Lyndon B. Johnson NHP, White Sands NM, Sedona, Wupatki NM, Grand Canyon NP, Death Valley NP, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas

The Holiday Season is officially over. Goodbye 2012. Hello 2013! As much fun as it was seeing and catching up with friends and family, it's nice that things have finally calmed down. A lot happened during my birthday month of December, and I'm very excited to share it all with you.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had my 3 month follow-up consisting of a CT of my chest in early December. The results came in, and there was no definite findings of metastatic disease! This was beyond amazing news. I can't tell you how relieved I was, and looking back on it now, all my worrying seemed silly. I really try hard not to overreact over these things since it's out of my control, but it's really difficult to do.

With that taken care of, it was time to celebrate the rest of my birthday month. After 3 1/2  years of a long distance relationship, Andrew was moving from Houston, TX to the Bay Area, and so I flew over so that we could road trip over together. I figured it would be a really fun way to explore more of the United States, as well as spend time together. We visited the following areas:

1. Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (TX)
2. White Sands National Monument (NM)
3. "Red Rock Country" (AZ) 
4. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (AZ)
5. Wupatki National Monument (AZ)
6. Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
7. Death Valley National Park (CA)
8. Hoover Dam (Border of AZ & NV)
9. Las Vegas (NV)

It's incredible to experience these natural wonders that have been around for millions of years. The world is so beautiful, so if you have time, and want to do some traveling but are on a budget, I'd highly recommend doing a road trip. Enjoy the pictures below.

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
Johnson City, TX

LBJ's family moved from a farm near Stonewall, TX, to Johnson City in September 1913. 

He never forgot where he came from and worked hard to provide electricity throughout 

the rural counties that surround Johnson City. 

What a tasty Gingerbread Man!

The National Park maintains a herd of Hereford cattle which are 

descended from the President's registered herd. 

Talk about famous cows!

During LBJ's presidency, the original century-old farmhouse 

became known as the Texas White House. 

I just couldn't resist. 

White Sands National Monument
Alamogordo, NM

White Sands Missile Range surrounds the park. The 4,000-square-mile range
is an important site for testing experimental weapons and space technology. 

White Sands is the largest gypsum dune field in the world, encompassing 275 

square miles. The gypsum that forms the white sand was deposited 250 

million years ago, and rarely found as sand because it's soluble in water.

Sledding on the dunes is allowed, but the hard part was getting up there!

Andrew was able to make it to the top, whereas I couldn't, and 

had to walk all the way around. Epic fail. 

The Alkali Flat Trail skirts the edge of Lake Otero, once a 1,600-square-mile lake. 

We learned the hard way that the trail was more about 6 miles!

"Red Rock Country"
Sedona, AZ

We woke up early for the sunrise, but it was overcast and drizzling that day,

so we didn't get to see the glow of the red sandstone. 

Surprisingly, my clumsy self did not fall into the cactus. Win! 

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Flagstaff, AZ

Sunset Crater Volcano features a 1,000-foot volcanic cone and its 

lava flows. We were able to see the volcanic cone pretty well, 

but the snow covered most of the lava flow. 

Wupatki National Monument
Flagstaff, AZ

The construction and settlement of Wupatki Pueblo followed the eruption 

of nearby Sunset Crater in approximately 1080 CE. The environmental range 

from mountain to desert was unbelievable!

Grand Canyon National Park
Coconino County, AZ

The Watchtower at Desert View is a re-creation of the strange prehistoric towers 

found scattered over large areas of the Southwest. It was intended to bring about 

a better understanding of the American Indian and his life in past and present. 

American Indians used the route followed by the Bright Angel Trail long 

before the first pioneers arrived in the 1880s. We were lucky to have 

arrived during the first snow of the season!

 I was not ready for the snow.

Death Valley National Park
Inyo County, CA

Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the world. Summer daytime temperatures often exceed a blistering 120F (49C), and nights may fail to cool below 100F (38C). It's also the driest place in North America, with an average rainfall of less than two inches (5cm) a year on the valley floor. 

Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, with -282ft (-85.5m) below sea level.

The Devils Golf Course is composed of jagged crystallized salt formations.
A fall could result in painful cuts or even broken bones. I'm definitely living life on the edge!

Hoover Dam
Border of AZ & NV

The Hoover Dam was built from 1931-1936 for flood control 

and electric power generation of the Colorado river. 

