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Hot Is The Pot, The Pot Is Hot

One of the most shocking things people find about me,
is that I'm not a fan of Chinese food at all.
{I sure am exciting, yeah?}
I mean, I like a good egg roll and a big bowl of 
Panda Express's crack orange chicken as much as anyone else,
but just like we know that "shrimp hamburgers with a side of curry rice" 
isn't real American food (ahem, KFC China), 
we know that stuff ain't the real thing.

This has become a slight issue because, as you know, I'm smack dab 
in the middle of real China for a very real two months. 

My solution? Hotpot. Hotpot, I can do. Hotpot, I love. 
Sure it's still technically Chinese food, but it's truly a cuisine of its own, 
and one of my favorites. After spending many a summer in Nanjing, 
I've hit just about every major hotpot restaurant in town, and then some. 
I already have plans to visit my old favorites next week, 
but first, here are two new kids on the block:





Because AoMenDouLao isn't exclusively a hotpot restaurant,
its actual hotpot, which is primarily seafood-based, was really pretty standard,
but quite delicious nevertheless!





HaiDiLao, translated literally to mean "Scooping The Bottom Of The Ocean,"
was a winner in my book - great broth, good pickings (bacon in hotpot = brilliant),
and excellent service. We were there for maybe two hours, and: our waitresses
knew our names, took RBX over to the babysitting service, gave us band-aids and
a few back-scratchers, gifted RBX with a few wind-up toys, a great discount, 
and even hired a mask-changing entertainer to perform for us. 
I think this kind of "ask, and you shall receive" service mantra 
is a very large part of the reason why the line into 
the restaurant wraps around quite a few times!

Moral of the story: I'm hot for hotpot. 4evah.
11

Nanjingle, Nanjangle

Nihao, loveys!

A week in Nanjing, and this is what's happened so far:

+ my sodium level has been skyrocketing at an alarming rate
+ a cheeseburger and fries at McDonald's {the first time I've seen cheese in a week}
+ two short and sweet trips to KFC {yep, still a thing in some parts of the world.}
+ a promise to go to Papa John's next week
+ thanking the higher powers above that I was smart enough to bring LIFE cereal,
and peanut butter, and white chocolate truffles, and Pecan sandies - life savers.
+ I'm in China, I swear
+ I've been eating Chinese food, I swear

and...


 + walks in, around, and by Nanjing University

+ avoiding certain suicide every time I cross the road {which is a lot}

+ but really, you start to feel quite proud of yourself when you reach the other side of the road unscathed

Q: Why did the human cross the road ... in China?
A: To get affirmation that the universe thinks their life is worthy.


+ how many pedestrians, scooters, motorcycles, cars, fast cars, faster cars, was that a car or did I just watch light travel, can you dodge?

+ outings with my aunts and sweet baby cousin aka my bestie ... times three thousand

+ I pride myself with the ability to find a big bowl of beef noodle soup anywhere in the world
+ But in China, they just make it way too easy

 + Milk tea/boba/godly nectar from Cafe 85degrees - one of my favorite cafes/bakeries

+ But this, DuoKeDuo, is hands down the best milk tea/boba/godly nectar in all of Nanjing.
Or China.
Or the world.
Or the Milky (Tea) Way galaxy.
Whichever.

Next time, it's all food.
Get ready, it's pretty gluttonous.
12

En Route






It looks like by "actual China posts,"
I meant that I would actually talk about the process of getting to the country.

I guess I was referring to the red-eye-but-not-really of a long haul flight,
where my mom and I lucked out and got an entire row to ourselves,
to sprawl out in every which way we chose,
and in which to watch Mamma Mia and countless episodes of New Girl.

I guess I was referring to the tiny little nest I built in that row,
where I laid and tripped out slightly at the changing color light show
(Air China, who do you think you are, Virgin Airlines?)
and pretended to first class it up because fancy water = fancy life, right?

I guess this "actual China post" is where I should talk about
getting out of the plane and having to descend the stairs,
which certainly made the inner President and/or J.Lo in me proud.

And of course, this "actual China post" refers to the fact that I may or may not be
some type of Starbucks magpie - I see one, and I can't see anything else at all.

That caramel macchiato is simply just a little piece of (overpriced) (on an already overpriced) home.

Next time, we'll get to actual actual China. Oh boy, oh boy.
12

Oh, The Irony



All photos from PEOPLE.com

But really, how precious is this family?!

For those of you who know me personally or follow me on any type of anything,
you'll know how much time and energy I've so willingly dedicated to the cause
known as Everything Kate Middleton, Especially Her Unborn Child.

