Asbury Park Reunion

Visited One of my Favorite Places & People on Earth
It Felt Sooooo Great to Be Back in the AP!

Back on the East Coast

So I left for the east coast on Monday, August 17th and arrived in New Paltz, NY on Thursday, August 20th. I start work on Monday, August 24th! So I have some time to breathe and relax. Here is the breakdown of my quick road trip back east:

Reunion with Kelsey-Girl!

Monday, August 17 - Travelled 388 miles to make a pit stop in Laramie to visit Ana. Then another 51miles to stay with my former next door neighbor, Holli. Time: about 7-hours.

Tuesday, August 18 - Travelled 445 miles to Lincoln, NE to stay with Audrey and Joe. So excited to see her after pretty much 2-years! Time: 6.5 hours!

Wednesday, August 19 - Travelled 521 miles and 8 hours to Chicago, IL to stay with Marc's friend, Jeremy.

Thursday, August 20 - The worst part of the entire trip: travelled 813 miles and what was supposedly a 12-hour drive, but turned out to be 15-hour drive to New Paltz, NY. I arrived to the Toman's at 11pm after almost dying on I-80 in Pennsylvania due to a huge, heavy downpour storm and huge 19-wheeler trucks take up their lane and mine! Super terrifying! But I arrived safe and sound to some old friends and Marc! Not to mention a bed! :)

The next day, we travelled to Asbury Park (another 127 miles) to visit with my Kelsey (wifey) and then another 52 miles to meet Marc's sister, Kim, and her friends in Long Beach Island for a beach vacay before work started!

After the long weekend and making it back to New Paltz for work on Monday, I travelled about 2,564 miles over 7-days and over 39-hours of driving. Poor Little Blue!

But super pumped to start work (tomorrow)!

TheChristyBel

TheChristyBel is Reunited with the Atlantic!
I Feel Home Again!

Meeting the Sister, Kim! :)

A Long Beach Island Sunset!

Marc and I Are Finally Back East!
Happy Dance!

Back in the AP!

Asbury Park Reunion!

Before making my way back to the Forever West to spend my January break in the Tetons, I had to make a visit to my second home, Asbury Park! Plus, my flight back to Jackson was starting off in Newark, NJ, so being in Asbury was a lot closer than Delaware. This was a convenient and perfect way to spend my last few days on the East Coast. On Sunday morning, my dad dropped me off at the Wilmington train station and I made my way into Philadelphia! There, I was greeted by two of my absolute favorite people: JJ and Kelsey! Ahhhhhhh! It was soooooo great being reunited with these two! After being picked up, we headed back to Asbury Park to let the shenanigans begin. Of course, there is no proper way to welcome yourself back to this wonderful beach town than to get Bloody Mary's, Mimosas, and Omelets at Johnny Mac's (on a Sunday morning)! So yea, we started off the day drinking at J-Mac's! So fun and so delicious! After J-Mac's, I headed over to Kelsey's family home where I got to see her mom, Diana, her sister, Lo, and the cairn, Zoe for a little visit.

Pickle Roll Sushi at Langosta

After watching the Giants vs. Eagles game at JJ's, Kelsey and I headed to Langosta Lounge for dinner! I love that place! And can you guess what I had for dinner?!?! Just guess...SUSHI! I have gone way too long without my most favorite food of all time. It was absolutely delicious! I had a Pickle Roll: I think it was shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, aioli, and all that is delicious. I've missed Asbury food! Ahhhhh! We ended up meeting Ian, Christopher, his girlfriend - Kat, and Kelsey's roommate, Krista. We had an absolute blast! Just catching up, being obnoxious, and laughing non-stop during dinner. I am pretty sure the people in the next booth behind us hated us being there, but too bad! We definitely own that place! haha.

I want to be reunited with my ocean!

Another great thing about being in Asbury is being sooo darn close to the beach. Surprisingly, we did not get to the beach as soon as I got there, but I could slightly see the waves in the distance and in the dark, no less! I had to press myself against the window like a little kid looking into a toy store to see it! Don't judge me, I was excited! It's been two years!

The next day, Kelsey and JJ had to work (the joys of being a student and not being employed at the moment), so I was able to explore Asbury Park on my own. That meant, a walk to the beach, sitting on the beach, touching the water (did not swim because it was pretty cold), and just absorbing the awesomeness of the Atlantic. I literally spent majority of my day just walking up and down the beach!

Morning Walk Next to the Atlantic

Reminiscing About Tweedy! I Miss Him!

