#because i got the sims 3 for my 11th birthday | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

allfrogsmatter · 21 days

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i spent a lot of my weekend playing sims 3 and mannn i forgot how much i loved that game, but it also makes me miss the sims 4 like crazy

rambling thoughts below (also if you played s3 what do you miss or not miss about it???)

sims 4 just does a much better job with relationships and dynamics between sims, which makes it such a good platform for storytelling and i miss that because all my sims 3 sims’ relationships just seem so flat

but there’s something about sims 3 that just makes it so playable. the open world truly was so nice, i love not having loading screens anytime i leave the lot and being able to toggle between sims as they go about their day - i miss it so much in sims 4

also the autonomy in sims 3 just seems so much better, when i leave my sims to their devices they always seem to want to clean up or play with the dog, but in s4 it’s play video games or drink water and leave dirty cups around, plus they spend so much more time actually doing things instead of standing around (maybe this is just because i didn’t excessively mod my game fro s3 but still)

and the wants in s3 are so much better than whims in s4, something about the way they’re displayed just makes me actually want to complete them, and i love that lifetime aspirations show up as wants for kids and teens

other things from s3 i missed:

- pets are more doable- in s4 they’re always running away from neglect because my sims don’t interact with them unless i make them

- separation between worlds- i wish you could travel to other worlds for vacation like you can the ones from world adventures, but i like that your world is contained in s3, everyone at the school lives in your world, everyone at your job lives in your world, you can maintain relationships with people from other worlds but they’re not showing up at your door every day (esp. in the context of a decades challenge, if your sims immigrate from europe to america you won’t be seeing your european auntie walking down the street in your neighborhood)

-color wheel - oh my god, i had almost forgotten, this genuinely was a heartbreaker when s4 came out, there was so much variability in cas and build in s3, even with limited clothing options you could create unique looks for your sims with different patterns and textures and you weren’t restricted to the awful ea options

-clothes- something about the s3 basegame clothing option, it’s just very workable and versatile, maybe i think this because trends have come full circle, but a few years ago when i jumped into s3 again i remember being so tickled with the outfit options

-teens- there’s something about s3 teens that just makes them better, maybe because they made them look like teens by making them shorter instead of just scrawny, but with generations teens just feel more fully fleshed out than in s4 (i don’t have growing together or high school years so ig that’s on me, but also i can’t afford both of those packs)

-packs- something that has really been grinding my gears for the almost TEN YEARS since s4 came out is how much extra content you have to purchase, for s3 if you wanted game content, for the most part you got it through expansion packs, but s4 is just excessive with expansion packs, game packs, stuff packs, kits, etc. there’s just so many features that you want in your game, but it costs a small fortune to get them all because they’re distributed across packs that cost up to $40

-PRICE- i have so many nostalgic memories of saving up my $20 to go to target and buy a new expansion pack for s3, then the joy i felt when it was on sale, every s3 expansion was, and still is, $20 but for s4 they’re twice that, the only time i can ever justify purchasing anymore is when they’re on sale

- rabbitholes- it seems like for s4 they did away with a lot of rabbitholes, just not work and school (except with packs), it was nice being able to send my sims to the movies or the bistro for a date night and not have to be following them the whole time, making them interact

- ownership- maybe it’s just me but i miss physically having the boxes the games came in and putting the disk into the computer and having the little icon for every pack on my desktop, i don’t like how everything’s through origin or the ea app now, esp. because for whatever reason s3 university got uninstalled on my moms pc and ea wanted me to buy it and when i used the code from the box it said it had already been applied (i only have the one account i have no clue why tf they took university from me) and if i didn’t have the disk i wouldn’t have been able to reinstall

- i also miss little things, like ordering pizza and seeing my sims drive around and catching birds in the wild and holiday festivals

#nonsims #sims 3 nostalgia #i’m actually feeling ancient today #because i got the sims 3 for my 11th birthday #and now i’m 22 #and the sims 4 came out ten years ago in september #also i’ve been rewatching lifesimmer’s generations lp #that was my kryptonite as a kid

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postpunkpontypandyphantomthief · 1 year

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Updated! Fandoms I’ve been in

Back in 2017, I made a list of fandoms/media obsessions I’ve had but it was in a weird order, because some of the stuff was either just an interest and not a fixation, and some of it was stuff I observed but didn’t take part in.

so here’s an updated version of the list

Disney/Muppets (2004?)

Disney and the Muppets have always been part of my childhood, my mum would collect ornaments and I visited Disneyland in 2010

Barbie and just dolls in general

(2003 or 2004, then I became aware of doll fandoms in 2012 or 2013

around the time Monster high was released)

Fireman Sam (2005-2017-2022-present)

(I was introduced to the series in series 5, felt nostalgic for it again in 2017, became aware of the tumblr fandom during that time, then it kinda went dormant for a while until August 2022 when I got back into it again and got obsessed)

Hit Entertainment series in general (2005- present)

(while my interest in Sam in particular is what I’m mainly into from that company, I do sometimes post about their other shows, like Bob the Builder)

British Comedy in general (2005-present)

My first britcom was either Mr Bean or Father Ted, a few black adder clips would be shown in english class and I marathoned Little Britain during my GCSE’s.

The Simpsons (2006-present)

I’ll always love the Simpsons, I suppose it counts as a fandom as I follow a lot of fan artists from that series

Doctor Who (2006-2013)

During the hype of david tennant’s era as the 10th doctor sometimes I would watch this series with my mum so I have some love and nostalgia for it, I wouldn’t know a lot about it though as I was mostly a casual fan

Lazy Town (2006- 2017)

I loved Lazy Town as a kid, I saw the stage show in the grand opera house years ago and I remember the height of the you are number one memes, while I do love it, I wouldn’t say I’m as obsessed with it as before)

Spongebob (2007-2017-present

via some dvds that came with the newspaper and a KFC meal, I was exposed to Spongebob, I’d have a spongebob poster in my wardrdobe and then I learned about the musical at the end of 2017, this is also where I met one of my ex friends, I still love Spongebob

Pokemon (2007)

I was introduced to Pokemon via the Diamond and Pearl season and I spent most of 2014 watching a bit of indigo league and playing Pokemon Y

Mario (2008)

I would watch mario flash animations on youtube and play games on newgrounds, this is also how I got introduced to deviantart via the artist “nintendrawer”

Tinker bell (2008)

I was occasionally active on the Pixie Hollow virtual world and it was a fun time .Disney Teen Sitcoms (2008-2015)

I was obsessed with Hannah Montana and a lot of those shows, but then I got older and grew out of them around the time my mid teens started

.Alvin and the chipmunks (2008-present)

I still love the chipmunks, I have an Alvin plush from when I was on holiday in Florida back in 2010

.Jem and the holograms (2008-present)

I got into Jem via youtube recommendation while watching the Barbie and the rockers movies one day...I was obsessed

.Sonic (2009-present)

I came across some sonic shorts on youtube and saw bits and pieces of Sonic X on tv and online, then I got generations for my 11th birthday and it just escalated from there

.MLP (2008-present)

I had a few ponyville toys and I vividly remember the early brony fandom era

.Emo (2009-2017)