Be careful, don't trip!

Las Vegas, NV

We were playing the penny slots after dinner at Wolfgang Pucks, and 

a woman approached us and gave us free front row tickets to KÀ! 

What a great way to experience my first Cirque Du Soleil show ever!

I guess I missed the memo about it being Lady Gaga night at Hyde Bellagio. 

Please excuse the photobomb. 

To end our time in Las Vegas, we feasted at The Cosmopolitan's Wicked Spoon Buffet. 

The only downside was that my plate wasn't big enough to hold all of the 

food that came in mini pots. 

This blog was intended to talk about the changes of my taste buds as I underwent chemotherapy, but as my taste buds returned back to normal, I've realized that my blog has become more of a celebration of my life. I want to take the time that I do have, whether it be short or long, traveling and spending time with the people I love. That makes me the most happiest. I hope you enjoy this journey with me. 

Sephardic Dried Fruit and Nut Spoon Sweet 

Courtesy of The Book of New Israeli Food

A sinfully rich combination of deep-fried dried fruits, nuts and honey, perfumed with triple sec. Serve it with tea or spoon some over yogurt and ice cream. 

Ingredients (makes 1 liter jar)

1 lb. assorted dried fruits (prunes, dates, figs, pineapples, apricots, raisins)

9 oz. assorted nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews)

12 oz. honey

1/4 tsp. of triple sec

Oil for deep-frying

Directions

1. Heat the oil for deep-frying to medium heat. 
2. Cut the larger fruits into small cubes. Fry the fruits and the nuts in batches of hot oil for about 1 minute. Be careful not to scorch the fruit. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. 
3. Pour the honey into the bowl, add triple sec and mix thoroughly. 
4. Cool to room temperature and serve. It will keep for a long time in the refrigerator. 
5. Before serving, heat for 20-30 seconds in the microwave oven. 

Perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth!

Florida - Gainesville, Orlando

I hope you all had a wonderful November, and that your tummies are happy and full. My trip to Florida to visit my sister turned out to be tons of fun. We went to the University of Florida Homecoming and Gator Growl, Universal's Islands of Adventure, and the Florida Museum of Natural History. For a little place such as Gainesville, I didn't expect there to be so much to do. Boy was I wrong!

UF mascots Albert E. Gator and Alberta Gator. 

Truck full of UF football players? Yes, please!

Apparently, Gator Growl is the largest student-run pep rally in the world. 

I'm glad I got a chance to experience it with my bestie!

(From left to right: Me, Anh)

The show definitely ended with a bang!

UF Homecoming game. United We Growl. 

(From left to right: Anh, Me)

We <3 Tim Tebow!

UF Gators vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajins. UF won 27-20.

What a nail-biting game!

Getting ready for some fun at Universal's Islands of Adventure. 

(From left to right: Anh, Me)

The butterbeer was so delicious! It tasted like cream soda with butterscotch 

whipped cream. I'd highly recommend the frozen butterbeer over the cold version

as it's less carbonated.

Just goofing around. 

(From left to right: Me, Anh)

We ended the day on the Caro-Seuss-el. 

(From left to right: Me, Anh)

The butterfly rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

I felt like a whole new person! 

A butterfly decided to hitchhike on my hair and on my sister's Butterfly Rainforest ID guide. 

(From left to right: Anh, Me)

To add to that, I had a great time with family for Thanksgiving. For the most part, we all got along, and really enjoyed each other's company. That's definitely a big deal since having 15 people over can be a very stressful! The one thing that I could have done without was the dishes, but surprisingly it wasn't too terrible. Looking back, I'm very thankful for the exceptional doctors at Stanford Hospital & Clinics for saving my life, my amazing family and friends for their unwavering support, and my loving boyfriend Andrew for his compassion and understanding as I continue to fight through this.  I'm so blessed to have them in my life, and I would not be the strong person I am today without them.

The adult table.

(From left to right: Chinh, her husband Kiet, Uncle 7, Uncle 6, Dad, 

Uncle 2, Aunt 2, Aunt 6, Mom, Aunt 7)

The kid's table. 

(From left to right: Me, my cousin Da-Thao, 

my brother Phong, Annie)

Don't drink and cook. Otherwise, you'll get burnt garlic bread!

