Treasured Memories

I finally have the opportunity to tell you about my week in Iowa! :) As you may already know, it's my first time in America, and therefore Iowa is a completely new part of the world for me, so I really enjoyed experiencing life there. We spent our first day in Cherokee with Logan's grandparents, the next  three days in Okoboji at Logan's grandaparents' cabin by the lakes, on the fourth day we went back to Cherokee, and then the last two days we spent at Logan's other grandma's house in Ottumwa. It was a really eventful and enjoyable week, and I had such a wonderful time and am so happy I have a bunch of wonderful memories to look back on :) 

Logan took me to his childhood park in Cherokee. It was really nice to finally be able to experience places he's spent his whole life experiencing!

Our first day at lake Okoboji! We took a tour on the lake on a boat called The Queen II. It's such a beautiful place, and I loved looking at all the big beautiful houses surrounding the water. It would be incredible to own one of those houses!

Later that afternoon we played mini golf, which was a really nice and relaxed way to spend the evening :) I learnt that I absolutely SUCK at mini golf haha.

The sunset was really beautiful that night. We went to have frozen yoghurt at a cafe called bon bon, and it was so delicious! The sun was setting whilst we were sat outside enjoying our desserts, a perfect end to the day :')

The following day we went out on the boat. Logan and his grandparents went fishing. I gave it a go, but I didn't actually want to catch anything because I hate the thought of causing harm to an innocent little fish! I still had a really lovely day soaking up the sun though, and enjoying the sounds and sights of the water. The weather was beautiful which made the day all the more enjoyable.

These two photos were taken at Spirit Lake. I really love this photo of me and Logan and I think i'm going to frame it when I get home, or at least put it up somewhere for me to be able to look at all of the time :)

These two photos were taken back in Cherokee at a park that Logan used to go all the time as a child to play on the swings and climbing frames. Again, I really enjoyed being able to experience things that's helped shaped Logan into the person that he is today. I LOVE this photo of us! You know, the major thing i've learnt from this trip is that I should never again underestimate the power of love. Logan and I have been together for almost four years (in November), and for three of those years we've lived in separate countries, yet our relationship is still as strong as ever, and continues to grow each and every day! Our friendship is still the most important friendship I have ever had, and his love still never fails to make me the happiest i've ever been. Although we've been apart more than we've been together these past three years, every moment without him was and will always be completely worth every moment I get to spend together with him.

 On our last day in Iowa we went to the Iowa State Fair. It was both mine and Logan's first time there, and it was quite a unique experience, i'm really glad we went! They had loads of horses, and being a horse back rider, I really enjoyed seeing such tall and beautiful horses!

This was such a strange meeting! Blake (the guy on the right) was one of my room mates this year in university in Bangor. He was an exchange student from Iowa, and he just happened to be working at the state fair! It's such a small world!

This seriously was the best lemonade I have ever had! I've never been a big fan of lemonade, but the ones at the fair just looked too good to miss out on. It was so sweet and was just perfect for a summer's day.

Another first time for Logan and I.... deep fried oreos! They sure don't sound like they would be very tasty, but I felt obligated to try them just so that I can return back to Europe and say that I had a deep fried oreo in the States, meehee. And guess what... they were so good! They were so soft and warm, and just YUM!

So as you can see, Logan and I were super busy during our week in Iowa! We left to go to Chicago on the 18th, and we stayed the night in Logan's new apartment, and left for Tennessee on the 19th. Our night in Chicago was perfect. It was our anniversary, three years and nine months! Logan and I are only ever together for about two or three of our anniversary's a year, so they're always super special to us when we actually get to celebrate together! We had a lovely night. We went out for dinner at a restaurant called California Pizza Kitchen, and we had the most delicious pizza! Seriously, it may have been one of the best pizza's I have ever had! And the dessert, OH MY GOSH, that was insanely good! It was butter cake with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Afterwards Logan took me to Navy Pier, it was closed, so we sat by the water right by the pier, and it was really romantic and  like I mentioned in a previous post, one of my favourite things to do with Logan is to just sit by water and talk and look out onto the water, admire the pretty lights of the boats and stars. It was a perfect anniversary, and I wouldn't have had it any other way :) 

