guest post: Barbara

Hi! i'm Barbara and I blog over  no puedo nadar . My passions are traveling, eating and taking pictures!

I would like to thank Em for asking me to be part of her blog, i really loved the idea.
So here are the two questions.

What makes your life sweet?

My love makes my life sweet. He's my special one, my favorite person. I love having him by my side. He gives me peace and love.


My two frenchies, they are my babies. Billy is pretty old now, he's nine years old and it makes me sad. Bimba is the new adding to the family and she's one and a half years old.


Eating. I think this year we have gained some weight. Food is definitely one of the best things in the world in my opinion.


Also traveling makes my life sweet! So far this year I have been to eight different cities with my love, living adventures and taking pictures.


here you can see some pictures of Sintra, Lisboa, Olite, Córdoba and Consuegra

What, at times, makes your life a sticky mess?

I think that what makes my life a sticky mess is me. I'm a nervous person and I usually tend to over analyze and worry too much about silly things and then I get frustrated. I'm working on it though, taking things easy and relaxing a little bit.



Barbara

guest post: Aly

Hey all-

Our next guest post is from my very own little sister, Aly.  In between studying for her semester finals, Aly put together this little post about what makes her life sweet and what, at times, makes it a bit of a hot mess.  Thanks for joining Small Fry!

-em

Well, like every college student, the stress of school always puts a damper on things. Ending every day in the library is not fun. I might as well move in to the library at this point, but I expect rent would be much too high. Another aspect of my life that causes it to be a mess at times is distance. Growing up, we’re accustomed to being around all of those that we love. But, being in college takes that away from you. Its hard being far from my mom when I’m in need one of her hugs, its hard trying to catch up via email with my sister who is in another continent, and its especially hard when all I have left to eat is a box of noodles… 

 But distance is also one of the things that makes my life sweet. Being far from each other is hard, but once we are reunited it makes being together even more special. As my mom always says “Distance makes the heart fonder.” If I wouldn’t have come to college away from my home town, I never would have met all of my amazing friends here.  These new friends are always just around the corner to add some sweetness to my life. In addition to my friends, some of the sweetness in my life is, unfortunately, seasonal. Like almost every other Wawasee-an, I am much happier on the lake. Although I love snow and Christmas.. I belong in the water, with my puppy, under the sun. Summer is by far my happiest season of each year. Having all of my closest friends home from school, and no stress of school makes living easy, and life sweet. 

Distance is bittersweet, but I know that the ones I love, no matter how far, will always be there to keep my life full of sweetness.

-Aly 

guest post: Alli

Thank you for having me, Emily!

My name is Alli and I blog over at The illustrated adventures of Albert Snowbell. Like Em, I love to travel - my husband Rob and I have spent the last seven months photographing and eating our way from China to London through Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Europe. We're heading home to Australia for Christmas.

First, question from em: What makes your life sweet?

'My people' make my life sweet – my wonderfully nutty family, some pretty darn fabulous friends, and a love that makes my world make sense. Rob and I have been friends since we were 13 and 14, sweethearts since we were 15 and 16. We have grown up together, adopted each other’s families, and become each other’s soul mate.  He makes me laugh, almost always does the dishes and pretends he can’t remember my teenage angst. I appreciate all of these equally, and pretend that I have forgotten that he used to have car logos on all of his t’shirts. Our ‘normal life’ is a little crazy, so it has been such a treat to spend the last seven months seeing a bit of the world and just hanging out together. We are beyond excited to catch up with the rest of “our people” for Christmas back in Australia though!

Excited catch ups with Mum and Dad at Ataturk Airport, Istanbul in September

L: Champagne with our families R: Our mums and sisters (on a rather 'sweet' day for us!)

My lovely grandparents (Hi Manna & Papa!), and my copy-cat dress!

Second question from em: What sometimes makes your life a sticky, gooey mess?