I got into emo music through a unique source....angsty sims 2/sims 3 videos

then in my mid teens I got properly into MCR and Panic! at the disco but my main fav band at the time was Simple Plan

.Monster High (2010)

I was there when Monster High came out, I got a Frankie doll and a Lagonna doll, I’d browse the old website, I had a monster high blanket and pencil container

.1D (2010)

I admittedly did have a 1D phase, I don’t have it anymore but I did used to like the boys,

.The Sims (2010)

I’d play the sims all day and I’d frequently browse the sims exchange for updates

. Nostalgia Critic/AVGN (2010-present)

Doug walker is how I got into film critique, I have mixed opinions on him nowadays but he’s good meme material and sometimes makes good videos

as for James Rolfe, I have his book in my room, I haven’t read it yet

.Nintendo (2010-present)

I’ve always loved Nintendo, but the peek was definitely when I was a preteen getting more into Pokémon and mario, I’d play my nintendo ds very often

.Hello Kitty/Sanrio (2011-present)

Yes, I was a sanrio girly, I had quite a bit of hello kitty merch

.Vocaloid (2011-present)

I technically got more into Vocaloid in my mid teens, but it was listening to the World is Mine song in 2011 that kickstarted my love for it

.Sailor Moon (2012-present)

Sailor Moon was the series that got me more into anime as an art form, I’ll forever cherish that series

TMNT (2012/13 - present)

been a fan since the 2003 series, the 2012 series got me more involved in the fandom then I explored the series more last year, watching Rise, the 90s ova and joining a forum message board about tmnt

.KPop (2012)

I got into Kpop via Gangnam Style and some early bratz songs featuring Boa, then I got more into the genre in 2019, dancing to Red Velvet while trying to recover from mental health issues Powerpuff girls (2012-present)

Powerpuff Girls influenced my art style a lot and was another series that got me to browse DeviantArt occasionally

.DC (2012-present)

I’ve always been a batman fan, I vaguely remember watching superman 2 in primary school one day, 2012 was when I got more into it though

.Marvel (2012-present)

I remember when Avengers was new, I remember liking Loki’s charisma, I’d sometimes watch spiderman on Disney XD .Anime in general (2012-present)

my exposure to anime was technically from either Sonic X or Pokemon back in the 2000s, but 2012 was when I got a lot more into the art form, this interest continues to this day

.Creepypasta (2012-present)

I remember when Jeff the Killer and Slenderman were getting big, I’ll occasionally browse analogue horror and creepypasta but not as much as before

.Steven Universe (2013-2014)

I enjoyed what I saw of the first season and I’ve been meaning to get back into it, but I did not appreciate episode’s being spoiled suddenly

.Dan & Phil (2014-present)

I still love Dan and Phil to this day, I saw interactive introverts back in 2018 and I have a signed copy of Dan’s mental health book, he’s an inspiration tbh

.Sherlock (2014-2017)

I was lowkey into Sherlock in the beginning because I had a thing for Benedict Cumberbatch (tbf who didn’t at the time) but then I got sick when season 4 was announced but apparently according to some fans, I didn’t miss much

Star Wars (2015-2018) I know I got into it during the Disney era, but I have seen the original star wars as well, I’m not as into it as I was at the time, maybe once I watch the rest of the classic series then I’ll understand the hype

.Hetalia (2015-present)very mixed thoughts on this one, another show that inspired my art, I was very active on the google+ community associated with the series, sometimes the songs lurk in the background of my mind, but not that much. .Filthy Frank (2016-2018)

Yes I liked his comedy sketches, even though they are very dated nowadays, I’ve moved on since then

.Dangan Ronpa (2016-2017)

I watched the first season of the anime and was briefly obsessed

.Heathers (2016-2018)

Heathers was amazing and got me more into music theatre but I projected onto the characters too much which was a problem

.Mystic Messenger (2016-2017)

I briefly downloaded that game and learned all the lore and saw all the memes, but the addictive nature of the game resulted in some of my old google+ friends ignoring me and I didn’t react well to that, I’m mostly over it now though

Gorillaz (2017-present)

I love Gorillaz, I got the now now album when it was released and I get annual messages from Murdoc in my emails, I still love that silly primate band so much, I recall some google+ friend being into it so that’s how I found it and then getting more invested in it in 2018

Supernatural (2016-2017)

I used to occasionally watch supernatural and while I wasn’t in the fandom when the super hell news was announced, I did indeed enjoy the memes

.Monty Python (2017-present)

I love Monty Python, it’s still very funny and I got to perform for Eric Idle once

The Young Ones + Rik Mayall (2017-present)

I watched King Arthur’s disasters as a kid and then in 2017 I found the young ones via a youtuber I liked and the rest is history

Drag Race (2018-present)

I gave drag race a chance in summer 2018 and I loved it, it also encouraged me to get into drag myself, I’ve met 3 of the UK queens and it’s just amazing

Left tube (2018-present)

I also was introduced to Contrapoint’s videos during that time and she definitely radicalized me into the leftist I am today (well her and Rik technically)

Rocky Horror (2018-present)

I watched the sequel first (Shock Treatment) because Rik Mayall was in it and I saw the stage version in 2019 (gonna see it again later this August),

I adore rocky horror

Queen (2018-present)

I was deep into the Queen fandom in 2018 and while I don’t listen to them as much as before, I still appreciate their place in music history

Good Omens (2019-present)

I fell immediately in love with this mini series and it’s book, it’s so gay

Beetlejuice (2019-present)

I then got obsessed with the Beetlejuice musical

Dead Or Alive (2019-present)

Dead Or Alive is my favourite 80s band, I met some my current pals back in 2019 via that fandom, good times have been had

Evangelion (2021-present)

I started the series in 2015 but resumed it in 2021, it has psychologically changed me in the same way that rik’s filmography has, I’ve met a few friends via the fandom for this series

Persona (2021-present)

I watched the Persona 4 anime in it’s entirety in 2021, it has also changed me, and so has Persona 5

(Futaba was the autism representation that I needed as a teenager)

Evil Dead (2022-present)

I got into this film franchise mostly via my friend @leakyrectum, and I’m happy I did, it’s made me appreciate Horror as a genre a lot more, as well as the icon that is Bruce Campbell.

Lupin the third (2023-present)

I just started Lupin part 2 a few months ago and I already adore it, I can’t wait to watch the rest and what I’ve seen of the Lupin fandom is very fun, welcoming and gay

#my fandoms #fandoms #my fandoms over the years #updated list

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jakesimfromstatefarm · 3 years

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not jealous | jake sim

summary: jake sim is not a jealous person. at least that's what he tells himself. so why does he find himself going through your phone when a certain "bluejay park" decides to text you?

pairing: jake sim x y/n [ft. mentions of jay park]

genre: angst, fluff

warnings: angst, cursing (very minimal), one slightly suggestive sentence, jake being cute, some more angst lol, slightly cheesy bc jake’s just too cute ugh

wc: 3.8k

a/n: ok i loved writing this, which is why i went on to almost 4k words LOL oops. but anyways, i love jake a little too much and this type of scenario has been running around in my head for a while now so i decided to put it into words. also i may have created this blog just so i could post this somewhere LMAO anyways yeah this was my first fic so hope you guys enjoyyyy <3

Jake Sim is not a jealous person.