This was my first time seeing Chicago, and it's an absolutely beautiful city! Logan has been living here for the past three years, for college, and i've never visited! He's always be the one to visit me in Singapore (because both his family and I still lived there). So finally I was able to see where he's been these past three years! It was completely different to how I imagined! The architecture is gorgeous, and there is just an incredible amount to do there, I don't know how you could ever get bored. I've missed being in a big city, I haven't been in one since I lived in Singapore, so since September! And yeah, I love small towns, the country side and the sea, but I also really love the city life. I love how it's always so busy and always full of life. It's hard for me to feel alone in a city, I feel. Which is one of the reasons why I love cities. Whenever you're upset or feel alone you can just watch the world around you and you don't feel so alone any more. Another thing I love about cities is the lights! One of my favourite things in the entire world are lights. Chicago at night time, wow, the lights are amazing. I love the view from Logan's apartment window, he overlooks the city and so at night I wanted to just lay and look out the window and just enjoy the city lights :')

Logan and I have been back in Tennessee for the past five days and we go back to Chicago tomorrow, so i'll be spending my last five days in the U.S, in Chicago. I'm really sad to leave Tennessee, because i've fallen so in love with this state. It's so charming, and it's such a pretty place. I'm quite in my place here too, with music taste and such. Elvis Presley is everywhere here, what Tennessee being his home, and for those of you who know me well will know that i'm a big fan of Elvis! We went to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville the other day and they had Elvis's car and gold piano there. It was pretty cool! They also had Taylor Swift's guitar, which I loved to see as well, because i'm a fan of her too :) 

I have a crazy love for vintage things, especially type writers. I really want one! If someone were to give me a vintage typewriter as a present, I might cry haha. They're just so beautiful! I fell in love with this one <3

This was Elvis Presley's car! It's awesome, and I could totally imagine him in it. He had a gold plated tv in the back, which I thought was pretty darn cool :3

This is Elvis Presley's gold piano! Elvis was such a great piano player, I wish he had played the piano for the public as much as he had the guitar! Seriously, what a piano to have in your home huh!?

Taylor Swift's guitar! It's so pretty, I would love to own a guitar this beautiful! This photo really doesn't do it justice, really doesn't capture the sparkle and shine of it! My eyes were in heaven just looking at this guitar <3

After the Country Music Hall of Fame we went to RCA Studio B! Which was incredibly cool! So many amazing singers have recorded at that studio, including Elvis, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson, Dolly Parton, The Everly Brothers, and many more. 

Logan and I sitting at the piano Elvis used to always play <3

This is the studio! The tour guide had us all sit down in the chairs circling the room, and told us about the history of the studio. She told us that Elvis used to stand and sing at the bottom right hand side (of this photo) of the room. She told us the story of when he recorded Are You Lonesome Tonight.... Elvis was becoming frustrated because one of his back up singers kept singing the last word incorrectly, so he told everyone to leave the room, he turned off all the lights, and sang the song in complete darkness, and this version is the one that was used. The tour guide asked us all to close our eyes, and she played the song and told us to imagine being there at that moment in time. It was amazing! I could feel the music and could feel Elvis singing it in the room. It was a heart melting experience <3

I have had such a wonderful time in both Iowa and Tennessee, and i'm very sad to say goodbye to Tennessee, it really has won a big place in my heart, however I am looking forward to my next five days in Chicago, and am really excited to spend some one on one time with Logan in the place he's been living for the past three years. There are so many sights to see and so many more memories to be made. I won't be blogging until i'm back in Spain, because I really do just want to enjoy every single moment I have left with Logan this summer, because I won't be with him again until Christmas (maybe even later, our plan isn't concrete yet). So have a wonderful week everybody, and I'll be sure to update you about my time in Chicago once i'm back in Spain!

-Alyssa xo

Never Underestimate the Power of Love

wow wow wow! So I have so much to tell you! I'm back in Tennessee now, and had the most amazing week in Iowa and day in Chicago! Before I tell you all about my week in other states I have to tell you about my last two days in Tennessee before I left!

