"Ballet is created on beautiful lines and shapes." --Martin Fridmann

#19. Go to a professional ballet performance.

As a performer, I get to see all sorts of really cool things. But it's rare that I have a night off to be in the audience to witness other performers doing cool things. Ever since I won my job with ASO and Nutcracker takes over my life each December, I have become more and more enthralled with ballet dancers. The way they gracefully put themselves in decidedly uncomfortable positions is beyond intriguing to me. The mixture of their athleticism and artistry is a joy to watch, and so far I had only glimpsed portions of shows from the pit. I decided that if I was going to check this one off my list, I needed to see a top-notch company. So, I took off a weekend from teaching, booked myself a ticket to NYC, and found myself watching a show at the New York City Ballet on  the night of February 28th.

The program was a set of new choreography to three pieces rather than a single piece (like Swan Lake, for example). (Also, sidenote: I'm sure that there is a certain terminology for this in the dance world, but I don't know what it is! Can any dancers help me with this?)

I left Austin on Friday late morning, and arrived in NY around 4pm. I navigated from Queens to Manhattan, dropped my stuff off at my friends' place, and then went in search of dinner before the 8pm curtain.

Lincoln Center in all its glory

Inside the theatre lobby, there were giant portraits hanging from the balconies. An artist had interviewed over 100 of the behind-the-scenes personnel for NYCB, and painted their portraits. I can attest to the fact that the people not onstage are the unsung heroes of any production--without them, there would be no show! I thought this was a really special and unique way to honor them. 

When I bought my ticket, I knew that they were doing a piece by Ravel, but what I didn't know was that it was his Piano Concerto. This piece holds an incredibly dear spot in my heart, and the choreography to it was beautiful. The second movement was especially stunning. The middle piece was a premier by Nico Muhly, which was impressive but I can't say that I totally loved it. But, the last piece they did was absolutely amazing. The coordination, the music, the choreography that fit the music perfectly, the set, the movements...all of it was just breathtaking. I was on the edge of my seat the WHOLE time, and even though it was long-ish by ballet standards (~25 minutes), I could have watched for another hour. I was completely mesmerized.

I left the theatre wanting to immediately buy another ticket for a NYCB production. I'm so glad that I took the time to experience this for myself, and I can't wait to come back to NY...so I can see the ballet again!

16 down. 14 to go!

No money!

#18. Go one month without buying anything except food at the grocery store.

A few years ago, I read an article about a man who committed to spending no money for an entire year, and got his roommate to do the same. When I read this article, I was fascinated, inspired, and in awe all at the same time. Could I possibly do this?? Add in the fact that recently I've been reflecting on consumerism, waste, and how much I spend money on things I don't necessarily need and I thought that this summer would be a great time to try to do this.

The people in the article really went all out. They were making their own laundry detergent, taking public transit everywhere, and even tried growing their own food. I decided to set a more realistic goal for myself: I wouldn't buy anything for a month except for food at the grocery store. In addition, I'm adding these exceptions for myself:
*Rent, insurance, and bills (these seemed important)
*Gas for my car, since as a freelancer in Austin, I don't have the option of taking reliable public transportation to the places where I teach or perform
*Any health related items (prescription refills, doctor's appointments, etc)
*I will do this item on the list in chunks:

• For the beginning, I'll give myself 10 days with the goal of not spending money during 7 of those.
• For the remaining three weeks, I'll do this one week at a time (not necessarily three weeks in a row)

So, here we go!

First 10 day chunk, aiming for 7/10:
Day 1: Tuesday, 6/25. Didn't spend any money! 1/10
Day 2: Wednesday, 6/26. Bought coffee in the morning. Whoops. Still at 1/10.
Day 3: Thursday, 6/27. I did spend money today, but it was for grocery shopping, so...exception! 2/10
Day 4: Friday, 6/28. This day was a test. My running group always goes out to coffee on Friday mornings after our run and I knew I wouldn't be able to resist my weekly breakfast taco, so I intentionally left my wallet at home. It worked. I spent a large chunk of money on a health related appointment this morning though, so even though this day will count for this challenge, my wallet is hurting. 3/10
Day 5: Saturday, 6/29. It's easy to spend no money when you don't leave your house and keep your laptop closed. 4/10
Day 6: Sunday, 6/30. Crap, I went out for a beer with a friend I have a hard time saying no to. Still at 4/10.
Day 7: Monday, 7/1. Today I took Matt out for dinner as a thank you for watching the cat while I was gone for 10 days. Definitely does not count...still 4/10.
Day 8: Tuesday, 7/2. Had another health appointment this morning but that counts as an exception so... 5/10
Day 9: Wednesday, 7/3. Grocery shopping as an exception. 6/10
Day 10: Thursday, 7/4. I spent absolutely zero money today and made it to seven days! 7/10