Mogo Tacos!!!!! (Pork on Left, Chicken on Right)

Asbury Park Convention Hall

Exploring the Beach & Finding The Ocean's Gifts: Skate Egg Cases

Besides reuniting myself with the Atlantic, I was able to get some coffee at America's Cup (my favorite NJ coffee shop), visit the Convention Center, ate Mogo Tacos with Kelsey for lunch, and the boardwalk! That evening, we went out to Stella Marina for dinner (JJ, Kelsey, and I). Surprisingly, I had never gone to that restaurant before (Nate and I would stick to Brickwall and a bunch of other restaurants in the area), but Stella was pretty good. I got a mushroom fire-oven small pizza with Fontina cheese, arugula, mushrooms, and truffle oil! So good! The past two days were absolutely wonderful! Being back in Asbury was just awesome! There is something that is so relaxing, calming, and refreshing about being by that ocean and that place. It definitely can cure any home-sick-ness and make ya happy!

Thanks For the Wonderful Asbury Reunion, JJ and Kelsey! It was the best!
Now come to the Tetons!
Yes, Kelsey, in Nature!

Next Stop: the Tetons to be reunited with the Nelson crew and Marc for New Years! Get ready!
TheChristyBel

Living the East Coast Dream

The moment finally arrived on Friday, December 20 - the moment I was able to congratulate myself on completing my first semester of graduate school!

I set foot back on my East Coast Homelands around 4:30pm EST, where one of my besties, Brenna was waiting for me at the Philadelphia International Airport!

Oh, Hello, Philadelphia! I've Missed You!

It was such a wonderful feeling and a sense of relief when I saw the skyline. Even though I am not at all a city girl, Philly is always a comforting sight of home!

First Stop - Brew HaHa! Coffee! Delicious!

Of course when I got home, I had to endulge in some East Coast treats, like Brew HaHa! And Wawa! Haha. And of course fitting in as much time with friends, like Brenna, Lana, Tine, Jaclyn, and many DNS people!

I'm Glad my EMS Boys Enjoy My Postcards & Photos!

Another wonderful thing that I got to do was get back into working mode with Eastern Mountain Sports! I am 200% positive the boys enjoyed having a girl back in the store. I mean come on, who else would trot back into 151, put on a. Onesie and dance around the store...this girl! And I totally did on my first shift back!

It was also really touching to see my postcard and photos on the wall in the break room! I guess they did miss me! Haha such a loser I am for being all emotional about this!

Christine & Christy
Friendship Established in 1999!

Being back for only 2 weeks was clearly not enough time to work, visit with friends and family, and complete a long bucket list of east coast wishes. But what I did do was make sure I was busy my entire stay! Never sitting around!

Home is Where the Wawa Is!

On the second weekend of my stay, Luke and I traveled to Asbury Park, NJ for the night to visit with my wifey, Kelsey! So excited to see her!

Forever in Love with New Jersey!

Even though I am not a true blood, Jersey girl, I still feel this is a second comfort of home for me (despite former relationships that brought me there in the first place).

Mogo Taco Fix

As soon as I got into AP, we had to introduce Luke to Mogo Tacos and check out and support the grand opening on the new shop! By far the best tacos ever!

Wifeys Reunited!

Later that night, we hit up the town like old times. Checked out some oldies but goodies as well as some new bars. Very fun!

Bar Hopping in Asbury Park!

We're Cute as a Button!

I am so happy I got to see Kelsey! I miss her so much! Despite how crazy and terrible he circumstances were on how we met 2013 brought me to one of my newest best friends! It kills me That we are so far away from each other!

XOXO

The day before New Years, I took a hike at Ashland Nature Center with Tracey, her husband Glynn, and two of my favorite children ever, Kaylen and William! A great morning hike catching up and playing! I even took a stroll to my favorite secret spot ever, my tree. As a child  to when I needed a break from my desk in the nature center, this tree was my go to and escape!

My Favorite Place on Earth!

Not only did I see my tree, but had a Delaware Nature Society reunion with staff and my fellow interns, Brittany, Austin, and the newest addition to our DNS Family, baby Micah! Micah is by far the cutest babies of all time! His Auntie Christy loves him so much!

The Fantastic Foursome - With Newly Inducted Baby Micah!

Also the day before I leave, the east coast recorded about 7 inches of snow! Very appropriate as I prepared to head back west, as well as I needed snow to do snow density data research for my Winter Ecology class back in the Tetons!

Doesn't Feel Like the Holidays Without Snow!

Saying goodbye to everyone just after reconnecting with them 2 weeks earlier was such a tease! I mean, I'm ready to continue with school, but not at all ready to have to get up and leave home. I cannot wait until my winter break is a month long and not two weeks!

Brandon & I
EMS Represent!

My heart will always head East,

TheChristyBel

Orion Magazine: Place Where You Live

"A sense of place is the sixth sense, an internal compass and map made by memory and spatial perception together.” —Rebecca Solnit

For our Place-Based Education Class, we had to write about a place that we used to live and that we had a connection with and submit it to Orion Magazine.  Besides Delaware, I have had a strong connection with Asbury Park, New Jersey, and can say that mostly every weekend, I did live there.

Being introduced to this town through Nate, at first, was very unsure of this town; because at times, that city is a little scary and out there.  But, over the past four years, AP also has its own uniqueness and personality that has made me warm up to it.  Not to mention all of the people that I have met in that town, that have become like a second family to me.  So, I chose to write a small little blurb about good 'ol Asbury Park, New Jersey.  Enjoy.

