Jamie's Favorite Wizarding World Things

Wizarding World of Harry Potter was an experience of a lifetime for me! Hogwarts Castle, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, King's Cross, Platform 9 3/4, the Knight Bus, Ollivander's... and that's just the tip of the Sorting Hat when it comes to what I experienced at Universal Orlando. Of course, the park's not perfect, but there’s so much to explore and discover, especially now that there are two parts—Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. I spent two days at Universal, and went back and forth between the parks four times (three of which were on the Hogwarts Express)! Here are my seven favorite things from my Wizarding World experience:

7. Sweets

There's so much candy that I'm getting a sugar high just thinking about it! I dived into the selection at Honeydukes in Hogsmeade and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. And yeah, I'm bringing home an assortment of sweets, including chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, jelly slugs, Fainting Fancies, and a Honeydukes container with fruit balls. (That's right, fruit balls.)

 

6. Photo Ops

There were just so many! It felt like I was handing my camera to my boyfriend every other minute and begging him to take my picture in front of this or next to that. Here are some of the best ones!

The Knight Bus

Muggle entrance to the Ministry of Magic

12 Grimmauld Place

The Vanishing Cabinet in Borgin and Burkes

 

5. Performances & Character Actors

Photo ops went from good to great when there was someone to pose with, like the Stan Shunpike look-a-like and the Hogwarts conductor below! Also, I was awed by the performances! I managed to catch the Hogwarts Choir in Hogsmeade and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees in Diagon Alley. (Also, check out the Ravenclaw student who's pointing right at me!)

Knight Bus conductor

Hogwarts Express conductor

Hogwarts Choir

Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees

4. Hogwarts Castle

It’s just so pretty!

3. Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes

When I walked into Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, I was wowed. (That's a lot of w's.) It's how I pictured it, except that I imagined it about five times bigger. Being able to walk inside and explore was amazing! The intricacies, including the tightrope Umbridge and the fireworks on the ceiling, made me love it even more! 

 

2. Hogwarts Express

Riding on the Hogwarts Express is awesome! It could’ve been a longer trip (though I understand why it wasn’t) and they could’ve gotten an actress to voice Hermione that sounded more like her, but the stations, the train, the cabins, and the view out the window are great!

 

1. Butterbeer!

No explanation needed.

 

 

Have you been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? If so, what did you enjoy about the experience? If not, are you planning on going? If you are, what are you most excited about experiencing?
 

The Purpose of Vacation

Last Saturday I returned from a week-long family vacation to Charleston, South Carolina. There was sand and sun and ocean and relaxation and reading. There was family time and beach time and even a little time for history and shopping. It was fabulous! But now that I’ve been back to the grind for a week, I’ve been thinking: why do we vacation?

 

To Escape

This is not how Indiana looks. There are no palm trees or plantations in my home state (that I know of).  

 

 

To Relax

Nothing says relaxation like a beach chair and the ocean.

 

To Explore

While kayaking down a backwoods river I counted one owl, two alligators and just about a million dragonflies.

 

To Experience Something Different

Charleston is a lot of things I’m not used to. It’s the South. It’s a city that’s older than this country. It’s a harbor town which seemingly has more water than land. There’s seafood, brightly-colored shorts, miles of beaches, cobblestones and lots of “y'alls.”  

 

To Experience Something Risky

Like HOLDING A SHARK. (Don't worry, we threw them back.)

 

To Experience Beauty

*still in awe*

 

To Let Go

Dance with the wind in my arms, the sand and surf between my toes and not a care or worry in my head!

 

 

Why do YOU vacation?

The Europe of Inspiration

It’s been almost five years since my last excursion to Europe, but I still delve into the photos often for inspiration. One of my favorite things about going through old photos is finding one I don’t remember and experiencing it as if for the first time. Then letting the image take me down the path to inspiration. As I dance/cry/trudge through the madness of NaNoWriMo, here are some images that inspire me, from my previous trips to Europe.

Antwerp, Belgium

Birmingham, England



Northern France

Ireland

London

Mont St. Michel

Omaha Beach

Paris

 

Pointe du Hoc, Normandy

Tervuren, Belgium

 

As you were viewing the images, did you see the Belgian businessmen? (Though, one looks more like a zookeeper, which would make sense since the Antwerp Zoo is RIGHT outside the station.) Did you see the Irish lovers, embracing at the end of the lighthouse? The English gentlemen at the pub? The French boy studying in the gardens?

The images are beautiful, but it’s the people who make them worth more than a thousand words. Each one is a story in itself, at least 50000 words in length.
 

Happy NaNoing!

Owl Always Love Owls

A photo essay of—you guessed it—owls

While I’m in the deep, dark caverns of NaNoWriMo, I thought I’d share my fascination and slight OBSESSION with owls. My first inkling at the greatness of owls was of course Hedwig, the bird with personality who sacrificed herself for Harry Potter. (Plus, owls are just so cute!) I’ve become somewhat of a collector of awesome owl figurines. Here are some of the owls that adorn my apartment:

Hedwig: The Original Owl

Welcome to My Apartment Owl

Coffee Owl (He's had too much caffeine.)

Festive Owl!

Fridge Owl

Plate Owl

Owl Towel

Yes, that is my shower curtain. (It makes me happy in the morningtime.)

Oh, and there’s a Mockingjay.

He felt left out.

 

Declaration to Society

I’ve said it once or twice. Maybe I’m closing in on a dozen times. But, here it is again: I am a writer. I tell stories. I dream in dialogue. And the Day 1 Habits of Great Writers Challenge was to tell someone that you are afraid to, or that might judge you. I didn’t have someone particular in mind, so I decided to declare it to society.

I made a sign, and embarked on a journey to campus. I enlisted my awesome boyfriend, Josh, to assist as photographer. At first, I was weary of the sign I carried around in public. I wanted to roll it up or at least fold it so no one would see. But, what’s the point in that?

It was tough as I posed with my sign. I wanted no one to be around, but I understood that wasn’t the point of the declaration. As we ventured into more trafficked areas of campus, I began to feel more comfortable carrying a sign that said, in colorful bold print: “I am a writer.”

Here’s my photo journey:

 


Just across the street from the parking garage, there is one of IU’s great antiquey clocks.



The Showalter Fountain: A mother from a tour group walked around to read my sign. My introverted self explained in short.



Stop! I’m a writer!

In front of the IMU, blocking one of the gated entrances.

No one needs to know what the sign underneath says. Except it might prevent a few crashes. Okay, I won’t leave mine there permanently.

It was such a beautiful day!

Woodburn Hall, where I spent a good portion of my time on campus.



Close-up.

Lost in the woods, or in my imagination.

And there’s my journey. Maybe I didn’t approach anyone (I’m still quite shy), but I didn’t mind the tour groups and their watchful eyes. I didn’t care if all the people walking by judged me. (Except the one time I held the sign upside down for a photo. That was a little embarrassing.) But, by the end, I was proud of my sign.

And that's what it's all about: being proud of who you are.