First full week, aiming for 7 out of 7 days:
Day 1: Sunday, 7/7. Day one, done. 1/7
Day 2: Monday, 7/8. Health appointment. 2/7
Day 3: Tuesday, 7/9. Resisted buying ice cream on the way home from yoga. 3/7
Day 5: Wednesday, 7/10. Happy hour fell through (maybe a good thing?). 4/7
Day 5: Thursday, 7/11. Ok. This day was a little weird. I bought a new dining table. But, I needed it for another item on the list that will be happening next week (and will be posted before this one is posted) so....even though it might be a little dicey, I'm gonna count this day. 5/7
Day 6: Friday, 7/12. Nothing bought today. 6/7
Day 7: Saturday, 7/13. Went to Jester King but AJ bought! 7/7

Halfway done! For the next two weeks to complete this challenge, I'm going to aim to be a little more stringent about my purchases that do need to happen.

Second full week: 
The timing of this couldn't have been better, if that's the right word to use. Medical bills and other bills started to pile up and it meant that I really needed to spend as little money as possible this week/at all.
Day 1: Saturday, 9/21. I had to buy gas to get Antonio and me to San Antonio, but otherwise the wallet stayed closed.
Day 2: Sunday, 9/22. Minimal grocery shopping.
Day 3: Monday, 9/23. Our health care system is broken.
Day 4: Tuesday, 9/24. It seemed like replacing the brakes on my car was a worthy investment for today.
Day 5: Wednesday, 9/25. 
Day 6: Thursday, 9/26. You guys, I was so bummed about this day, I did such a good job of not spending ANY money, and then I couldn't find the area with free parking downtown for a gig and I ended up spending $5 to park for 3 hours. :(
Day 7: Friday, 9/27. I resisted coffee and tacos at post-running coffee!
BONUS Day 8: Saturday, 9/28. 

As soon as I started to see days where I was "forced" to spend money on something (like gas or grocery shopping) it made me want to work that much harder to not spend money on things like coffee or food. I was originally going to do another full week of no spending, but then I took part in an Instagram challenge: Only One Hundred October. The idea was to curb discretionary spending and limit it to only $100 for the entire month. I set a list of exceptions (groceries, bills, cat, car) and then set out to spend $100 or less on fun things for all of October. And...I did it! I came out with having spent only $72 on things like coffee/eating out in October.

This challenge was interesting in that instead of focusing on spending money to have an experience, it forced me to do the opposite. It was a little extreme, but I think it was a good exercise in self control, and forced me to have better spending habits overall (which I hope I can keep up with!). 

15 down. 15 to go! Eek! Over halfway there (if you count the partly done ones)!

Movies: "That one's a classic!"

#17. Watch The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, The Pianist, Boondock Saints, Goodfellas, Scarface, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

On my phone, I keep a list of movies that I want to see, and these are usually movies that look interesting to me after I've seen snippets of them at the Oscars every year. During my senior year of college, I also took a "music in political film" class that helped to put more movies on the list. But, there are some movies that seem to be so classic that I thought I should add them to my 30 before 30 list. Most of the movies on this list came from IMDB's Top 250 Movies list (and some of them I had already seen, so I didn't bother putting them on the list again).

