Nowhere Says Happy New Year Quite Like Bournemouth...

Some highlights from the New Year's Eve reunion party in Bournemouth, England!

BUNAC: For All You College Students

Looking for a way to subsidize your travels by working along the way? BUNAC just may be your answer!  BUNAC--which stands for British Universities North America Club--is a non-profit, non-political organization founded in 1962 that helps full-time college students get working visas abroad.  They offer programs in a variety of countries as well as some volunteer options.  If you get a visa through BUNAC, you have a community of sorts once you get to your exotic new home, and the local offices most always provide internet access, group get-togethers, housing information, as well as job board postings.  Every program application has a fee, which may make it more pricey than getting a work visa through the country's government, but the BUNAC community provides a sense of security and peace of mind for those a bit weary of picking up, moving across an ocean, and trying to find a job.  While BUNAC is mainly designed to provide American students with job opportunities abroad, there are also options for students from the UK and Ireland.  Here is an extremely simple break down of the programs and their major requirements.  Check out their website for comprehensive details.

Work in Britain, Ireland, Canada, France:

• Must be at least 18 years old
• Currently enrolled as a full-time student
• Have a valid US Passport
• Visas tend to be for 6 months
• Application fees start at $290

Work in Australia or New Zealand

• Must be 18-30 for Australia; New Zealand up to 35
• Enrolled in University or have a degree
• $495 program fee plus mandatory health insurance
• Visas from 4 months up to 1 year

Volunteer in Peru, Cambodia, South Africa

• Programs range from 6-17 weeks
• Cost ranges from $1345-$1750
• Additional spending money required

My Quest for Willy

For as long as I can remember, my favorite animal has been the Killer Whale.  Yep, there is no doubt that Free Willy just penetrated my psyche and left me mesmerized by the complexity and beauty of those black and white creatures.  I have posters of Orcas breaching, stuffed animals, a beanie baby, Free Willy and Free Willy 2.  I went to Sea World and got sprayed by Shamu's belly flop.  I even followed Keiko's journey to freedom (Willy's real life counterpart)--and paused to mourn when he died a few years back.  

One of my dreams is to see my majestic friends in their natural habitat.  Even though I went to Sea World once as a child, I dislike the idea of it.  I know that part of the profits go to wildlife protection and conservation efforts blah blah blah but still, they have whales and dolphins in tanks.  I refuse to support animal captivity if I can help it.  My mom and I went on a whale watch cruise in Friday Harbor, WA when I was in the 7th grade, but no whales were in sight, and the highlight of my trip was eating some kelp straight from the sea.  Thoroughly unexciting.  

Now that I am living in the Pacific Northwest, I am more determined than ever to see my whales!  Try as they might, they cannot hide in that vast Pacific Ocean any longer.  The Puget Sound off the Washington coast is not only a popular place for transient Orcas, but it is also home to three pods of Orcas, totaling roughly 90 whales. 

 Thus, the Puget Sound is an obvious hot spot for whale watching in the summer months, with a plethora of cruise lines to choose from.  Three I found that have solid reputations are Island Adventures, Island Mariner Cruises, and San Juan Safaris.     

Two babies were added to the local pods in early February--how cute!--but unfortunately these local inhabitants were recently added to the endangered species list.  Why, you may ask?  Well no one knows exactly why yet, but experts are saying that it is likely the result of depleting numbers of Salmon--the whales' main diet, the warming waters, and the increasing number of whale watch boats, which not only pollute the waters but also may interfere with the whales' communication system due to all the noise.  Well shit.  Now what am I suppose to do?!

One way to help is by choosing a cruiseline that uses biodiesel fuel as oppose to regular old diesel because the ship omits less pollution.  The most prominent biodiesel line in the Puget Sound area is Western Prince.

Another option is to whale watch from the land.  Lime Kiln Point State Park on the San Juan Islands is part of the Washington State Parks, and apparently there is a lovely cove in the park where the local pods of Orcas come to eat and play.  The park is for day-use only, but packing a picnic and a good book for the short hike to the lookout point sounds like a lovely way to pass the time.  Plus, there is no threat of sea sickness!