For those of who don't, it goes something like this:
I woke up in a fit of panic last week, twice, because I had a "feeling" that the baby was born.
It's a bit over the top, I admit, but there are worse things in life to get involved in.

You'll understand, then, my devastation when OF ALL TIMES,
the entire Royal Baby debacle,
from Kate going into labor, to the family appearing outside the Lindo Wing for 
the official introduction,

I was on a fourteen hour flight.
And then a four hour layover with no WiFi.
And then on another two hour flight,
which also came with an extra one hour delay.
And then an hour's car ride.
And then a couple hours of not being able to figure out the WiFi password.
And then finally getting connected to society again,
and seeing my inbox/feeds bombarded with the info that It had happened.

Universe, I get it. I must've done something horrible in my past life.

I'll be right over here, drowning in my tears.

But of course, I am still more than thrilled for the family and for you Brits,
and I'll be frantically trolling the Internet to find out every last detail about this baby prince.

{I'm pulling for the name Spencer or James, or any name with the nickname of Jack.}

{I am off to go mope get settled in, and will be back with actual China posts soon!}
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See Ya On The Flip Side!

Ay bay BAY,
I'm just going to put this out there -
this is going to be one big eyeroll of a post.

(In case you were wondering, this isn't my picture because it's 1am and dark outside.)
(And because obviously I can't take a picture of my own plane leaving, or we'd have some bigger problems to deal with.)

As you're reading this right now,
I am in the air,
somewhere above either the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic Ocean.
I don't really know which one, you see, because I didn't bother taking the liberty
of glancing at our flight plan before leaving on this journey.

Wish me luck and see ya on the flip side, loves!

PS. If you want an ONA camera bag + a super cute camera strap + $10 to Starbucks,
scroll down!

PPS. If you want a Sony Cybershot, scroll down some more!

PPPS. Say what you want about me, but I got your photography covered ;)

PPPPS. I'll stop this because it's stupid, but one more thing - if Kate has her baby while I'm on my 14 hour flight, or if I'm on my 3 hour flight after that one, I swear the universe is playing the biggest joke on me in the history of ever.
11

Giveaway: ONA Camera Bag, Camera Strap, and Starbucks Gift Card

Another giveaway?
You betcha!
Oprah, you proud?

Can you tell I'm a bit antsy to get snap-happy over in China?
I'm so excited to bring you this giveaway with Chelsea and other amazing ladies.

The season of 'GO GO GO' is upon us, so why not GO in style? That's why I've teamed up with some very lovely ladies to give away one ONA Bowery Canvas camera bag, Little Miss Gee camera strap and a Starbucks gift card (because we all know coffee is needed when we go anywhere.) These are such great bags to carry all of your camera gear in without screaming 'tourist' wherever you go! Enter below for your chance to win and spread the word!

Lost in Travels // The Nectar Collective // Postcards from Rachel // Until Only Love Remains // Brachel Boulevard 
Perpetually Caroline // Lego House // Side Street Style // Daisy Bisley // Kimchi Sweet Tea
Mr. & Mrs. Foster // Found Love, Now What? // The Happy Type // Treasure Tromp // Home Sweet 'Homa
Oh the Places We Will Go

ONA Bowery Canvas Bag // Little Miss Gee Scarf Camera Strap // $10 Starbucks Gift Card

1. Open to all participants living within the United States.
2. Winner’s entry validity will be verified by me and if an entry proves to be invalid, you will be disqualified.
3. Giveaway ends on the 27th of July at 12:00 AM EST. Winner will be chosen by Rafflcoptor and contacted by email no later than the 28th of July. Winner has 48 hours to respond, if the winner does not respond, a new winner will be picked.
4. Lost in Travels is responsible for the payment and ordering of won items but not responsible for any packages lost in transit. 
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Giveaway: Sony Cybershot Camera

Happy Friday,
and congratulations on surviving another week!

On Sunday, I'm saying TTFN to the land of Whataburger, "y'all," and cowboy boots.
(And Republicans.)
For that matter, I'm saying TTFN to Democrats and Independents, as well,
and English, and driving out of the neighborhood to grab a drink from Sonic...

TTFN, 'Merica.

{Off to China!}

When traveling, I love me a handy dandy, no-hassle, great quality camera 
that allows me to capture priceless moments and experiences abroad.

When not traveling, I love me a handy dandy, no-hassle, great quality camera 
that allows me to capture my breakfast and three hundred duck-face selfies.

