In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb

I've always had a complicated relationship with March. Where I grew up, we had a break in February and a break in April. March was the interminable month from hell. I think I'll always associate it with melted snow revealing garbage on the sides of Route 128. Under a gray sky. On the way to the dentist.

Of course, March has had its highlights over the years. For example, the birth of my brother in 1988. And the...okay, actually that's all I've got. And let's be honest, at the time, I was pissed. Today my brother is my best friend and I'm quite glad he was born. That day, I was so angry that I climbed into my mother's hospital bed and bit her in the breast. True story.


And Spring Break. Ah, Spring Break. I can't help feeling like I've missed out. I've been doing the higher education thing for almost 7 years and I've never been to Fort Lauderdale with my girlfriends or done a keg-stand in my bikini or thrown up in a sombrero. Witness the wildest moments of my Spring Break career:

Montreal, 2004
Here I am in my mother's minivan somewhere in Vermont. I think I felt I had to wear the aviators with irony because I was too lame to admit I actually liked them.

Massachusetts, 2005
Yup, at my parent's house. That's Seth on recorder. He'll love that this is on the Internet. This may actually have been Christmas.

Michigan, 2006
I'm not in this picture. We went up for a voice competition. Doesn't get much cooler than that. I tied for 3rd in my category, in case you were wondering.

Chicago, 2007
Hancock Observatory. Pretty much speaks for itself.

Nashville, 2007
Okay, so on Spring Break 2007 I was actually in Chicago and Nashville. I went to Vanderbilt to see a good friend whose name also happens to be Julia. This is her. She was around for a lot of my actual wild moments when we were in Europe circa 2006. If you ever meet her, ask her what I did in Florence. She knows details that I will never tell you. The significance of this picture, though, is that I seem to be wearing aviators with irony again. Groan.

Chicago, 2008
Oh man, somebody get that girl under control.

Los Angeles, 2009
You'll notice that my shirt is halfway (!) off. Where were the Girls Gone Wild cameras??

More Los Angeles, 2009
I finally wear aviators without irony.

Anyway, Spring Break lameness aside, I'd really like to get over my hatred of this month. I don't want to be miserable for a 12th of my life. So what can you offer me, March?

Well, if I were in the UK right now, I could see an illuminated Hadrian's Wall. It's exactly what it sounds like: 250 points of light along the length of the wall. Coast to coast. One night only. It reminds me of what would be my favorite part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy...if I were into that kind of thing.

Alternatively, you could go to the Pasifika Festival in New Zealand, a large celebration of island culture. (You already know what a fan I am of the Pacific Islands.) Of course, it's already tomorrow in New Zealand so technically we've missed it.

Now here's a cool one: Falles in Valencia, Spain. All you really need to know is that it's 5 days of people blowing stuff up. Really elaborate stuff. That they spent a lot of time making. Don't confuse it with the other insane festival where everyone fights each other with tomatoes. That's in August. Anyway, you can see some fun pictures here and here.

Also:
Savannah Music Festival
Ostrich Festival (No, really.)
Calle Ocho (Where the world record was set for "longest conga line.")

And Of Course:
The London International Antique and Artist Dolls, Toys, Miniatures, Teddy Bears, and Vintage Fashion Fairs

Just a sampling for you. I'm off on my own wee Spring Break Adventure tomorrow morning. Stay tuned.