The Perfect Café Crème, and other tales from my winter break

First off, it's really nice to not have to stress about school for 6 weeks. That being said, I am starting to feel the pressure of internships and have finally begun doing some legitimate research, writing, and applying. Here's to hoping I'll wind up having a sweet gig lined up somewhere in Europe for the summer...

On another note, I have recently been positively soaking in delicious coffee. For my birthday, my parents hooked me up with an espresso machine and I've been happily making my own café crèmes almost every day since. Coffee is a beautiful thing, and this little machine makes whipping up my own version of my favorite French coffee drink quick and pretty darn fun.

Step 1: Des grains de café et un peu de lait

Step 2: Steam and brew

Step 3: Combine and enjoy

My sister and brother-in-law gave me the fabulous birthday gift of a belay class at the local rock climbing gym. My sister did the class with me, and we had a blast! The deal also included a full week of free climbing and equipment rentals, of which we have been taking great advantage. We took the class on Saturday, went back to climb more on Sunday (my bro-in-law even joined us!), went back on Tuesday, and we went back again today to round out our free week. Whew! We've been climbing for a solid two hours each time we go. You definitely feel it in the shoulders, forearms, and back when you wake up the next day!

Chalky climbing hands

My sis and I make a great climbing team and are at the same skill level, which does wonders for our motivation. We both climbed 5.9-grade routes today, which is fantastic after so much time away from the climbing wall (5.0 is easiest, world-class climbers have current topped out at 5.15)!! Needless to say, I am feeling super motivated to continue top-rope climbing and bouldering once I get back to Denver! There's a climbing gym about two miles away from my apartment that I'm sure I'll be checking out in January. :)

Sisters' fitness! :)

Also, but completely unrelated, hummingbirds in the Pacific Northwest are crazy and stick around all winter long. Fortunately, my mom has a trusty hummingbird feeder that she keeps filled up year-round. The feeder is especially busy in the winter, when we're treated to multiple "hummer" visits almost every day. I caught this little guy on a break between feedings the other day. What gorgeous, tiny, and strong yet fragile creatures!