On the 9th August Logan and I went shopping in downtown Nashville, and then ate at a restaurant called Rock Bottom, it was a really nice restaurant, really really big, with dimmed lights, a really cool atmosphere, and the veggie pizza I had was delish! Not to mention the mouth watering brownie Logan and I shared after wards! One word.. YUM! After dinner Logan and I went to sit by the river for a little while which was really nice because Logan and I, for as long as we've been together (even before) have spent a lot of our time together at night by water, and we haven't been able to as much as we used to since we both moved from Singapore. So it was a really romantic and special night for me, which is why I really wanted to share it with you :)

Our taxi driver said something really beautiful on the way home that night. He and Logan were talking and he asked Logan if I were his girlfriend, Logan said yes, and then the taxi driver asked if I lived in Tennessee too, when Logan explained that we live in different countries, the taxi replied with 'well I guess love has a way of finding it's way'.  I feel like I've been given so signs and messages during my time in America, about staying strong in our long distance relationship, and I don't usually believe in this kind of thing, but I honestly don't think it's been a coincidence. One of the messages was on a poster and it read ' never underestimate the power of love', and this message just sums up my time here in America with Logan <3

The following day we had to wake up super early (5am!!!!) to run 5k for the NFL series opening. I must admit, although 5k isn't that far, I was worried I would find it terribly difficult because I haven't been to the gym this whole summer (woopsies!). However I actually really enjoyed it, it was a great start to the day :) We ran through down town Nashville, and the fact that I've fallen so in love with Nashville made it all the nicer :) The run also finished in the Titan's football field, which was pretty cool seeing as I've never been in an NFL field before! Everybody received a medal as well, which I'm going to keep as a souvenir.

After the run we all (Logan, Logan's family, and I) went to an american diner (my first one!), called Noshville, for breakfast. I ordered hot chocolate and chocolate chip pancakes, and man the pancakes were huge! I couldn't even finish one of them! 

Later on in the day Logan and I went to the mall and I spent a good 45 minutes in Victoria's Secret picking out a new perfume and phone case. I loooooveeee my new phone cover, it's so pretty! I got Kiss perfume, and I don't want it to ever run out because it's such a lovely scent, very sweet and girly. I'm an avid Victoria's Secret fan, I don't think I could ever get enough of it! 

The following morning Logan and I flew to Iowa, and spent the week there. However it is incredibly late here now and I should really get some shut eye, so i'll be sure to tell you all about my week in Iowa some time soon! Goodnight lovelies <3

-Alyssa xo

Catch Up!

Wow, so i've really fallen behind with my blog updates! I have three days I need to fill you in on! 

6th August 2013
I don't have much to tell you about this day really. I went shopping with Logan, Logan's mum and Logan's brothers for a while. I went in my first ever Target store! Logan is always raving about it, and I understand why... it really does have EVERYTHING haha.

7th August 2013
This day was awesome, I had such a lovely time. I went to a vintage car exhibition with Logan and his Mum and Logan's youngest brother.

This orange car was my favourite car, it was so gorgeous!

After the car exhibition we went to a Jack Spencer exhibition, he's a photographer from Tennessee, and his work is incredible! I really enjoyed the exhibition and I could have stayed in there all day. It was so peaceful and cosy, and the work was so beautiful and had such interesting symbolism and meaning.

8th August 2013

Logan took me out to lunch in Franklin at a restaurant called 55 South, and I had the BEST tuna nachos ever! They were incredibly delicious! Actually, come to think of it, this day was just full of yummy food for me! That night we went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner and I had the best lo mein vegetable noodles.

9th August 2013

This day was just too special for it to have to share a post, so i'll write all about it in a separate post when I get back from IOWA!

I won't be blogging next week, so I hope you all have an amazing week, full of love, laughter and smiles! :) 

-Alyssa xo

In Love With Tennessee

I can't even express how happy I am to be here in Tennessee with Logan. I've always wanted to explore the U.S, and now that's exactly what I'm doing. Obviously I'm not going to experience all the States, however I will get a flavor of three: Tennessee, Iowa and Illinois. Tennessee is amazing, I'm so in love with it. I could totally live here, it's such a me place! So friendly, cosy and pretty. I would love to be here during Christmas, I can only imagine how beautiful it would be, with all the lights, cute decorations and warm festivity! I'm so glad that I'm able to visit Tennessee, and to finally experience what Logan has been experiencing.

