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When the semester starts, so does A LOT of responsibility: classes, homework, teaching, etc.

The end of break was in sight. The situation was dire.

Trish, Steven and I figured we had just enough time for one last trip and we headed south…

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Whether it’s halfway around the world or a few blocks down the street I live on, sometimes the smallest things can make a trip to the grocery store fresh again.

Luckily for me, I had my phone handy yesterday when these details included sugar Coke mixed in with corn syrup Coke, new brands of orange drink, several fruits & vegetables I’d never seen before and Hannah Montana piñatas…

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When it comes to weather, Kansas is a bit unpredictable. I never counted on a white Christmas or even a cold Christmas and always figured I was flexible when it came to how the holidays “should” be. But spending the holiday season in New Zealand this year was confusing.

With the sun out and the beaches full of kids on holiday, there’s no trouble getting into the swing of summer. I can wear sandals, shorts and t-shirts walking to town and eat lunch on my parents’ back patio while the house’s doors and windows are all open to catch the breeze.

On the other hand, I could totally get into the holiday spirit just by reading in the living room next to our family’s tiny Christmas tree with white lace snow flakes, or when the kids the language school where my mom works learned to bake holiday pies.

The problem comes with doing both at the same time. Every time we turn on the radio or tv, there’s advertisements: “Do your holiday shopping during Farmer’s summer blowout sales!” “Get your Kiwi bloke a grill this holiday season!” “Spend your Christmas Eve at AC Baths – swimming, raffles, prizes!” Every time we watch tv, there’s commercials that just do not make sense to me.

I realized just how embedded some of my seasonal patterns are; I get little twinges when things don’t match up, whether it’s tourists who show up in July and complain about the cold or my mother referring to April as “last fall.”

Luckily, this complicated problem has a simple fix : there’s nothing more relaxing or more joyous than a family Christmas picnic at the beach.

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Growing up in Kansas, the holiday season was always a time of intensity and stress. Big family gatherings meant lots of arrangements, presents and preparation, plus in our family of mixed religious backgrounds, we always ended up trying to celebrate a little bit of everything – but I never felt like we fully landed on anything.

When I went to college and my parents moved to New Zealand, all of this came to an end. Now the holidays were about the winter break from classes and long distance phone calls – definitely less stressful, but also less celebratory.

Now that the move has become semi-permanent, my parents decided that my brother and I should get one annual visit each and this year we’ve all ended up in the same place for Christmas again, albeit halfway around the world from where we used to be. It’s been odd to listen to Christmas music with the windows open for the breeze, or to walk down the block looking at holiday lights in shorts and sandals.

But there’s huge rewards for if you can make the “difficult” adjustment : it turns out there’s nothing more relaxing or more joyous than a family Christmas picnic at the beach.

This post has been entered into the Grantourismo HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition

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Because I can never pass up an opportunity to photograph a good meal : food photos from Tuesday’s reporting trip to San Luis with Cronkite NewsWatch reporter Laura Yanez (the story about SENTRI is here, and check out other Arizona news at the main Cronkite News page)

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I take a lot of photos when I travel, but I’ve read that the sense of smell is possibly the most powerful sense when it comes to triggering memory and personally I find taste to be right up there too. I know I said this was a travel blog and keep writing posts about food, but for me the kinds of food you find can tell a lot of information about where you are – and I’m always up for good food.

Also, sometimes it’s not possible to take a full blown trip but you can get a taste of the experience by finding the right restaurant – then, grabbing lunch or dinner can be an excellent mini-break, especially if your table is close enough to the kitchen to catch all the sounds and scents of cooking. I wish I’d snapped a photo of the gorgeous vegetarian appetizer plate, too – but the fact that it was empty before I thought to should give you an idea of how good it was.

When it comes to the Phoenicia, located just next to ASU’s Tempe campus, there’s an extra bonus to stopping by and eating delicious Mediterranean food. The Phoenicia isn’t just a restaurant, it’s also a grocery store where you can buy the ingredients and try to creating an experience in your own kitchen – or at least get an idea of the spices, rices, and other ingredients that you can find in other places.

I don’t think I’ve managed to go there yet without buying something for the road…

…whether it’s short trip or a long trip back to home.

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Still hungry? Don’t worry, there’s more…

Zinburger

All kinds of folks find Zinburger appealing, and it’s recently opened its doors in Phoenix, too. The burgers award-winning burgers have already been spoken for, but I’ve got 5 words for you : “zucchini fries” and “banana cream pie.”

Sausage Deli

And to anyone who says, “How different can a sandwich be?” I’ve got three more words : “the Italian Grinder.”

That’s all for this round, but I’ll report future finds as I discover them…

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So I’ve just entered the editing phase of this project, which means I’m traveling A LOT less – I’m completely stationary, in fact, until edits are approved and the project starts going up. It’s an opportunity, therefore, to catch up with post ideas that haven’t yet made it to press. For example, with all the time I spent in Tucson, I’ve got a few more restaurant suggestions – just step this way, there’s a table waiting for you at…

Rigo’s

There’s a reason I have no pictures of the food for Rigo’s – I didn’t think of anything except how good everything tasted until my plate was nearly empty. No problem, though, I’ll just have to go back and eat there again!

Trident Grill

Another option is Trident Grill, known for its crabcakes but also featuring great fish and chips, which are still kind of a novelty to this Kansas-grown girl.

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Look up in the bar and restaurant area at Maynards, and your view will be this intriguing pattern. While you eat, blues will be spilling from the speakers of what used to be a historic train depot. My first time there, I ate lunch on the patio while trains passed; this time, dinner in the restaurant.

Either way, it’s all about great food…

great company…

and a great time.

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