At least that's what he tells himself. To be fair, in his past relationships, he never showed any jealously. Then again, he doesn't know if he can call those relationships, "relationships". Does a fifth grade relationship with a girl who he was once dared to kiss during a game of Truth or Dare in the basement of a classmate's house during their 11th birthday party count? He doesn't remember being jealous when the same girl was later dared to kiss his classmate, Sunghoon. (Funny enough, that's how the two boys came to be best friends 'til this day, but that's a story for another time.)

But really, Jake doesn't think jealously is one of his traits, even if he's now almost 20 years old without any experience with love other than his current relationship with you and that short-lived romance in the fifth grade. (What was her name again? Jake would have to ask Sunghoon later.)

So he doesn't know what clicked in that brain of his that lead him to this current situation he was in. He doesn't know why he felt a little spark of anger in him when your phone, which you left right next to him on the couch while you went to take a shower, kept buzzing with texts from "bluejay park". He doesn't know why he couldn't kept his eyes distracted from the messages, although your phone was constantly lighting up because whatever it was Jay had to say to you, he would not shut up about it. He doesn't know why he questioned what your relationship with Jay was for a split second.

In fact, you're close with all of Jake's friends. That's one of his favorite things about you, you get along so well with all his friends you might as well replace Jake himself in the friend group. So he doesn't know what tells him to take a little glance at your phone—at the messages.

But he finds himself doing it anyways.

Hearing that the water in the shower was still running (you were always the type to take long showers), he quickly grabs your phone and scrolls through the lock screen just to find that he couldn't even read the messages since you had your notifications set so no one could read them unless the phone was unlocked (darn you and your settings!) Thankfully, Jake knew your passcode––and you knew his too––or he thought he did. Until the iPhone vibrated, telling him the passcode was wrong.

He must've entered it too fast or something. So he tries again.

And again.

Until the iPhone switches its screen to say: "iPhone is disabled. Try again in 5 minutes."

There's no way. You never change your password. And even if you did, you would tell him—you two even had each other's fingerprints saved into each other's phones in the past (you know, before the world decided that Apple's home button was too lame and decided to just completely get rid of it). If there was an option to save multiple faces for Face ID, you two would be that couple that saved each others faces in your own phones.

That being said, Jake sat there, your phone in hand, frozen. Why was your phone locked? Why was Jay texting you 10 texts per second? Why did he feel guilty about this entire situation?

He hears the shower switch off and in that moment, he swears he feels his heart beat just a little faster. He tells himself there's no way you'll be out before the 5 minutes are up. You followed a really meticulous skincare routine (one that Jake memorized by now) that took an extra 15 minutes of your time after each shower.

"Hey Jake?" Your voice calls out from the tiny bathroom door crack that you left open before you hopped in the shower, "Is my phone out there? Do you mind bringing it to me?"

Fuck.

Jake shifts on the couch. Taps his foot on the ground. Returns your phone to its original spot. Clears his throat.

"Don't you want to get dressed first?" he calls back, quite timidly.

He can hear you stop moving around in the bathroom. Probably telling yourself what an odd response that was. To be fair, it was an odd question, considering the fact that you two have been together for so long, it’s not like he hasn’t seen you undressed before...intentionally or not.

Next thing he knows, the steam is rolling out of the bathroom door and you're stepping out in your towel, eyebrows raised.

"If you didn't want to get up from the couch, you could've just said so, you lazy butt," you smirk at him as you walk towards him and the couch, leaving a faint trail of water drops behind you. Jake's eyes follow your figure as you go to grab your phone and lift the screen towards yourself.

That's when he freezes. You do too.

You cock your head, as if asking yourself why it was disabled. He can hear the gears in your head turning.

"Jake, did you try to unlock my phone?"

He runs through all the possible excuses he could blurt out. Come on Jake, think of something! But he knows he can't lie to you.

Too many beats of silence pass by.

"Maybe," he finally says—or more like murmurs. He looks up to you like a child looking up at their mom, who just them caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. To his surprise, you don't show any hint of anger. A flash of confusion—and is that worry he sees?—crosses your face for a split second before you shrug and turn towards your room to change, dropping the subject. It was natural for you two to use each other's phones anyways. So then why did you have that look of worry?

Jake knows you well, a little too well. But that's what you love about him. He can easily read all your emotions. One of the many things he picked up from dating you for almost two years now. But why would you care if he tried to get into your phone? Why would that worry you? All the possibilities run through head and his own worry begins to increase. He trusts you. He does.

So then why does the thought bother him throughout the entire day? Why does he bring it up during dinner later that night, when you're both cuddled on your sofa, slurping take-out ramen while rewatching your favorite k-drama under the thick blanket that you always keep in your living room for nights like these?

"Huh? Of course I've heard from Jay today, we had that conversation about that stupid meme you boys kept laughing about in the groupchat we're all in, didn't we?" You answer him when he asks if you've heard from Jay lately. You sit up from your warm spot under Jake's arm to put your empty bowl on the coffee table in front of you. When you lean back, you look up at him,

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just wondering," he says, avoiding your eyes by keeping his own trained on the series currently playing on your TV. This would be your third time rewatching this series together. He would never complain to you though, he knows how much you love it and if he were being honest, he was secretly attached to the characters—not that he would ever tell you, he would never hear the end of it from you and the boys.

"You're being weird. Just tell me, or did you forget that I can practically read your mind," you say with a giggle and shove to his side, the one you were currently warmly cuddled into. Jake wasn't the only one who learned how to read emotions; you could read him just as well as he could read you. And like you, that's one of the many things he loved about you. But maybe not in this case.

He toyed around with the contents inside his ramen bowl with his chopsticks.

"I just..." God, how does he word this? Why was he having trouble explaining it? You were the easiest person to talk to. To him, you were the only person he could tell everything to.

"Jaywastextingyouabunchearlier," he blurts out quickly, but not quickly enough for you to miss it.

He feels you shift under his arm. He feels the air in the room shift. Tension.

"What?" Now you're sitting upright, legs criss-crossed in front of you on the couch but turned, so your body is completely facing him. He mirrors you, sitting up to put his ramen bowl next to yours on the surface, but he stays facing the TV.

"Your phone kept going off because of him when you were showering," he says with a little more confidence. But inside, he was nervous as hell, the same nervous as when he asked you out for the first time many moons ago. But it's too late to back out now, he brought it up first, anyways. Guess we're having this conversation now, good going Jake!

"Is that why you tried unlocking my phone earlier? I mean I thought you were just trying to leave selfies on my phone like you always do but you were trying to read my texts?" You question, slightly raising your soft voice. He doesn't know how to react, he hates confrontation.

"It wasn't like that, Jay just kept spamming you and like I—why was he even texting you in the first place? Then your phone got disabled because you changed your password, which you never do by the way, so I–"

"I changed it because my little sister kept getting into my phone when I went to visit my family yesterday! Did you really think I was hiding something from you? You know I can text whoever I want, right? You don't own me."