Me. I tend to spill things, which netted me the nickname “Whoopsy” at work after the millionth cup of English Breakfast on my keyboard. It gets a little embarrassing. But other than hot drinks in the electronics, it’s just plain old reality that makes our life a mess! February will be a bit of a shock to the system – back to Rob’s crazy hospital rosters, communicating via notes on the kitchen bench and having dinner together once a week. Rob has also just reminded me that my compulsive multi-tasking doesn’t help, either. He has a point, and I definitely don’t intend to work three jobs again. But I think his work roster is more to blame. Can’t we just stay travelling, please?

 - A few pics from China, Mongolia and Uzbekistan -

This isn't an expression Australians usually use, but Happy Holidays everyone!

Wedding photos courtesy of Lisa Atkinson.

guest post: traveling triplets

Thank you Emily, for allowing us to add some triplet fun to your blog while you're saying hello to the koalas in Australia! We knew we liked you from the second we saw your blog title, Ice Cream Cone Life. What's not to love, we are all about it! 

We are Kylie, Lisa, and Megan, triplet sisters who love to explore and have fun. Feel free to stop by and pay us a visit here. Follow our adventures and learn a thing or two, or three, about life as a triplet who can't stop exploring!
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What makes your life sweet?

Kylie: My life is sweet because I get to share it with my two best friends - my identical triplet sissies. My husband is my #1, but my sisters have been with me since the beginning and I literally cannot go a day without them. They're always there for me when I need them - or even when I think I don't - to say the right thing or get under my skin. We know all the nooks and crannies of each other's personalities, which can be both a blessing and a huge inconvenience. It makes me happy to know that no matter what happens to me, in a sense we experience it all together because that's just how close we are. 

Lisa: Besides my favorite treat candy of course, my husband makes my life sweet. Simple and true. He is the light of my life and brings me never-ending joy. I would be a lost duckling without him and wouldn't laugh nearly as often. He brings me peace, support, adventure, security, love, kindness, and direction. He truly does make my life sweet, and I will never stop coming back for seconds. He is stuck with me forever!

Megan: My dog Jimmy gets me every time. He is the sweetest old man cocker spaniel you'll ever meet. I adopted him from a bad situation, and he has nothing but love to give. How can you not adore those freckles, long eye lashes, and curly ears? Jimmy is always by my side and down for anything. We're best friends.

What sometimes makes your life feel like a sticky gooey mess?

Kylie: I don't have a car. It's pretty difficult being a real grown up without having a car to hop into. It's a work in progress, but I must say in my current state this is my biggest downfall. My husband and I have a car but he uses it for work every day, so I'm pretty much immobile and dependent on others for a lot - and when that happens, things can get pretty weird pretty fast. I gotta say, though, although it's an inconvenience it sure could be a lot worse! 

Lisa: Seriously, the first thing that came to mind was this Hawaii humidity. Realistically, I would have to say overdoing myself. I am a very organized person and have a daily list of things to do for that specific day, down to the times. Whether it's errands, grocery shopping, cleaning, work, adventures, or fun with friends and family I have a plan that I try to stick to. I like to be busy, but if I overbook my schedule I get overwhelmed and go a little nuts. Thank goodness I have a husband who keeps me sane and an ocean to help me forget 'bout it.

Megan: I work from home running a couple online businesses. I consider this a great blessing, but sometimes I feel sort of trapped. I'm inside all day on my computer with an endless list of things to make. People assume since I work from home I have all the time in the world, but even with all that time I'm still not accomplishing all I wish I was and I can't pin point exactly why. I need to write things down and set aside times to get things done, or else I could easily spend the day in my pajamas without interacting with anyone besides the occasional mail man and my dog. Ha! 

guest post: pablo

Today's guest blogger is someone very close to my heart.  Pablo is a biologist from Colombia who has been traveling the world studying Nemo fish.  He is a man that really had an appreciation for the little sweet things in life.  Thanks mi amor for sharing your thoughts!