I'm so excited to, then, bring you this giveaway along with some very fabulous ladies,
organized by the lovely Nicole of Pharr Away -

for a gorgeous Sony Cybershot camera, available to you to capture whatever memories you'd like!


giveaway, sony cybershot, camera
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Perpetually Caroline's 10 Irrational Fears

Last night, I took cover in my parents' room for a solid 20 minutes,
because the lightning was turning me into an overly anxious Chihuahua.

It made me think of all of my other unusual, irrational fears -
most of them are a bit of a joke with my friends, and for good reason.
But hey, I never claimed to be normal. Or sane.

I thought I'd share them with you guys, as well.
I'm terrified of spiders and snakes and rats and something happening to my loved ones,
but I think those are all fears inherent in being a human.

These fears, though. These fears are inherent in a weirdo.



You guys are welcome to join me in hiding under the bed table.
If my neurotic tendencies haven't scared you away yet, that is.
I can be fun, I promise, and normal sometimes - I like froyo! Stay!

What are your unique, irrational fears?

-


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22

This *#%@ Is Bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S

Anthems.

Alicia Keys's "Girl on Fire" is my homework/time to be productive anthem.

Lana del Rey's any-song-at-all is my creepy, driving in the fog through a very windy
and narrow canyon, please let's make it out alive please please anthem.

Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" is mine and everyone's sit around the bonfire, 
group-singalong anthem, because honestly, it's the only song in the world 
that everyone and their mothers and their boyfriends and their pets know. 
Other than Don't Stop Believin', but sometimes we just need 
something a little lighter, a tad less glorious, amirite?

Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" was the anthem of sixth grade. 
Our entire homeroom piled into a bus for a field trip to the roller-blading rink, 
and everyone was B-A-N-A-N-A-S-ing it the entire way there. 
Can you even think of a better occasion for some Gwen?


Ingredients (minus a pinch of salt) for Aspiring Kennedy's banana bars.




This weekend had a few moments that certainly could've used the same song as an anthem:
1. My heart and soul (and big sister) was home,
which in other words meant: eating too much,
watching The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,  
and accomplishing Mission Buy Cute Shorts. 
AND, on Sunday, we accidentally had family nap time, 
and I woke up with someone's foot in my face.

That *#%@ was bananas.
2. Twitterverse was very much working in overtime this weekend, 
and ended up in a bit of a tizzy, what with Jay Z's Q&A session, 
and #Sharkphooncanequake, and the Zimmerman trial, 
and Cory Monteith's tragic passing.

That *#%@ was bananas.
And for the most part, not in a happy bananas kind of way, either.

3. And finally, the baking bug bit me again 
(or maybe it was a mosquito, we've got quite a number of those in the house right now)... 
But because we're on a sugar diet (terrible, I know)
these bars went sans-frosting. And because I'm half-idiot, 
and poured the batter in the wrong size pan, 
I could only salvage it by re-pouring it into a round pan. 
Really, more like a banana cake now. 
But whatever you want to call it - banana bars/cake/bread/treat,

That *#%@ was bananas.
{Literally.}
{And deliciously so.}
-

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17

Friday Letters



Dear bath time in Houston,
You may be a package deal with heat stroke,
but I outsmarted you. With a fan blowing directly at me and my bubbles.

Dear Royal Baby,
I'm canceling my day on your birth date,
so do you mind making it happen on a Monday?

Dear avocado toast with a poached egg,
you may have been the happiest 40 seconds of my life.

Dear Kevin Walker from Brothers & Sisters,
so, basically, I need you to be a real person and my best friend.

Dear packing my life into two suitcases... once again...,
you want to come in my life, the door is open.
You want to get out of my life, the door is open.
Just one request.
Don't stand at the door, you're blocking traffic.
-Unknown

Dear 40-min Chinese soap operas,
thanks for accompanying me on my dates with the treadmill.


Dear Iced Green Peach Tea Lemonade from Starbucks,
you're such a hassle to order, and I may as well be saying
Sally Sells Seashells by the Seashore (x10),
but what is it they say? No pain, no gain? You're the ultimate gain.


"Baby, I can see your halooooo..." - Beyonce.
Obviously about a Starbucks drink.

Happy Friday,
and cheers to the freakin' weekend, sweets!
I'm off to play with my home-for-the-weekend sister,
and maybe get some banana bread made.
What are you up to?


*Linking up with: The Sweet Season  -

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17

Biscotti and Realizations

biscotti, almond biscotti, biscotti recipe, first time baker




Yesterday, I had this stunning (and kind of awful, really) realization that I am two years away from the real world. I talk about it all the time, yes, but you know how sometimes the magnitude of a situation will just hit - slam into - you with no warning and all of a sudden, you just get it in a way that you never have before?