17.1: Pulp Fiction: 7/26/15
This was my first ever Quentin Tarantino movie. I really liked it, and I thought the way he brought all the threads together at the end was really effective. (I couldn't quite get over John Travolta's hair, though...yikes. Not becoming at all.) Really interesting movie, and it had some funny parts too. 7/10

17.2: Scarface: 5/8/16
Right now the movies I'm watching are based solely on what's available on Netflix. Since Scarface was on there, I hit this one next. One word: VIOLENT. Yikes. Lots of blood! I watched this one by myself on a Sunday night accompanied by chocolate chip pancakes; next time I'll skip the eating while watching this bloody movie. There was also a LOT of snorting cocaine: towards the end of the movie, it happened multiple times in a frame. Guess that's what I should expect in a movie about a drug kingpin! Also, swearing. Lots of it. One of my favorite scenes might have been when Elvira says, "Can't you stop saying fuck all the time?" Hey girl, that's exactly what I was thinking too.
BUT, I really, really liked this one. The character development of Tony Montana was fascinating, and Al Pacino did an absolutely stunning acting job. It also put some of my rusty Spanish skills to use! And the use of music was a bit cheesy, but strangely overall very effective. Highly recommend, as long as you can handle lots of blood in movies. 8.5/10

17.3: The Godfather: 5/27/16
I realized (after looking through Netflix and Amazing Video multiple times) that I'm sitting on a goldmine of free movie rentals: the UT library! What I didn't think of, though, was the fact that these DVDs may have some substantial damage to them since they've probably been in the library since they came out. Thankfully, for this movie that wasn't such an issue until the very last scene--the entire last minute was skipped over and it went straight to the credits. I had to look up "the ending of the godfather" on YouTube. Bless modern technology.
I'm not sure what to think about this one. Honestly, I had a HORRIBLE time trying to keep all the characters straight: who was whom, who was in which family, who was trying to kill whom, who was married into which family, on and on. I'm thinking watching it again would definitely help. But again, Al Pacino won me over. Not in the sense that I loved his character, but that he did a great job of developing his character. I did appreciate the themes in the movie, about family and honor and loyalty. Maybe I'm weird, or you have to be a huge Italian mafia aficionado to appreciate the nuances of this film, but somehow I wasn't nuts about this one. (*Edit: after talking with Tim, he said he felt the same way the first time he saw it. Maybe I'll give it another try in a few months and see how I feel then.) 7/10

17.4: Fight Club: 5/28/16
Yes, I know, two in a row. Whatever. This was one of the only other ones I could get from the UT library. And holy hell was it fantastic.
I LOVED THIS MOVIE. I was engaged the whole time and it was awesome and I can't say any more without giving anything away so GO WATCH IT NOW! 15/10

This damage made my DVD player freak out. Not cool.

The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club.

17.5: The Boondock Saints: 1/6/19

Definitely took a big break from this one but there's no excuse to not finish this goal in the next month! I had actually seen the ending of this movie twice before while at parties in undergrad, but had never seen the first hour and 45 minutes. It brought up an interesting concept of what happens when citizens play God; thought-provoking and mostly enjoyable (although it could tie with Scarface for the amount of times they threw the f-bomb around). 7/10

17.6: The Pianist: 2/17/19
What a haunting story. This could probably tie with Schindler's List for me in regard to heartbreaking atrocities. Loved this one. 10/10

17.7: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: 8/11/19
I found this DVD at Half Price Books for $5 and realized it was a sign for me to buy it and finally finish watching all my movies. I'm fairly certain this was the first Clint Eastwood movie I've seen, and he was pretty great. The movie itself was SO LONG (almost three hours) and very longwinded. And, being made in the 60s, the music and cinematography and camera work weren't up to the same standards as I've seen lately with the improvements that technology has made. But, I loved how all the story lines came together. There was definite comical chemistry between Blondie and Tuco. And it might have gotten me interested in watching more Westerns? 8/10

14 down. 16 to go!

Good food and great company

#16. Host a dinner party.

When I sat down to make my 30 before 30 list, I did a lot of Googling. I Googled sample 30-before-30 lists and got tons of hits. These helped me curate my own personal list, and one of things that kept coming back (aside from travel, that was a big one) was hosting some sort of an event. I love the idea of connecting with people over good food and drinks, and that's how this one landed on the list.

A challenge of this was scheduling: during the school year, everyone is bedraggled and tired and I couldn't see myself putting together a three course dinner and being in a good enough mood to entertain. So, I kept putting it off. That is, until the marvelous Julia Krakauer told me she would be coming to Austin in July. Jackpot.

Julia is one of my oldest, dearest friends (we met in 6th grade) and gets equally excited about things like hosting a dinner party. (Maybe this is why we get along so well. I'm sure it doesn't hurt.) I asked her if she would help me pull this off and to my extreme delight, she agreed! I immediately started thinking of the menu and guest list, we picked a date while she would be here, and now it's happening wheeeee!