Okay so now he's managed to make you angry. Good going Jake, part 2!

"Okay but what does Jay need from you so bad that he has to send you like 50 messages at once?" He's standing now. So are you, eyebrows furrowed together as you collect your bowls from the table.

Standing there, bowls in hand, you say, "Jake, that's none of your business! It wasn't even that big of a deal, I don't know why you felt the need to nosy around."

"Well, if he's texting you non-stop, then obviously it's a big deal! We wouldn't even be having this conversation if you would just tell me what you guys were talking about," he murmurs back, eyes narrowing. You scoff as you trail into your kitchen. He follows behind and stops at the other side at your kitchen island as you place the dirty dishes into the sink.

"No, we're having this conversation because you obviously don't trust me! It doesn't matter what we were talking about, it doesn't matter who I was texting! I could be texting your mother and I shouldn't have to tell you what we were talking about! That's why we're having this conversation," you say as you turn back to face him from the other end.

He hates this. He hates fighting with you (which is a very, very rare occasion). He hates that you think he doesn't trust you. He hates his insecurity eating at him, telling him to keep questioning you on why you and Jay were talking in the first place. He was aware that you were close with his friends, but it wasn't until the texts he realized just how close you are with them. It's not that he didn't trust you, he just didn't know how to act when it came to you and other guys. God knows how he got lucky enough to meet you, let alone date you, so the thought of him losing you to someone else actually terrified him. Not only were you his first real relationship, but he wanted you to be his first and only one in life. You were it for him.

"Why did he text you." He deadpans from his side of the kitchen.

You scoff with a hint of exasperation. "You're kidding me."

You stare at him. He stares back, quirking an eyebrow, as if restating the same question back, as if testing you.

You're fuming now. Why was he making it so hard? Why was he doubting you? Out of frustration, you start laughing, which scares him. That can't be good.

"Fine. You wanna know so bad? Take a look," you're one tone level away from screaming as you take your phone out of your pocket, unlock it, and open up your conversation with "bluejay park", sliding the phone across the island to reach him.

Jake stares at the phone which now lies there, unlocked, facing him. Isn't this what he wanted? It is, right? That's why he started this dreaded argument with you in the first place.

Then why does he feel so fucking awful?

He looks back up at you, to see you sighing and looking up at the ceiling, as if trying to force your forming tears back into your eyes.

Yup, he feels horrible.

"Happy? Happy to know we were just trying to plan a surprise birthday party for you but you and your jealously just had to know huh, Jake?" You quickly state, voice cracking, as you tried not to choke up. You weren't sad that he found out about the surprise. You were sad that it felt like he didn't trust you. That he thought you were the type of person to do god knows what behind his back. You hated the feeling of not being trusted. Especially by Jake, of all people.

"Fuck."

Jake's face (and heart) falls with the most broken expression you've ever seen. But you're too sad, angry, tired (a mix of all?) to care. Your only goal right now is to not let him see you cry.

You hurry past him, across your apartment, and into your bedroom, slamming the door behind you, leaving behind a shocked, and regretful, Jake.

His heart shrinks when he hears the door slam shut and a little more when he looks down at the still unlocked phone in front of him. He didn't have the heart in him to look at it anymore. Of course he trusted you, he knew what you said was the truth.

He mentally screams at himself for assuming the worst––for thinking that you, a literal angel, would betray him. First, he thought he was losing you to someone else. Now, he was afraid he just lost you through his own actions.

He hesitantly sulks over to your door, softly knocking when he reaches it.

"Y/N?"

No response.

"Y/N, I'm so sorry. I didn't know, I let my—”

"Jake just please leave me alone for now," he hears you painfully say from a distance, meaning you're on your bed. He knows the door's unlocked—the lock on your door hasn't been working for a long time now, despite the many times he tells you to talk to your landlord about it. But he doesn't find it in him to open it. He knows he messed up. If he saw you in there right now, crying, he wouldn't know what to do. He wouldn't know what he would to do himself, knowing he was the reason behind your tears.

He nods in silence, knowing you can't see him, but does so anyways and returns to his spot on the couch. He could leave right now, go back to the dorm with the rest of the guys, let you have your space like you wanted. But his heart hurts at the idea of leaving you sad, angry, or a combination of both. He can't leave this unresolved. He fucked up, he has to fix it.

And so he sits on your couch for another hour. The clock on the wall behind him continues to tick as the silent tension in your apartment continues to grow. When it hits 11pm and he's sure you've slumbered off into sleep, he quietly enters your room.

He can see your figure in the dark, your back facing the door as you're curled up into yourself under the comforter. He feels his heart drop a little more when he imagines you crying in that position from earlier. He slowly peels the comforter open and gets into his side of the bed, careful not to bother your sleeping figure.

Laying there, staring up at the ceiling, he's never felt more like a stranger in your bed. It's not that he hasn't slept over before, god knows he's probably slept over at your place more than he has in his own bed. But right now, in this moment, he just felt awful. Like he didn't deserve to be in such close proximity to you. How could he be deserving? He violated your privacy, made you feel like you weren't trusted, doubted your relationship.

These thoughts run through Jake's head as he stares up at your ceiling fan, wishing he could turn back time to a few hours ago, before he checked your phone, before he let his insecurities get to the best of him.

You can feel the dip he makes in the bed behind you when he gets in. Of course you're not asleep. There's no way sleep could reach you when you had the recent events constantly replaying in your head like a broken record.

You knew Jake with all your heart. You didn't have to look at him to know he was probably laying there, hurt, staring up at the ceiling, drafting what to say once you wake up—or once he knows you're actually still awake.

You decide to break the tension by turning to lay on your other side, facing him.

You were wrong. Thanks to the little sliver of moonlight shining through your sheer curtains, you can see him, now laying on his side, already looking at you with so much regret in his eyes. You can almost hear the cracks in your heart physically forming.

His eyes widen when he realizes you're still awake. He opens his mouth to say something, but not before you quickly shift over to his side of the bed and embrace him in a tight hold, burying your face into his chest. Without any hesitation, he returns the gesture, arms holding your body as close to him as possible. As if once he let go, he'd lose you forever.

He lets out a sigh of relief as he breathes you in. He didn't even know he was holding his breath all this time.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry Y/N," he mutters into your hair. He feels his hoodie getting wet from where you buried your face. He pulls you closer, if that's even possible, feeling his own eyes heating up with sadness. He would never forgive himself for making you feel this way.

"You know I trust you right? Please know that. I shouldn't have assumed the worst when I saw your phone. I...I let my insecurities get to the best of me."

You move your head from its home on his chest to look up at him, as if asking him to elaborate. This was new to you, you didn't know he held insecurities in your relationship. But it wasn't because of you, no, you were his entire world. Losing you meant losing everything.