(From left to right: Me, Anh)

It is officially my birthday month now. I'm very excited to be celebrating another year of life, but lately my mind's been preoccupied. I think preoccupied would be an understatement. Sometimes I lie awake at night thinking about what the future holds for me. I'm really worried about cancer recurrence cutting my life short, and never being able to get married and have children. I try not to think about it too much since there's nothing I can do, but it's especially difficult since I have my 3 month follow-up which consists of a CT scan of my chest next week. I really do hope the results will be good, and that there is no evidence of disease (NED). That would be a great early birthday and Christmas present. If that was the only thing I got, I would be more than happy with that. I don't want anything else besides good health.

Spinach Fettuccine with Shrimp, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts, and Basil 

serves 6

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 lb. uncooked shrimp, peeled, and deveined  
• 4 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes) 
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped 
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup black olives, sliced 
• 1 cup artichoke hearts, sliced
• 1 cup of baby corn, sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced 
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes 
• Salt and pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 bag pasta

Cooking the pasta.

1. Add pasta to a large pot of boiling, salted water. Stir. 
2. Test in 3 minutes. Do not overcook. Pasta should be al dente, "tender, but firm to the bite."
3. Drain. Toss immediately with butter, olive oil, or sauce. 

Adding in the rest. 

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 
2. Add garlic. Cook and stir until garlic begins to turn golden. 
3. Add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Roughly about 3 minutes. Remove and place to the side. 
4. Add in tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, baby corn, and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring to a boil. 
5. Add in basil, cilantro, green onion, and cooked shrimp. Toss all together with pasta. 
6. Take the pan off the heat immediately. 
7. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese.

Chef's Note: For a vegetarian option, omit the shrimp.

 

Bon appetite!

Santa Barbara

Hi everyone. I hope you're all doing well, and having a great Halloween. I can't believe that October is almost over, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. It's been about 2 months since I've finished chemo, and my life seems to be returning back to normal now. My hair is slowly growing back, my energy level and physical activity is up, and my taste buds are great. As for my day to day life, it's pretty boring, and usually consists of doing household chores and taking care of the dog. It may not sound very glamorous but I do enjoy it a lot. It's a nice change from being in the hospital.

I won't know what the status of my cancer will be until early December, and so my goal is to really take advantage of this open window of time that I'm well. I'd like to think that I've been making good on my promises of enjoying life, and visiting my friends and family. So far I've been to Knoxville Tennessee, Irvine, and Santa Barbara. Next week, I plan to go to Gainesville to spend time with my sister since she's over there for grad school. After that, I think I'll be able to squeeze in one last trip to Houston to see my boyfriend before my doctor appointments. I'm very blessed that I have this opportunity to see the people that I love, and I hope that you won't judge me too harshly for it. 

The girls enjoying a beautiful day at Newport Beach.

Black light bowling at Zodo's.

Just hanging out at Pardall Tunnel at UCSB. 

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It's the one day in the year, where it's acceptable to dress up in a fun costume, and eat tons of candy. I suppose you could do that everyday, but you'd probably get a lot of weird looks from people on the streets, and a lot of cavities. To get into the Halloween Spirit, my brother and I decided to make delicious insect treats. Don't worry though, no actual insects were harm in the making of the recipe.

Be safe, and have a Happy Halloween!

Andrew sent me the cutest Halloween Flower Bouquet ever.

Chocolate Apricot Bugs (Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis)

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips 
• 20 (about 6 ounces) dried apricots 
• Sixty 2 1/2-inch-long pieces thin black licorice
• Special equipment: a wooden skewer 

Directions

1. Place 1/4 cup of chocolate chips in a small bowl. Place the bowl over a small pan of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
2. Gently squeeze the sides of an apricot together until 3/4-inch thick. Using a wooden skewer, make a hole through the center of the side of the apricot and thread a piece of licorice through the hole. Repeat twice more on either side of the first hole. 
3. Gently flatten out the apricot to its original shape. Dip the blunt end of the skewer in the melted chocolate and place a very small dab of chocolate onto the flat side of 2 chocolate chips. Place the chocolate chips side-by-side on the end of the apricot to form 2 eyes. 
4. Allow the melted chocolate to harden, about 15 minutes, and serve.

Chef's Note: If you're having difficult threading the licorice, you can always pull apart the dried apricot at its seam, thread the licorice through, and then flatten it back. 

Who knew insects could be so delicious and nutritious?