The week before, I kept alternating between "I'm so excited!" and "OHMYGOD everyone is going to be in my house and I have to clean and what if there's a cockroach and there's cat hair everywhere" so you could say it's been a bit of a roller coaster so far. Preparations so far have included everything from buying a new table to fit everyone, getting around to hanging pictures in my house, and cocktail mixing/tasting by Julia. Once she arrived, we got down to business shopping, chopping, arranging, cooking, tasting, etc.

The flower queen at work

Menu

Featured cocktail: The Palomaesque from Food and Wine Magazine, carefully curated and crafted by Julia. 

Appetizers: Chips and assorted salsas.

Course 1: Gazpacho from this recipe. We used peppers from my farmshare, which made it extra delicious.

Course 2: Tacos! (Obviously.) We did two different types of tacos: Spaghetti squash and black bean from Smitten Kitchen and Caramelized Pork Tacos with Cucumber and Pineapple Salsa from one of my favorite food bloggers.

Course 3: No dinner party is complete without dessert. Brown sugar cake with ricotta mousse and blueberry sauce (from Food and Wine) rounded out the evening.

Takeaways:

1) Having another person help me with all the preparation was HUGE. Chopping would have taken me three times as long, there may have been zero flowers, and the cocktail game would have suffered if Julia had not been here. I think if I were to do one on my own in the future, I would make one dish and have everyone else bring a side dish to complement. Otherwise, I can see how it would be absolutely overwhelming. 

2) I let go early on of the expectation that things would be perfect, and that helped me to enjoy everything much more.

3) Listening (and singing along) to Taylor Swift while doing prep work helped calm my nerves.

4) I wish I had taken more pictures, but I think the fact that I wasn't reaching for my phone during the dinner is a testament to how "in the moment" I was, which is more important to me anyway.

5) It was one of the most fun nights I've had this summer, with some of my favorite people all gathered in my house having good food, conversation, and drinks.

Taco assembly line

Daniel trying to befriend Miranda

13 down. 17 to go!

Green thumbery

#15. Start and maintain my own garden (herbs ok!). 

When I lived right next to UT, my apartment complex had a community garden. While my commitment was minimal (think once-a-week watering), I was still allowed and even encouraged to reap the benefits of the plants. (Homegrown tomatoes are AMAZING.) I decided that when I got my own place with some outdoor real estate, I wanted to grow my own garden!

Fast forward two years. I'd become slightly obsessed with herb gardens (maybe because they're so small and cute? I'm still not sure.). I potted three different types, and was ready to see my green thumb at work!

Look!! They're sprouting!

Then I got a cat.

And not just any cat, but a cat who has made it her life's work to destroy every living green  thing that I bring in through the door. Ok. This was not going to work. I gave up.

Until! Until 2019, when 1) I moved to a place with a patio that got more sun and 2) the farmshare program I subscribe to (jbgorganic.com) had a transplant sale. You could get any seedlings of your favorite vegetable or fruit for $3. I hemmed and hawed, and finally clicked "purchase." If not now, when??

I got one each of cilantro, tomatoes, and sweet peppers. I planted them in mid-March, and we'll see how they (and I) do! 

Ok little seedlings, let's do this.

Three weeks after I planted the seedlings, I started seeing some little green tomatoes!

Look how cute they are!!

Then--oh my--they got bigger and turned orange! I hadn't killed them! (Though I had a couple of close calls with the leaves looking a little sad.) I picked three when they looked like they might burst off of the branches and immediately washed and ate them. So sweet. So warm. So good.

First harvest! They were delicious.

The cilantro plant has been sprouting flowers, so I think I might've messed up on that one. I probably should've started to harvest the cilantro as soon as I got it. The pepper plant is sprouting slowly but surely! I'm not sure what color or size I should expect them to be when they're ready to be picked. 

Takeaways:
1) Get more seedlings. Now I understand why the default amount of seedlings to purchase online was three. Next time I will buy at least three tomato plants.
2) Don't forget to water the plants! I had some close calls where I walked out of my house on the way to work and went, "Ahh! My tomato plant needs watering!"
3) If I get any more plants, I will need an actual planter box (they are expensive!!). For this year, I was ok with just pots.
4) Get different varieties of plants! I think next year I'll aim for tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and maybe another. 
5) I was weirdly more excited about the tomatoes than the herbs.