Yep. That happened. That realization was accompanied by the realization that once I'm in the real world, I'll have to have my own apartment (Stanford spoils us with guaranteed four-year housing) (most of which comes with a cleaning lady, dining hall and/or chef, and toilet paper that magically shows up in the bathroom without you having to worry about it). And that realization led to the next one: I can't cook. I can't turn on the stove, I don't know how to compare prices at supermarkets, and although I've told my grandparents that I'm a natural baker - the only things I've baked before came out of Pillsbury mixes, and if I messed that up, I'd have bigger problems to worry about.

And so, I did what any self-respecting young adult going through a fit of realizations would do. I scampered into the kitchen when my mom wasn't looking, because she and no one in their right mind, would willingly let me in there - I Googled "biscotti recipe" (I used this one) because that was what I was craving at the moment. I called upon my dad to help me locate all of the necessary ingredients, and I baked gosh darn biscotti. And it was good.

At least I know I won't perish due to hunger when I'm in the real world. Worst case scenario, I'll bake up an arsenal of biscotti, and call it a day.

13

10 Ways To Tell You're Not A Young 'Un Anymore

Many years ago, I was at the mall with my sister.
We were entering the literal cave known by mankind as Hollister & Co.,
the oasis that offered hope in a little seagull symbol on those dreaded polo shirts
that were required for our middle school dress code.

Maroon polo shirt = a fate worse than Lord Voldemort's.
Maroon polo shirt with a seagull logo = cute!

Well, we walked in and I breathed in that signature Hollister scent,
the same one that they probably mop their floors with and pour into their clothing dye,
and I let the beats of whatever indie, cool band's (Fall Out Boy) it was, deafen my ear drums.
I turned to my eight-and-a-half-years-older-than-me-sister, and said happily,
"Isn't this just the best place on Earth?"

And her reaction was,

Finally, we have come upon the day in which I admit I was wrong and she was right.
Today, I was at the mall (astonishing, I know);
I walked into the cave and noticed those shirtless male models I used to ogle and swoon over,
and I just thought: how is this not borderline pedophile-esque?
I meandered further into the labyrinth (c'mon, they have the greatest, thinnest, softest V-necks),
and I felt my head start to throb from the music and the stench smell, and from straining my eyes to see in the darkness. 
How is this enjoyable?!

And it hit me:
I'm not a young 'un anymore.
{Despite still not having my drivers' license, and not being legal on most counts...}



Happy Monday, lovies.
Go and conquer the day, like the grown-up you are.
I'll be over here watching the Lizzie McGuire movie and eating Fruit Roll-Ups.
20

America, I Celebrate You {With Calories}

Howdy America,
happy birthday, beautiful.

source via weheartit

I kind of wish reality shows existed in your {early} heyday -
the ratings would've shot out the roof,
what with your chaotic birth and rambunctious youth,
your nasty riffs with your mother in your teenage years -
although as a former teenager (ahem, my birthday was three months ago),
I quite understand the need to seek independence,
the urge to be rebellious and discover yourself for who you really are, and whatnot.
I'm glad that you and your mother are on good terms now -
I'm off to visit her on your behalf in a few months,
and I've heard that she can be quite the merry host.
But girlfriend, what I'm trying to say is... the Kardashians ain't got nothing on you.

Anyway, in honor of your nth birthday {as you are a woman, we won't disclose your age},
I celebrated you in the way I know best.
With lots of calories and splendid company.

McAlister's Deli showdown.

This sandwich is on the secret menu, and it's called "The Patriot."
Cranberry jelly, lots of shredded turkey, veggietables, and swiss cheese - patriotic indeed.
Not ordering it would have been blasphemous on multiple fronts; we can't have that.
Worry not, this loving citizen has got your back. We don't skimp on birthdays.

America's nectar.

Don't let this photo fool you. I was not the only one chowing down. Promise.

Classic American favorites - sweet tea and mac and cheese.

Best of all, I celebrated with dessert before the celebratory meal;
Tutti Frutti was calling my name,
so my own mama and I stopped by for an icy treat - 

look, this froyo is literally making my skirt fly up.

taro {yum!}, almond, cheesecake, and vanilla.
Brief intermission
Tutti Frutti is very close to replacing Yogurtland as my number one.
The guilt is killing me.

America, happy birthday.
You're still such a pretty young thing -
this is a good birthday year for you,
with those momentous SPOTUS decisions to mark it.
You're really growing up, aren't you?

I love you, my country.
-
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