Jake's never been the best at saying his feelings. That's why it took him so long (with the help of his six best friends) to finally confess how he felt about you. He was afraid of letting people in if they could easily walk out. Maybe that's why he never let anyone into his life before you. But oh, were you an exception. The second he met you, he knew he was fucked. But thank god he did, because thanks to you, he's been able to be more open, more vulnerable. He's able to talk to you about anything and everything. He doesn't have that same fear of losing people anymore, not when he has you in his life to reassure him every step of the way. But right now, in this moment, he doesn't know how to tell you that his new fear was, in fact, just losing you.

The sheer idea of you not being a part of his life anymore terrified him.

"I hope you know you're never going to lose me Jake, if that's what you're insecure about," you softly mutter as you wrap your free arm that's not stuck in between both your bodies around him to gently play with the ends of his hair. It's as if you could read his mind, he loves that you know him so well.

"It just sucks that you could even think I would ever do something as awful as what you were assuming...with one of your closest friends nonetheless," you continue.

"I know. I know, and I feel terrible. I'm so sorry. I know you would never do anything remotely close to that, and I know you would never intentionally try to keep anything from me," he sighs. He shifts so he can lie down on his back, bringing you with him to lie on his chest, never letting you go once. "It's just...I just don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you Y/N. Everyday, I ask myself what heroic thing I must've done in my past life to deserve this life with you and I can't help but think you could just as easily be stripped away from me."

As much as your heart breaks listening to him rant, you feel your love for him grow even more. You knew how hard it was for him to put his true emotions into words, and him telling you this reminded you how much trust he had in you.

After some moments of silence, moments of him drawing random shapes onto your back, moments of you two just holding each other like it was the end of the world, you speak up.

"I love you. I'm sorry for making you doubt yourself—"

"No, it's not your fault, I can't help but think things like that. I just don't know what I did to deserve you, and I know that I need to be mo–"

"Babe let me finish," you say with a little giggle in your tone. He immediately stops and mutters a little "sorry". How cute, you tell yourself.

"I was gonna say," you look back up at him so you're making direct eye contact now. "You're the only one that's ever on my mind, Jake. I can't help the way you think, but I can assure you that there is no one else I would rather be with. And I mean that for the rest of life."

You snuggle back into the comfortable hoodie he's currently wearing (you make a mental note to yourself to steal it from him later) and decide to ease the tension,

"So you're stuck with me for life, sorry to inform you Mr. Sim."

Jake lets out a laugh, looking down at you to see you returning his smile with a cheeky one.

"I love you. So much," he says so sincerely, so genuinely, that you almost tear up again from how content you were. Now you were asking yourself, what did you do to deserve him?

Jake Sim is not a jealous person.

No, he just loves you.

A lot.

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xopinkmilk18xo · 4 years

Text

Get to know me!

1. Name

Courtney Jane Smith

2. Nationality

Australian

3. Age

4. Birthday

11th December 2001

5. Zodiac sign (or your primal zodiac sign)

Sagittarius / Ophiuchus

6. Gender

Female

7. Sexuality

Bisexual💙💖💜

8. Your looks (add a picture or describe yourself)

Ew I know

9. What do you/did you study?

I will be going on to study Children’s Nursing at University but in school I studied Sociology, Photography and Childcare

10. What’s your current job like?/What job would you like to have?

I currently hold a part time job at my local corner shop, but will hopefully end up with a job as a children’s nurse or something to do with childcare:)

11. Your birth order

Aaron, Charlotte, Abbey, Me:), Lacey

(I think that is what this means)

12. How many siblings do you have?

13. Do you have good relations with your family?

Yes but not with my first oldest sister

14. How many friends do you have?

Like 2 lol

15. Your relationship status

Taken🥰

16. What do you look for in a SO?

Good personality, being good looking helps (dont want to date a troll u know) and well I guess that’s it really

17. Do you have a crush?

Yes on my boyfriend

18. When did you have your first kiss?

When I was 14

19. Do you prefer serious and meaningful relationships or casual dating/one night stands?

Serious and meaningful

20. What are your deal breakers?

I’m not really sure:/

21. How was your day?

It was okay, could’ve been better but overall it was meh

22. Favourite food & drink

I love pasta like I could marry pasta haha. And my favourite drink is probably either fresh orange juice or something fizzy

23. What position do you sleep in?

On my side, hugging my pillow with my leg out as if it’s straddling someone (I’m lonely, my boyfriend needs to stay over at some point)

24. What was your last dream about?

I honestly wish I could remember but they are so fucking crazy right now

25. Your fears

Spiders, snakes, heights, large crowds, death (morbid I know) and being lonely:(

26. Your dreams

To travel the world with my baby🥺 as well as buy my own house, get my dream career, get married and have babies (basic I know but this is what I want in life and will feel so lucky and blessed if this happens)

27. Your goals

Same as the above I guess? To travel the world with the loml, become a child nurse, get my dream house then get married, have babies and live a happy long life:)

28. Any pets?

Yes! A cat called Binka and a dog called Shiro (Japanese for White as he is a white Japanese Akita)

29. What are your hobbies?

Cooking, baking, cleaning (weird I know), singing, dancing and sleeping haha

30. Any cool places in your area?

Um, I mean I live about 30 minutes from the beach and it has a “hidden cave” (it’s quite easy to spot if you know where it is) that I go to with a few friends some nights and watch the sunset. So that’s pretty cool

31. What was your last awkward situation?

They happen so often I don’t even know which one to write about I’m such an awkward person lol

32. What is your last regret?

I don’t know really

33. Language/s you can speak

I can speak Italian, Spanish, Russian and some French

34. Do you believe in astrological stuff? (Zodiac, tarot, etc.)

To a certain extent, yes

35. Have any quirks?

Um I’m not sure?

36. Your pet peeves

I have so many but my BIGGEST pet peeve is the people who like to one-up a situation so I have a friend like this but she’s like one of my only friends so I don’t want to say anything woops but for example I could say to her “I only got 5 hours sleep” she would then turn around and be like “oh well I went to bed at 11 and woke up at 3am and couldn’t sleep” it’s like okay cool but stop trying to one up me thank u bye

37. Ideal vacation

DisneyWorld or Bora Bora (two complete different places I know but I’ve been to both many times and they’re both amazing)

38. Any scars?

I have a scar on my chin from when I hit it on the stair rail when I was a child and I have a surgery scar from when I had my appendix removed

39. What does your last text message say?

It’s me texting my email to my boyfriend because he needed it for something (kinda personal nothing bad tho)

40. Last 5 things from your search history

Majority of it right now is me googling Birthday presents for a family member as well as flight times because I was curious what the time from LA to Texas was haha

41. What’s your [device] background?

Lock screen is me and my boyfriend and my home screen is a flower picture I took

42. What do you daydream about?

A lot of different things, it all depends on how I’m feeling

43. Describe your dream home

Something small and quaint yet modern and big enough to raise a big family

44. What’s your religion/Your thought about religion

I have nothing against religion and what people believe in. I personally am not religious but I do believe in something. Not God or Jesus but I believe that something like that HAS to exists (sorry if I offended anyone I really did not mean to:/)

45. Your personality type

Really shy and quiet (social anxiety tings😚dont worry I have actually been diagnosed) but ince you get to know me I come out of my shell a bit more

46. The most dangerous thing you’ve done

Went sky diving (it was terrifying)

47. Are you happy with your current life?

Yes but no

48. Some things you’ve tried in your life

I don’t really know how the hell to answer this question I’m sorry🥺

49. What does your wardrobe consist of?

A lot of different colours but I wear mainly grey and black clothes hehe

50. Favourite colour to wear?

Black or grey🤪

51. How would you describe your style?

I don’t really know, definitely not trendy I can tell you that but all the styles I want to try I just KNOW will look bad on me

52. Are you happy with your current looks?

Not really no lol😚✌🏼

53. If you could change/add something to your appearance - impossible or not - what would it be?

I honestly would change my entire face, especially my nose, if it was smaller I’d feel slightly better about my appearance (nothing against big noses lol I just don’t like mine)

54. Any tattoos or piercings?

I had my ears and nose pierced but took them out and just forgot to put them back in and now the holes have sorta closed up.