12 down. 18 to go!

Run, Sophie, Run!

#14. Run a half marathon.

I have always been SO impressed by distance runners. The stamina and mental game of keeping your legs moving for that long has always made me feel like if I could do that, I could do ANYTHING. For this goal, I thought I should start with a shorter distance, so I settled for a half marathon: 13.1 miles. I've hiked 14ers that are this long, but that was over an entire day, with breaks for rest and food. This promised to be different.

Finish line 2018 with CAP10K's armadillo mascot

Starting my sophomore year in college, I got into running races. I had run casually at home while I was in high school with friends who ran cross country or track (just to stay in shape, and I wasn't on any team), but at Michigan I got interested in running timed events. After my first one, where I got to finish a 5K on the 50 yard line of the Big House, I was HOOKED. If only each race had such an epic ending!

Anyway, I ran a number of 5Ks with varying personal timed success (running after a breakup did wonders for my PR). Then, when I moved to Texas, I decided to start getting serious about this...sort of. I ran a couple of 10Ks with Audrey (she's the only reason I got to the finish line both times!) and finally in April 2018 after the second one, I decided to take the plunge: I signed up for the Houston Half Marathon at the end of October.

BSOM strong and hook 'em Horns! Cap10K 2016

People kept asking me, "Why Houston?" First of all, they advertise it as flat, which was appealing. Second of all, it was far enough away that I would have time to train, but not too far away that I would lose my nerve...

So, I started training! With the help and support of my new triathlete friend and accountabili-buddy AJ, I started running 3-ish times a week. Running in the summer in Texas was a struggle, but you figure out ways to make it better...like leaving a water bottle filled with cold water in the car for the end of the run, bringing a towel and a different shirt to change into for the ride home, finding routes that are 90% shaded, soaking running shorts in a water/vinegar mix to keep them from absolutely reeking, and waking up early to get out before the sun.

I'm writing this at the end of August, with 2 months left before the race...

9 weeks to race day: Ran 8 miles on Sunday around Lady Bird Lake. That's the farthest I've ever run to date! The next day, my legs were really sore. I have to remember to stretch after each run, and I really should get back into yoga as cross training. It makes a difference! Also, AJ just told me I should be running a semi-long distance on the day after my long run for the week so I "get used to running on tired legs." Guess we will be doing that from now on...

8 weeks to race day: I slept in longer than I wanted to before this week's long run (9 miles) and I paid for it by having to run in the sun, and also using most of my morning for the run. Gotta get out earlier next week. 

7 weeks to race day: I was a little better about doing other runs during the week this week, and also I returned to yoga! It definitely helps. Audrey came to town to play with ASO/live in my apartment and I convinced her to run with me. We did the 7 mile loop downtown and it was such a treat to run with a friend!

6 weeks to race day: Finally hit double digits on my long run for the first time ever. Because of ASO starting back up and other factors, it was a bit of a struggle fest but I made it. I MADE IT. I'm committed to keeping up running whatever distance I can during the week to make these long runs easier. Yes, I know, I'm kinda late to this game but better late than never...right??

A gorgeous view of the Austin skyline from my 10 mile run on 9/16

(Side note: I had the realization this week that on morning runs during the week, I feel rushed and like I need to get home to do work immediately, so it always ends up being a speed workout and I take about 2 minutes per mile off my pace. I'm sure this is beneficial in some ways....or at least I hope it is.)

5 weeks to race day: Ok, ok, I was just ok about running during the week. I logged 7 miles during the week and then hit 11.1 (!!) for my long run on Sunday. Only 2 miles left to add on before I hit the half marathon distance! This is starting to feel not only doable but absolutely possible, which is an amazing feeling to me.

There was a race around my usual route downtown so I headed back to a beautiful residential stretch that I frequented before I left Texas earlier this summer. I haven't quite been able to get myself out on a Monday morning to "run on tired legs" but maybe it will happen yet...maybe...

4 weeks to race day: This week sucked. I barely got out during the week, and then on Friday, while attempting to do a handstand in yoga class, I crashed out of it onto the floor and onto my right side, bruising my thigh. I tested it out on a short run on Saturday and wow did it hurt--but Sunday was ok. I couldn't quite get up to my goal of 12 miles, I was a tenth of a mile short. I think I also need to take a look at my nutrition, since I didn't feel energized enough today. 