You can also view the passage on Orion Magazine's website on the The Place Where You Live webpage. TheChristyBel - The Place Where You Live - Asbury Park, NJ

My Personal Sketch of Some of My Favorite Places Along the Asbury Park Boardwalk.

Asbury Park, New Jersey: not like all the other Jersey Shore towns.  Sure, there are great dance parties and great beach access, but there is much more that A.P. has to offer.  This tight-knit beach community was full of art, music, and soul.

I would travel up to Asbury Park, New Jersey every weekend from Delaware to visit friends that lived there.  There was always a bunch of things going at any given time; we had everything you could think of at our fingertips: from places to hang out, access to nature hikes, and lots of musical and artistic talent to spice up your day.  America’s Cup was one of our favorite places to spend a mellow, relaxing morning with a great cup of coffee.  We would be greeted with a smile from the owner, who knew our orders without asking.  I loved sitting and sketching at a window table while talking with the friends and locals. Then at night, depending on what was going on, you could usually find me at shows where my friends would be playing music, at art shows or galleries, or hanging out at one of our favorite bars.

The best memories I had being in Asbury Park were going to a show full of talented, local musicians at the Saint until the late hours of the night, and then indulging in the best Korean tacos you ever tasted at Mogo Taco.

The art and music was my absolute favorite part about A.P.  As an artist, I loved how everywhere you went, you could find someone’s personal, creative touch painted on sides of buildings, or could be heard as you walked along the boardwalk or the bars.  The local creativity and artistic talent that Asbury Park holds is beyond outstanding and it helps you embrace your inner artist as well.  Also, the community is extremely supportive of each other.  No wonder I spent every weekend in this town, great people, great music and art; it was a home away from home.

Nothing Like an Asbury Park Sunrise to Start Off Your Day

Asbury Park Boardwalk

Convention Hall

Feeling Nostalgic...So Much Time Having to Think of Home.

Missing Home,
TheChristyBe

Asbury Park Finale

Made it to New Jersey around 10:00pm Friday night and met the LJ boys at the Daulphin Grille at the Berkeley Bar.  I got there just in time to watch the second set of the Accidental Seabirds.  That is one thing I am going to miss th most about this unique town on the Jersey Shore-the music.  This community is just filled with huge amounts of talent and wonderful people.  Not to mention waking up to the beach was always such a plus!  Gotta get used to not seeing an ocean. Weird!!!!!

Tender moments with the LJ Boys!

A rare moment in time: Christy drinking a beer!

Friday morning, started the day with a lot of temporary 'lasts'...and of course you must have one last New Jersey bagel with the works!  America's Cup Coffee Co. will always be a favorite place in my heart.  It's a great place for a nice Chai Latte and a comforable place to do work and peoe watch!

What I would to pay someone to ship me a huge NJ bagel every morning for my breakfast! Haha. But it is also exciting to think about what new foods I am going to love when I get out west! I wonder maybe I'll even get into buffalo?!? Just kidding, but I'm open to new things!

America's Cup Coffee Co.

Last Bagel from the East Coast!  With the Works!

After getting a full stomach on only half of that bagel sandwich, Nate, Jay and I made one last effort to soak of the Jersey Shore rays and water.  Like every typical Saturday in the summer, Bradley Beach was truly happening with lots of people there. The water was the perfect temperature: cool and refreshing, always a great idea and feeling after a night of drinking to restart you with a morning dip!

Last Summit Pose on the East Coast...even if it's at Bradley Beach!

All fun things must come to an end and a few more errands were needed to help prepare us for the 2,800+ mile adventure.  I don't know about you but eating out at take out places and quick stops can be delicious and all but it gets expensive and not healthy at times. Made a stop at the grocery store for some on the road and at camp site essentials. Yes there were a few self indulgences along the way that mysteriously made it into the cart, but the feeling of making our own food is very rewarding on the road, and if you know how to shop, not as expensive!

Road Trip Grub

Following dinner with Nate's family, we all headed to Belmar to watch Lightning Jar's last show with Nate as the mandolin player.  They played 2 hours worth of mostly original songs intertwined with some covers of The Wait, High and Dry, and Don't Come Around Here Nomore.  Great turnout for the show, especially the little girl, Daphne, who just danced her heart out to the music. Precious moments!

Lightning Jar's little tiny dancer!

Before heading back to get some sleep for the 12+ drive to Chicago.  We had one last enjoyment: Mogo Tacos!  The saddest day of our lives!  These Korean tacos made from this small building on the boardwalk are De-Lici-Ous!!!!

Saddest Moment Ever: Last Mogo Taco!

Saying goodbye to my friends in Ashbury was really hard.  But don't you worry, AP, it's not forever!  We'll be back!

Saying Goodbye to Jay-Man.

TheChristyBel