I then also have a small turtle on my ankle - for a close friend (still alive lol but it’s just a nice thing to have) and I have plans to get a few more just need to decided when I want them because I keep chickening out

55. Do you get complimented often?

Yes sorta but only by my boyfriend

56. Favourite aesthetic?

I’m not sure?

57. A popular trend that you dislike

I’m not really aware of any popular trends as of right now tbh

58. Songs you’re currently obsessed with?

Adore You by Harry Styles and for some reason Feel so Close by Calvin Harris

59. Song you normally wouldn’t admit you like.

Mr Brightside - I hate the song (dont attack me pls) but it lowkey, high key is a BOP

60. Favourite genre?

Mainly throwback songs so I guess pop songs? Tbh my genre of music is all over the place

61. Favourite artist/band/genre?

I love 5 Seconds of Summer and One Direction but that’s it really

62. Hated popular songs/artists?

I HATE Dance Monkey and High Hopes (they get on my nerves so much idk why)

63. Put your music on shuffle and list first 5

September - Earth Wind & Fire

Truth Hurts - Lizzo

Jealous - Labrinth

Bad Romance - Halestorm (such a bop)

Break Free - Ariana Grande

64. Can you sing or play any instruments?

I can sing, I also play piano and guitar (strings have broken though and so haven’t played in a while)

65. Do you like karaoke?

I LOVE karaoke

66. Own any albums?

Yes, mainly 5SOS and One Direction haha

67. Do you listen to radio? What stations?

Sometimes, no particular station as I only listen to it to fill in the silence in certain situations

68. Favourite movie/series?

I love the Frozen films but also the Harry Potter films sooooo much

69. Favourite genre of movies/books/etc

I don’t really have a favourite tbh

70. Your fictional crush/es

I know it’s typical but I have the biggest crush on Harry Potter lol

71. Which fictional character is you?

I don’t know?

72. Are you a shipper? List your otps, if so

No not really

73. Favourite greek god?

I don’t have a favourite Greek god but I like Athena purely because I like the name haha

74. A legend from where you live that you like

I don’t really know of any legends however there is a myth that a Panther is on the loose in the Blue Mountains

75. Do you like art? What’s your favourite work or artist?

I like to look at art and admire it however I do not have a favourite artist or anything like that

76. Can you share your other social media?

I sure can:)

Twitter Instagram Wattpad

Snapchat - cjmushmush (you don’t have to add it and also don’t question the name I was 11)

77. Favourite youtubers?

Shane Dawson, Ryland Adams, Morgan Adams, Jeffree Star and The Dolan Twins

78. Favourite platform?

I am obsessed with Tik Tok so I’d say that’s probs my fave

79. How much time do you spend on the internet?

Far too much I can tell you that

80. What video games have you played? Which one’s your favourite?

I used to play minecraft and now all I do is play Sims 3 and 4 which are my absolute faves

81. Your favourite books (manga also counts)

I don’t really have any

82. Do you play board/card games?

Yes but not very often

83. Have you ever been to a night marathon in cinema?

No I didn’t even know that was a thing

84. Favourite holiday

I LOVE CHRISTMAS SO MUCH❤️💚❤️💚

85. Are you into dramas?

Yes

86. Would you use death note, if you had one?

I don’t know what a death note is?

87. What changes would you make in the world, no matter how impossible, if you had the power to?

I wouldn’t choose world peace because then everything would be the same and it would be boring but if I had the power I would make sure everyone had a stable home with at least hot clean water and a nice warm bed, as well as curing world hunger because I’m nice like that

88. Could you survive a zombie apocalypse?

Probably not

89. If you had to be turned into a paranormal being, what would it be?

A ghost

90. What would you want to happen to you after your death?

Become a ghost haha

91. If you had to change your name, what would be your pick?

Anything but Courtney - my name was almost Octavia so that would also be out of the question

92. Who would you switch your life with for a week?

So many people I’d love to do this with so I’m not sure

93. Pick an emoji to be your tattoo

🦥 (only because I love sloths)

94. Write 3 things about yourself - only one of them must be true

(these are the most random things I’m sorry)

I was born in the UK (not true, born in Sydney)

I am not single (True, I am in a relationship:))

I love avocado (I actually DESPISE IT)

95. Cold or hot?

Cold because that can = snuggles duh

96. Be a hero or be a villain?

Be a villain because I hate the attention (hero would probs get a lot of attention) and everyone hates me anyway lol

97. Sing everything you want to say or rhyme?

Probably sing everything considering I do that a lot anyway

98. Shapeshifting or controlling time?

Control time because I’d go back to the past a change some things then go back to today so I can still be with my boyfriend❤️

99. Be immortal or be immune to everything aside from natural death?

Be immortal that would be pretty fun

100. ….. or …..?

What does this one even mean?

#gettoknowme #gettoknowmequestions #gettoknowmetag

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purplesimmer455 · 5 years

Photo

Never Have I Ever Tag Sims 4 Edition

Developed by @tabbyrhsims4simblr

I was tagged by the fabulous @fataleromeo thanks again 😄😊💛

Rules are simple respond to the statements using one of your OC. Answer as truthfully has you can then tag other simblrs. If you don’t like these statements and want to put in your own for your sim respond to that’s fine too! Please use the #NeverHaveIEverSims4Tag so I can see what you all do. Have fun!

Oh whoops, I thought this was a couples tag for some reason so I’m also gonna have Maya and Kaitlyn both answer 😯🤔😊

1- bragged about something I have not done.

Maya: Nope, never

Kaitlyn: I mean, I did it as a joke as a teen so I guess I have

2- been kicked out of a bar.

Kaitlyn: Never (at Maya’s look) Wow, you don’t believe me, Feldman?

Maya: I thought it would be possible considering (she grins at Kaitlyn) and same for me

3- swam naked in a pool / beach.

Maya: I have, with my lovely dorky wife here, but it was a private pool in Selvadorada. It was amazing, not to go into TMI territory

Kaitlyn: (grinning at the memory) I have too

4- lied about a family member dying as an excuse to get out of doing something.

Kaitlyn: Woah, I’ve never done that

Maya: Nope. That’s going a bit too far tbh

5- been with the former love of my best friend.