3 weeks to race day: Y'all, this week was even worse than last week. I was thrown into a depressive slump and *could* *not* get out of bed in the mornings. It was hard enough to get up to go to work, let alone get up earlier to run. Don't ever let anyone tell you that depression and its manifestations are not real. 

I managed to get in a run on Saturday in between students, but it was too little too late. My long run on Sunday hit my mileage goal (13!!) but WOW did it wipe me out. I spent the next 2.5 hours lying in bed. Yikes! I realized maybe I needed to be adding in tempo runs to my workouts, so that I improve the quality of my running and not just the number of miles. It may be too late for that now...

2 weeks to race day: Because TLU had fall break on Thursday, that was one less day I had to teach this week. I used that morning to go for a glorious fall run instead during the week! Add in some yoga and another short run of interval training, and I was a happy running camper this week. My final long run of this training season was 13.1 miles on Sunday--the half marathon distance. Now the tapering begins!

1 week to race day: Ever notice how after a really stressful event, you get sick? Well, after an audition on Monday, I came down with a cold. Ugh. Trying to recuperate took most of my time, but I found that running actually helped with symptoms other than fatigue. My "long run" was only 6.8 miles, due to the tapering. The goal is to keep doing cross training and speed workouts (ha) until the race. (EDIT: I ended up doing a track workout and also running with Shoal Creek Striders in this tapering week. Good decision on both fronts!) Down to the final stretch....

RACE DAY

Wow, it's finally here! I was a little nervous when we started--will my training hold up? What if my left leg gives me problems or my right calf seizes up or my right groin muscle starts to hurt or I trip and fall like I did last weekend and there's blood everywhere?--but before I knew it I had run 3 miles and was feeling great. I kept on chugging and at the final mile, I felt this huge smile spread across my face. I was doing it, really doing this!! Crossing the finish line felt amazing! 

That's the look of pure joy right there

My official time was 2:13:43, with an average pace of 10:13/mile. I'm already planning my next one (likely the 3M Half in Austin in January), and searching for a friend to run with me :)

Post race party with the Houston skyline

I did it!

One of my favorite things after races is how much free food they give you.

There are some thank yous to be said before moving on. First, huge thanks to my parents and all of my friends who patiently listened to me yap on about my training, mileage, and other random things about running, and sent me love and support all the way to the finish line. 

Second, thanks to Tonya for hosting me during the weekend I was in Houston, and being a wonderful carb-loading partner! 

Third, shout out to the following podcasts for keeping me company during all my training runs and the race: The Adventure Zone (highly recommend!), Serial, and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! 

Finally, thank you to AJ for keeping me accountable in my training, always being willing to give running advice or suggest new routes, and for steadfastly believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself.

11 done. 19 to go!

Slovenia

11.8: Slovenia

While Sarah and I were in Croatia, it seemed only natural to take a day trip Slovenia since we were so close (only about 2.5 hours by bus)! One early morning, we walked to the bus station and boarded a bus to spend the day in Ljubljana (pronounced "loo-blee-awna). It was rainy and overcast, but we arrived in the city of beautiful architecture with Rick Steves in our pocket and ready to explore.

We went to the house of famed Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik, which has been turned into a museum since his death. It was fascinating to see where he lived, worked, and slept as recently as 60 years ago! Plečnik was responsible for designing much of Ljubljana.

His work table

 Side door of the house

As we wandered from the house back to the main square, we found a music store (I insisted we go in--and I found sheet music to a piece I needed to buy!) as well as the university, the library of which had been designed by (you guessed it) Plecnik. 

We had wine for lunch, followed by the best Indian food I've ever had (yes, in that order)!

The afternoon brought with it a compulsory visit to the castle, which places a large emphasis on dragons as its main security. This is also seen on the bridge in the main square, which has sculptures of dragons on either side.

View of Ljubljana from the top of the castle

A dragon on the dragon bridge

Ljubljana was a beautiful city--I loved that the rivers ran right through the main area of town and the bridges were a central part of the city's architecture. Even though it was urban, there was a very nature-y feel to it. It was the perfect day trip!