Whether by land or by sea, come May I will venture up north to Washington's many harbors and finally get some face time with my longtime aquatic friends, if only for a brief magical moment.    

Jon Stewart + an Englishman: Ah, There's Nothing Better

Mr. Gervais made an appearance on one of my absolute favorite television shows, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  He was on promoting his new audio books, but the beginning of the interview was a hilarious yet painfully accurate take on the horrendous state of television. This is because almost everything is Reality-based these days, and we all know that means that it's undeniably scripted.  His interview reminded me of my recent television-viewing experiences in England, and I have to say I was shocked by the amount of reality programs on the tube.  I thought American broadcast networks were bad, but this was on a whole new level!  I mean, it seems as though the Brits love Reality TV so much that they even create a fictional dramatic horror series about their beloved Big Brother.  It's utterly fascinating.  And slightly disturbing.  As for Ricky and Jon, well as per usual, they're just hilarious. 

Quinoa: My Newest Obsession

A perk of unemployment is that I have become a chef of sorts for my Mom and sister.  It's really quite fun--I love going to the market and buying curious looking foods and fresh fruits and veggies on a daily basis, and I find that cooking is actually quite relaxing! Plus this new cookbook I have has yet to yield a disappointi

ng meal.  

My newest discovery in the grocery store is Quinoa, a deliciously scrumptious grain that is perfect for all us vegetarians/pescatarians/non-meat-eaters-for-whatever-reasons out there because it is a complete grain...meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids and has 6g of protein per serving.  What's even cooler than Quinoa's "super grain" status is it's History and durability.  The box will tell you that Quinoa was considered sacred in the Inca culture, and the Inca's called it the Mother Grain.  

Quinoa has been growing in the Andes Mountains for more than 5,000 years, and has learned quite well how to adapt to the Andes' climate of extreme heat, freezing cold, and minimal rainfall.  The greatest exporters of Quinoa are Peru and Bolivia.  How cool would it be to go to South America and see those vast fields of Quinoa?!  I doubt that this tiny photograph can begin to do justice to it's unique beauty.

Until I actually venture over to South America, I suppose I will have to settle for eating copious amounts of their delicious signature grain.  I told you, I'm obsessed!! Below is a super yummy recipe for Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers so you all can jump on the Quinoa band wagon too.  And if you don't like red peppers (à la my Padre) the Quinoa mixture is equally delicious on it's own!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

2 ribs celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

1 Tbs. ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup QUINOA

3 large carrots, grated (1.5 cups)

1.5 cups grated pepper Jack cheese, divided

4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft.  Add cumin and garlic, saute 1 minute.  Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes.  Cook 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water.  Cover, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.  Stir in 1 cup cheese.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.  Pour liquid from tomatoes in the bottom of the baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture and place in baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.  Uncover and sprinkle each pepper with remaining cheese.  Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Drizzle each pepper with pan juices before serving.

Hello There!

I want to see the world.  All of it.  This is a lofty goal, I realize, one only complicated by the ever-growing burden of my status as an unemployed college graduate.  Still, despite the worsening economy and because of the virtually non-existent job market, I am convinced that there is no time like the present to pack a bag and go on an adventure.  So that is my plan.  I have lived such a sheltered life--I cannot wait to burst that bubble and explore places near and far!  I am just beginning to research awesomely cool places to go to, as well as affordable means of getting to these said places, which is proving to be quite an eye-opening and never-ending process.  This whole life post-graduation thing proves very bizarre because on the one hand it is terrifying that I have nothing specific to do any more--no tests, no papers, no summer vacations--but on the other hand I can do whatever I want.  Anything and everything is possible.  My life is at a crossroads, and I am sitting in my car, in neutral, just waiting to switch gears and get going on the wonderfully and exhilaratingly open road in front of me.  At the moment, my sights are set on Australia or New Zealand--after all, what better place to begin an in-depth global journey than on the other side of the world?!