absolutely gorgeous. I have an offer to stay with the Erickson family, so once I get time off/airfare taken care of, I'm there! I want to see the southern lights [aurora australis], which I hear is visible in certain parts of New Zealand and Australia. GOODNESS.

Next:
Vermont. If you've seen White Christmas, you get it.

Maine. I saw a painting of Acadia National Park, which is located in Bar Harbor/Mt. Desert Island. I've never been to the East Coast, have always wanted to go, and have recently become interested in Maine & Massachussetts, after looking at one too many copies of Architectural Digest. I wanted to move to Maine when I had plans to be a marine biologist, so I'm definitely interested in visiting. I also have a friend from Maine who had a wild blueberry patch near her house, which is a baker's dream!

Finland. I have a Finnish friend, and every photo she's ever shown me is exactly what I imagine the Garden of Eden to look like. Paradise. I can't even explain how beautiful the photos are, so I'm itching to go to see it in person, and quite possibly be rendered speechless.

England. I've been to London twice, and I was looking at a few photos the other day, which just made me miss it and want to go back to visit friends there.

Louisiana. But not for any purpose besides going to New Orleans. Definitely not in the summer, but sometime. It has long been a major point of interest to me. I mean, how could it not? The culture, the architecture, the music! I love all different types of jazz, and have since I was a little girl and my dad would put on records of Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Jon Coltrane, Tito Puente, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, and of course, my favorite: Ella Fitzgerald.

Dang. It seems like everything lately is triggering more and more travel goals. I don't make nearly enough money for this...
Hmm. Change is good.