Maya: No, I haven’t. It would be too weird unless I had the okay from my friend

Kaitlyn: Okay, this is gonna sound a bit bad but yeah. In 11th grade I dated my then best friend Amanda’s ex Rachel for a few weeks, but it was all good since Amanda was over Rachel and I approached her about it before even asking Rachel out

6- gone into the wrong restroom.

Kaitlyn: Hmm, I think I did once in high school and luckily it was empty so I just walked out

Maya: I don’t think I ever did

7- been in handcuffs.

Maya: (smirking at Kaitlyn) I bet you have, Chen. I have never

Kaitlyn: (laughing) Oh my god, get your mind out of the gutter, Feldman. I’ve never done this either. Besides, you immediately jumped to a more woohoo based answer

8- said ‘I love you’ just to get laid.

Kaitlyn: Never. In the past, when I wanted to woohoo with another woman, I’d just let her know. Now, with Maya, I mean it when I say ‘I love you’ to her, I’d never use that to just have her sleep with me

Maya: Same here. I’ve only had woohoo with Kaitlyn and I say I love you outside of the woohoo because I love her, rather than to get laid. Sorry, I’m a hopeless romantic so a part of me is horrified at the thought

9- stole something with a higher value than $10.

Kaitlyn: I have never stolen anything (she grins at Maya and asks her) is it cheesy for me to say except for your heart? (Maya laughs, shaking her head)

Maya: I have never stolen anything either, except, as Kaitlyn mentioned, her heart

10- shot a gun.

Maya: I have never

Kaitlyn: I shot a fake gun for an action movie as a heroine, but the effects were added digitally

Maya: Oh god, I love that movie, you were so badass and sexy (blushing) Whoops, can I say that here?

11- dined and dashed?

Kaitlyn: I have once, and I felt pretty bad about it. I even came back and told the manager what happened and paid the money

Maya: I have never, mom and dad once told me that actions like that lead to consequences for not just me but the waiting staff and the restaurant and such so I couldn’t even imagine it. Plus it doesn’t seem right

12- had a paranormal experience.

Maya: Oh my gosh, yup. I mean, we live in such a cool world with supernatural and human sims so it’s more common now, but I still get excited to meet other supernatural creatures

Kaitlyn: Same here, plus I’m married to the most amazing woman who happens to also be a mermaid

13- had a surprise party thrown for me.

Kaitlyn: I have. My mom and dad and Hailey threw it and it was amazing and sweet, just the 3 of us for my 14th birthday party years ago

Maya: I have as well. When I was 12, dad threw a surprise party for me for my birthday and invited our whole family, even yiayia Pearl who came back from her travels, and he got me this limited edition Henry Puffer book set and even baked me a strawberry cake and- (Maya’s voice cracks and Kaitlyn takes her hand in a comforting gesture) sorry, thinking about that memory beings back so much nostalgia

14- pressured someone into getting a tattoo or piercing.

Maya: (quickly wiping away a tear and laughing before answering) Oh yeah, I have. But it wasn’t that much pressuring per se. I convinced Abby to get a sunflower tattoo on her back as well so we could get it together

Kaitlyn: I have not

15- thrown something into a TV or computer screen.

Kaitlyn: I have not

Maya: well, once I was watching Moonlight Massacre 2 with Kaitlyn and I got so scared that I accidentally threw a couch pillow and it hit the screen (Kaitlyn laughs)

16- played strip poker.

Maya: I have never

Kaitlyn: I have, but it was just once with these 4 Women from college and we didn’t go that far, plus I left before I had to take my underwear or bra off so yup

Maya: (grinning) I can believe that. Oh god, I hope our chickpea never sees this, it’s gonna probably scar her

17- gone commando.

Kaitlyn: I have, but not in public. It’s only with Maya

Maya: Same here, I have but only with Kaitlyn at home or in private

18- performed on stage.

Maya: Oh, nope. I had too much stage fright as a kid and although it’s gotten better now, I’m still not getting up on stage and performing in front of so many people

Kaitlyn: I have. I love performing and acting onstage or just in general. I’m starring in Last Town in the West and I can’t wait til we start production for the movie

19- ate a whole carton of ice cream in one sitting by myself.

Kaitlyn: I have, I could eat chocolate ice cream all day

Maya: I have not, although I always wanted to

20- accidentally sent an inappropriate text message to my mom that was intended for my girlfriend/boyfriend?

Maya: Oh god, yup. I meant to send a picture of me wearing this cute bikini to Kaitlyn with a mildly spicy text message and I sent it to my mom instead. I was so embarrassed but she just laughed it off

Kaitlyn: I have as well. (laughing) I just sent a photo of me posing in my Captain Sigma suit to Maya with some woohoo-y text, and I realized I had accidentally sent it to mom and she video called me, laughing her butt off and telling me that she had gotten Maya’s message by mistake and I was mortified

I tag @stephanine-sims, @pink-chevalier @mysteriousdane @1o8percent, @coliemoon4sims4, @starry-eyed-simss, @positive-simmer @volcano-pasta @izayoichan @sensitive-simmer @indecisivesimblr @andruskysworld @mlpsimmer @ladykendalsims and @cosmic-espie💛😄 also, there’s no rush so you can complete this anytime you want to 😊

#ts4 #mysims #Kaitlyn Chen #Maya Feldman #neverhaveieversims4tag

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fadingfartconnoisseur · 7 years

Text

AK Monthly Recap: August 2017

Hello. I’m thirty-three. And I’m more balanced than I’ve been in a year and a half.

It took a long time to get this point. When I moved to New York in early 2016, I knew it was time — and I was so happy. Even so, I struggled with anxiety. Was I not traveling enough? How would I manage my travels and build a life in New York? Would my readers leave me?! How would I earn enough money to survive in New York when it was so much more expensive than traveling and I would be doing less of the travel that would actually earn me money in the first place?!

Balance is fallacy, I wrote on my 32nd birthday last year.

I still believe that perfect balance is an impossibility. That said, while my life is not 100% balanced, it’s pretty close right now.

For one thing, I’m thrilled to be working with so many US-based destinations this year. A few years ago, only European destinations had budgets, so this is a welcome development. I love exploring my own country and sharing it with my readers. I love that I can swoop in on a quick flight, work an intense 3-5 day campaign, then fly home and do the rest of my content creation work from New York.

And this schedule is working very well. Every 2-3 months, I do a 2-3 week trip, and in between I do short trips of 3-5 days. This allows me to live fully in New York without wondering that I’m gone too often.

Maybe I won’t be as happy with this schedule in the future — but for right now, it’s excellent.

Destinations Visited

New York, New York, USA

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Vail, Denver, and Boulder, Colorado, USA

Oulu, Kuopio, Porosalmie, Oravi, Porvoo, and Helsinki, Finland

Minsk, Belarus

Favorite Destinations

Vail. A kickass mountain town with fabulous hiking and wonderful, warm people.

Porvoo. A pretty little wisp of a Finnish town.

Helsinki. Still one of my favorite offbeat European capitals, and this time I got to explore more islands.