Every single day I've been here I've had such a great time. My second day in Tennessee was really nice, but sadly I only took a few photos. I'll post them anyhow. In the morning we went to the Franklin farmers market. And I know it might sounds strange, but I really loved it, it's really my kind of place. If I had the opportunity to buy fresh vegetables and homemade granola, honey and jam from a farmers market every week, I would! I'm s sucker for natural and fresh things, so I was pretty much in heaven there.

After the market Logan and his parents took me out to lunch at a really nice restaurant called Saffire, and I had the biggest salad ever, which I couldn't even manage to finish half of. The restaurant was in a really cool shopping mall, again, totally my kind of place... it was full of artsy shops, gift shops, home decor shops and shops where you can take lessons,  for example they had a store that did culinary classes, and another store which did stained glass making. Logan and I saw them all one after another and got pretty excited about doing them all! Although I would love to take all the classes with Logan, it will work out to be really expensive, so we'll see how it goes. I've asked Logan if he'll take me back to that mall at some point so that we can look round again properly, I want to check out the gift stores and such, yay! 

On the third day we went to Nashville Broadway! And oh my gosh, I LOVE it. I wish I could go back there a thousand times more. I'm so excited to go back there with Logan some time soon because it was amazing. It's better than I imagined it would be. We went into a bar where a guy was singing and he was incredibly good. All the other singers and musicians I heard that day were all really good :') Well I guess, Nashville is THE place to go if you're a musician trying to be found. I could go on and on about Nashville for hours even though I was only there for under two hours. So I'll narrow it down and explain the photos that I took whilst I was there.

 I really want to buy boots and a hat! But I know I'd look pretty ridiculous if I wore them any where other than here, so I'll have to control my urge to buy them. There are so many hats and boots apparel stores in Nashville. I didn't go into one this day, however I do plan on going into one when I go back, because I've never been into one. Walking around Nashville my ears were in heaven because Southern American accents are my favourite accents in the entire world!

We went into a candy store, and oh my gosh, it was full of amazing stuff. Logan and I bought a carmel apple like the ones you see in the photo to the right (except not covered in chocolate and nuts, just a plain caramel one), but we still haven't managed to eat it yet! We've got to eat it soon though because we're leaving for IOWA in a couple of days!


That evening Logan took me to the mall where he's been working this summer, and it was so great being in a mall again! The last time I was in a shopping mall was in April, and I've only been to that same one in Spain this whole year. I hadn't been to any other mall since I lived in Singapore, so since September! :O I got to go into Victoria's Secret, and for those of you who know me well will know how much I enjoyed that (I'm a big big Victoria's Secret fan).

We then went out to dinner with Logan's parents and brothers. All the restaurant's I've eaten at here have been really nice! Really nicely decorated with friendly and cosy atmospheres. And guess what!? I tried Alligator for the first time :O Even though I'm pescetarian, it's a really popular food here and I felt like giving it a go, so I did! Actually these past few weeks I've been considering eating meat again. I may eat some meat when I go to IOWA because I'll be staying with Logan's grandparents and I feel kind of rude if they have to make separate meals for me, I feel like a nuisance.

On Monday, Logan's mum, Logan and I went to Belle Meade Plantation, which is where famous race horses were raised in the 1800's. It was a nice, cultural day out, I really enjoyed it.

I wanted to take a photo of this dish because it's local. It's fried green tomatoes, and they were really yummy!

I don't know if you can read the sign because it's quite small, but it reads 'slave cabin'. This little hut was where the slaves of Belle Meade Plantation would sleep. There were over a hundred slaves, and the cow hut opposite was bigger than the slave cabin! Inside there were information boards about individual slaves that used to reside there, I found them really interesting to read. A lot of them actually chose to stay and work at the plantation even after slavery had been abolished.

I'm falling incredibly behind on updating you on my holiday in the U.S! I have done so much more since the day I went to Belle Meade, but I just haven't had time to write about it!

-Alyssa xo