When Em first asked me these two questions my first thought was “this should be pretty easy.” Then I started thinking about it, and I have realized that in fact, they are not trivial questions and not that easy to answer.  The good thing is that in the process of answering them, I realized that this was about rediscovering things about me that I never took the time to think about. Taking the time to do so has been a pleasant challenge. I’ll have to say that one unexpected surprise was that I found it much easier to think about life sweeteners than gooey messes. I still have not figure it out why that is, but it kind of made me feel good. So here are some of the things I came up with.

What sometimes makes your life feel like a sticky gooey mess?

-Forgetting things. Things I have to do, places I have to go, places were I have put things, and the worst of all, forgetting special occasions. Forgetting things is definitely the top one in my list of gooey messes of my life.

-Computers, especially when they brake down (and of course you forgot to do a backup), life becomes a really sticky gooey mess.

-Watching the news. Somehow they always manage to make you feel sad.

- Having a passport from a developing country with a bad reputation (means that you have to apply for Visas to go pretty much everywhere, and you are always a suspicious passenger at airports).

-Lies.

What makes your life sweet?

-Sharing a sunset by the ocean with that special someone (no matter how many you see, they are always kind of magic).

Saudi Arabia 2011

Papua New Guinea sunset 2009

-Unexpected encounters with wild creatures that manage to take your breath away for a few minutes (e.g. being visited by dolphins while diving has been one of those moments). 

Lizard Island, Australia 2009

-Smiles, honest smiling faces… kids are great doing this.

Sally in Papua New Guinea, 2009

-Meeting new friends, and meeting again with old ones.

-Cooking something nice for someone special. 

-To witness that after 35 years, true love can still be there.

Lucas y La Monita

- Dancing.

- A good film.

- Walking in a rainforest.

- Being in love.

-Travelling, discovering new cultures, people and places.

Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea 2011

- Celebrating christmas at home.

 Los Alumbrados en Medellín Colombia

I think I’ll stop here, but I will end by thanking Em for having asked these questions. The time I have spent thinking about them has definitely been a life sweetener.  

guest post: elizabeth

Today's guest blogger is Elizabeth from One day I'll fly away.  Elizabeth is currently working as a teacher in Thailand.  She and her husband have had some pretty sweet adventures together so we are glad that she is visiting today!  Thank Elizabeth!


What makes my life so sweet? 

I am doing exactly what I want. I am so lucky to be able to travel and live abroad with my best friend and husband. Some people think you have to pick one path in life, settle down with someone or travel and be free. My journey has brought me across the world, living my sweet life with someone I can grow old with and remember back to when we were young and lived in a tiny one bedroom in Bangkok. I am doing exactly what I want with my life, with the person I want, no regrets or excuses! I work hard to be able to do what I want, sometimes I don't want to teach English any more and sometimes being with one person 24/7 is hard. That's what makes it so sweet though, we did it all on our own, from San Fran to Vietnam, we have been traveling together for 4 years and we make it work.

What sometimes makes your life a sticky, gooey mess?

Well beside the humidity in Thailand which makes me sweat like an overweight tourist (I will never get used to this humid weather!) it is usually me, thinking too much, that turns everything into melted chaos. I like to over analyze and over plan sometimes which usually puts me in a frustrated state of mind. Traveling in Asia has really taught me to let go and just live, everything will work out in the end.

When life gives you a flood, make a rope swing!

Visa issues while living abroad have tried making a super sticky mess but we made this work too... We are having a wedding in August but technically we are already husband and wife, visa situation - cleaned up! Doesn't get much sweeter than this!

-Ellie

guest post: molly

Today's guest post is from my lovely sister, Molly.  While we have always been two-peas-in-a-pod, our lives are very different.  With these differences, comes sweetness and stickiness.  Thanks for sharing sister (little sis, you will be guesting next time!), love you!

“...stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot oftener, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. ”― Robert J. Hastings, Tinyburg Talesmountains

When asked if I would write a guest post for this blog, I was a little incredulous.  You want me?  What could I possibly have to write about—I live a rather routine, some may say boring, life in Indiana—far from the adventures of Europe, the Middle East, or even a state that is known for something other than corn and cars.  But I was honored to be asked and really wanted the chance to write and think for a little bit, so here it goes.  Let this be your warning, though, my life is a little different than my darling sisters.

