22

For Christmas, my dad gave me and Nate a 3-day vacation at a really nice resort in Galena, IL. That's where we are right now, and today is my 22nd birthday.

I know I promised a scenic blip today, but since we arrived when the sun was setting, I wasn't able to capture a decent outdoors picture. It's too bad because Galena is gorgeous! Illinois is notorious for being flat and bland, but this little town by the Mississippi is really something else. It's so hilly and there are trails, rivers, waterfalls, and trees everywhere. It's a hiker's wet dream. I'm so coming back here with my bike in the summer! This is a nice break away from the hectic city life.

After Nate & I got settled into our one-bedroom villa (which is a nice townhouse right by Lake Galena), we went downtown and explored the small shops there. Among our findings were:

Guns (this one is for Laura!)
Camel toes & fat chicks (Dirty infantile humor like that can be found everywhere in a canned goods shop on Main Street.)
A ghost (It's not really a ghost, but a statue. That thing stared -- or would've stared if it actually had eyes -- at me during the entire dinner at some kitschy restaurant called "Fried Green Tomatoes" [yes, like the movie!] The "ghost" was creepy as hell.)
A snack shop with popcorn, candy, ice cream, and local artwork. God, I love small towns.

Our villa has a wood-burning fireplace, so we ended the night by roasting marshmallows. Mmm, s'mores!

It was pretty much a low-key day, especially because we spent the entire day driving around, but tomorrow we're going all out! I don't care if it's below zero outside, we are going horseback riding, visiting the Mississippi river, walking around town some more, ice skating, cross-country skiing, and who knows what else?! You will definitely see better pictures tomorrow.

EDIT: I decided to change my picture to a somewhat decent scenic photo. I thought my 22nd birthday deserved something better than a bunch of barrels with popcorn in them. :)