Highlights

Turning 33 in style. I turned 33 on August 2 (no, no birthday post this year, but I might write one this month) and went to see Waitress on Broadway with my friends Beth and Amelia. There was a special reason for that: my cousin Matt was in the show! He’s been in the cast for months now, also serving as the understudy for Earl (the mean husband), so when he announced that he’d be playing Earl for a two-week run, we got tickets!

I hadn’t seen Matt in something like 20 years, but he invited us backstage after the show. It was so nice to reconnect and chat about our grandmothers — and take lots of pictures with pies!

Also, we got the cheapest tickets possible ($49 plus $12.50 fees for a total of $61.50 on the TodayTix app) and were in the very back row of the theater, but the seats were still quite good. If you want to see Waitress, go ahead and buy the cheapest seats — you’ll be fine!

After the show, the three of us planned to go to Guy Fieri’s restaurant as a joke, but they were closed and we went to the revolving restaurant on top of the Marriott instead. That’s how I learned that at 33 I get nauseous at revolving restaurants. Ha!

The next day, my sister Sarah and Beth and I grabbed Korean bar food and discovered a chocolate and wine restaurant next door. SO good.

A chance to revisit Philadelphia. I’ve always considered it my least favorite city in the US, so when Booking.com invited me to revisit my least favorite city and see if I could have a better time, I was excited to go. And I had a great time! It was awesome seeing my old friends Dave and Jeff and making new ones, like my reader Maria, and I ate and drank my way across Philly’s best restaurants and bars.

My friend Lisa came to New York oh so briefly! She came in for a day trip on the day I returned from Philly, so we met up for a nice lunch and stroll through the city, concluding at the magic that is Eataly.

New sunglasses. I wear sunglasses constantly, so I allow myself one designer pair per year. My 2017 pair, pictured in the top photo of the post, is by Tom Ford. I LOVE THEM.

Enjoying glorious Vail in the summer. I made my first-ever visit to Colorado (I know, I’m shocked too) this month, focusing on a campaign to showcase Vail in the summer months. Vail is one of those places I had always heard about, but never considered visiting because I don’t ski. Well, it turns out Vail in the summer is amazing — it’s so beautiful, the air is crisp, and it’s far less busy than during the winter. It’s most locals’ favorite time of year!

For me, Vail was all about the glorious hiking. I especially loved the hike that I did with llamas (!!), and I enjoyed exploring the town, getting to know the locals, spending time in the spa at the Sonnenalp Resort, and eating at so many delicious restaurants. Stay tuned for more on Vail very soon.

Spending time with friends and family in Colorado. My cousins Colleen and Cynthia live in Denver and I was stoked to finally visit them on their turf and check out the places they’re always posting about — namely The Tattered Cover bookstore and D Bar, an incredible dessert restaurant, as well as Hop Alley for dinner.

I didn’t meet these cousins until we were adults and I’m so glad to have them in my life now — we get along so well and have so much in common. The three of us love books and writing and travel, Cynthia loves Scotland as much as I do if not more, and Colleen is the author whose books I review often here.

In Boulder, I met up with two friends from different walks of life: Carrie, who came on my first Central America tour in 2015, and Matt from the world of travel blogging, a.k.a. Expert Vagabond. The three of us checked out Boulder’s best offerings including brunch at Snooze (you guys, I had a chilaquiles Benedict with poached eggs and barbacoa over tortillas with cheese and salsa AS WELL AS a giant blueberry danish pancake AS A SIDE DISH), plus a stop at Dushanbe Tea House, which was disassembled in Tajikistan and shipped to Boulder piece by piece. Oh, and there were a LOT of people out protesting circumcision.

Watching the eclipse in New York City. We didn’t have a total eclipse this far north, but it was still an outstanding event. I went to the Museum of Natural History with my friend Amy and we watched the eclipse surrounded by science-loving New Yorkers.

Finally seeing the Air Guitar World Championships. I’ve wanted to attend this competition for years — since long before I started the blog. Finally the opportunity arrived: my friends at Visit Finland invited me to do another summer trip in summer, and I immediately asked if I could go to the championships. They loved the idea and I was so happy we were able to make it work out!

This was one of the most fun festivals I’ve ever been to. The performers were so enthusiastic and funny, and I got to know several of them at the super-fun after-parties. That’s the Jinja Assassin, my favorite, pictured above. He tied for second.

Chilling out in the Finnish countryside. I stayed at an incredible resort called Järvisydan, which has been some kind of guesthouse since 1658 (!!) and one of the owners is an 11th-generation hospitality worker (!!!). I explored the islands, forests, and fishing villages, and spent time in the best spa I’ve ever experienced.

After that, I headed to the pretty town of Porvoo for some photography and a fitness class out in the forest. Porvoo reminded me so much of my beloved Rauma, but on a smaller scale. Next I headed to Helsinki and met up with a few Finnish friends: Sami, whom I met in Kuala Lumpur in 2010 and who took me on a 20,000-step walk around his island, and Katja, with whom I delivered a kickass conference speech in Italy in 2013 and who took me out to lunch in the city.

A new country: Belarus. Cool to visit country #71 and my fifth-to-last country in Europe. I had a nice walk along the riverfront and discovered a cool coffeeshop, but the rest of Belarus belongs in “challenges”…

Challenges

I killed my computer in Vail. Since I had bought my MacBook Air in spring 2012, I knew it would be time to upgrade to a new one soon. Yet I wanted to wait until it was absolutely necessary. Then it suddenly became necessary — I STUPIDLY spilled water on my keyboard and none of the top keys worked!

I ordered a refurbished 13″ MacBook Pro with maxed out RAM and it arrived in New York shortly after I got back from Colorado. I’d like to thank the Travel Blog Success community for helping me choose the right laptop for me. That Facebook group is worth the membership alone.

Oh, also — I picked up a cheap silicone keyboard protector. Because I’m not letting another spill destroy this machine.

The good news? I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE MY NEW COMPUTER. Man, you don’t realize how bad your old one was until you get a new one and everything flies at the speed of light…

The flight over to Europe was pretty awful. As much as I appreciated flying direct to Helsinki on Finnair, I hated leaving at 5:40 PM and arriving at 8:20 AM, or the equivalent of 1:20 AM New York time. They started serving breakfast at the equivalent of midnight. Yeah, I didn’t sleep a wink. And the woman in front of me had her seat back the whole time…and I was in a middle seat…I got a lot of reading done, but that was the only redeeming factor.

Minsk was rough. Definitely the most challenging place I’ve traveled in Europe. A significant language barrier, which I expected, plus some other quirks — like subway stations that have names in both Russian and Belarusian (often VERY different names) but sometimes the stations only have signs in one language and are announced only in the different language!

All that plus the fact that nearly all wifi is only available via receiving an SMS code — so if you don’t have a SIM card (and I didn’t), you basically have no wifi. Good thing I had it at my apartment…

On top of that, I didn’t find there to be much tourism value in Minsk, though I know I could have seen a lot more if I had made more of an effort. I did love my walk along the river, though. I would only recommend Minsk to experienced travelers. It’s hard.

And a small qualm — as soon as I got on the train to Philadelphia, I realized that my lone pair of sunglasses had lost one of its pads. Wearing them hurt like hell!