What makes your life sweet?

Ice cream cone life—sometimes it’s sweet, sometimes it’s a little sticky.  While mid-America may seem mundane to some, there are just some things that draw me to this place.  Of course there is family—most days that’s pretty sweet.  Sister time, a mom to fix your problems and cure your colds, awesome dad who knows how to repair everything, a stepmom who cares for us like her own, the brother who reminds me that I am actually as lame as I think I am, and all of the other cast of characters that I’m just lucky enough to get to spend time with whenever I want.

But everyone has family, even if they define it a little differently.  So what else about my life is so sweet?  That’s an interesting question—not because I don’t know but more because I’m a 26-year-old with an old soul and yet, still the teen spirit.  I love fall days, decorating for Christmas, reading books while listening to classical music, mornings at the lake and Jeopardy.

I love building forts, cannon balls into the lake, Harry Potter, girls nights and craft time. 

Don’t get me wrong, every time I travel, I love it.  But there is just something about this fly-over state that draws me in. 

What, at times, makes your life a sticky gooey mess?

While most of the time I live a pretty content life, it can get sticky every now and again.  I would chalk most of my gooey messes up to two personality characteristics:  perfectionism and a general naïve-ness.  I put too much pressure on myself to be perfect which often means that I take on too much, sleep too little, say yes too often and ultimately achieve only about 50% of what I’m going for.  Something that I so admire about Em is her ability to make a decision, based solely on what is best for her, and her only, and go with it.  I am often held back by the what-ifs and the then-whats and never really do what I want to do.  And sometimes I tell myself that I’m just looking for the good in everyone, or every situation, but really it is just me being naïve and sometimes that means that people take advantage of me. 

So maybe instead of just pacing the aisles and counting the miles, I should just eat more ice cream.  

photos found here, and here, the rest were personally taken.

guest post: Jill

Hey Everyone-

Our first guest post comes from Jill from Battered Suitcases.  Jill is an experienced traveler, teacher, and finder of novelty snacks.  She was recently living in United Arab Emirates and is now back, adventuring in North America.  Thanks, Jill for posting!

On a desert safari in Abu Dhabi, UAE

What makes your life sweet?

My life is made sweet by my incredibly supportive family. When I first told my parents I was ready to travel at age 16, their response was to encourage and support my determination to go to England. They listened to my ideas, looked through the research I had compiled, and worked with me to create a plan to finance the trip. That year I spent the month of July in a small town outside London. It was just the beginning.

My dad, the epitome of a proud parent.

Camping with my mom in UAE.

Years later when an opportunity came for me to move abroad, my parents (and sister) again supported my decision and were excited for my future. Of course, they would probably prefer I stay closer to home, but I've never been made to feel guilty for choosing to live the past three years of my life overseas. I know that the travel and life decisions I make in the future will be supported as well.

Sippin' Cox's Apple Juice on the  beach in UAE with my sister.

Having my parents' behind me that summer when I was 16 set me up for a lifetime of travel and exploration. I don't think I would be quite as adventurous today without them, and of course my life just wouldn't be as sweet.

Kathmandu, Nepal / Luang Prabang, Laos

What makes your life a bit of a sticky mess at times?

What sometimes makes my life a bit of a sticky mess is directly related to what makes my life so sweet. Living overseas and traveling means missing out on whatever is happening back home. I've missed holidays, weddings, births, and birthdays. The worst is knowing someone close to you is going through a difficult time and not being physically present to support or comfort them. Thankfully, modern technology provides opportunities to communicate with loved ones...but it really isn't the same.

Copenhagen, Denmark / Venice, Italy

Sizing up the pyramids in Egypt / Novelty snacking in Jordan

Thank you, Em, for inviting me over to your sweet little blog today!