Photo Gallery: New Hampshire 2017

On By GabeIn Traveling BeyondLeave a comment

Hi there! Recently, my family and I took our annual trip to New Hampshire- and it was a really great time. This year, we strayed away from amusement parks and water parks, and focused on nature. In New Hampshire, the agriculture is so beautiful. We had a view of the White Mountains in back of the house we were renting, we hiked Mount Major, swam in a private, free flowing brook near our house, we tubed town the Saco River, and swam in Lake Winnepesauke after the hike. (This was throughout the week, not in one day- that would be a lot.)

I have allergies, and sometimes, here in Connecticut, they become a pain. But in New Hampshire, the air is so much lighter, cooler, and allergen free, so much that I could actually sleep with my window open. It rained several times at night, and I love falling asleep to rain. It’s so soothing, even better than the Soothing Waters playlist I usually listen to at night.

Mount Major (my first hike ever, actually) was really enjoyable. The trails were challenging, but not impossible. And even so, what more than made up for it were the views of Lake Winnepesauke, which we swam in after the hike. It was another perfectly clear day.

Continue reading “Photo Gallery: New Hampshire 2017” →

In Tune: Silence

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New In Tune LogoFor this week’s edition of In Tune, I am slowly edging my way into the pop corner of music- but not there yet. Though I am mostly a pop music listener, I’ve been trying to discover new types of music, new artists, and songs that stand out in so many different ways. See, for most of my life I’ve been solely exposed to local radio stations that play pop and nothing but. Now that music streaming has taken over the world (and my life), I’ve been able to broaden my music taste into so much more: from piano melodies to Ed Sheeran‘s Supermarket Flowers. 

Continue reading “In Tune: Silence” →

Parts of the Body | French Connection

On By GabeIn French ConnectionLeave a comment

New French Connection Logo

Hi there, and welcome to French Connection! In this edition, I have created an awesome diagram to teach you the parts of the body. In addition to that, I’ll also be teaching you about different emotions, since it (somewhat) goes along.

In the diagram you see below, I’ve labeled many different parts of the body with a number, and I’ll display a reference table thereafter with each French term and English equivalent.

Parts of the body are essential when learning the French language, especially in medical emergencies. The same goes for emotions, which are part of our personalities. Using these vocabulary words, they’ll definitely assist in conversations and with expressing how you feel.

Continue reading “Parts of the Body | French Connection” →

In Tune: To Be Human

On By GabeIn In TuneLeave a comment

New In Tune Logo

Good morning! I’ve been pushing myself not to include any true pop songs in In Tune yet- and I haven’t – but today I chose a song by a very familiar pop artist: Sia. I love listening to Sia’s songs. She has a very distinct, but beautiful, tone of voice. From many of her songs that have become hits, she’s sung several types of music- from the heartfelt Alive to the upbeat, summer hit Cheap Thrills, both from her This is Acting album.

For this week’s In Tune series, I instead chose a song from a soundtrack. I came across this song not from the radio, nor from watching the movie. I was browsing through Apple Music, and it was recommended “For You”. Well, it certainly was- I immediately loved it.

Continue reading “In Tune: To Be Human” →

My View of the United States

On By GabeIn Special Editions, Traveling BeyondLeave a comment

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From June 22 until July 1, I took a Cross-Country trip from Chicago to California, and from California back to Chicago. I’ve blogged about photos, highlights, and experiences, which you can view on the Traveling Beyond category. This post, however, is a culmination of everything the trip meant to me. It was my first time leaving the East Coast, and boy, has my life changed because of it…

The first part of our trip was a plane ride from Bradley to Chicago. I hadn’t been on a plane in 11 years, but I  really enjoyed it (despite having a fear of heights and the window seat). I was just amazed by the clouds- being over them, in them, and through them. And then, being completely over every cloud, to see nothing but a clear, blue sky, was fascinating. When we weren’t engulfed in clouds, I could see massive rivers (not to mention the massive Lake Michigan), miles and miles of forest and fields, and then coming into Chicago, miles and miles of city. The landscapes changed so quickly, and they differed so much from the type of life I’m used to. The plane rides I took on my trip were something completely different, especially when we took a night one, and saw nothing but endless city lights. It’s a totally different perspective. Throughout the trip, I kept thinking, “Wow. This is my country.” 

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I do have to say, though, that the best part of the trip was the Grand Canyon. In transit to the canyon, though, I was very intrigued by the wildfire happening just outside our window- the smoke from it alone was fascinating (though that’s all we could see of it).

Grand Canyon, sweet canyon. You don’t see anything like this, anywhere. We stayed on the rim, but the scale of the cannon was massive- and to think that it goes on for 277 miles? Wow. The only words that came to my mind were, It’s so beautiful. 

I speak about tear jerkers on this blog a lot- songs, books, but the Grand Canyon is one too. Just the way the colors and layers of rock blend together, and the fact that Nature created all of this… it’s like a blessing from above.

Pictures could never do it justice- you have to see, in person, the endless canyon that fades off into the horizon, the Colorado River that looks massive even from a mile up, and the infinite gorges and hues that make the Grand Canyon, well, the Grand Canyon. Continue reading “My View of the United States” →

Welcome To The New 12 and Beyond!

On By GabeIn Blog UpdatesLeave a comment

Good morning! Welcome to the new home of 12 and Beyond: 12andBeyond.com!

Of course, that’s only the beginning: I’m sure you’ve noticed, but 12 and Beyond looks completely different too. With a new design, new graphics, and so much more, I’m not sure where to begin.

So let’s start with the biggest change: the theme. Believe me, I enjoyed writing with Hemingway Rewritten, but it eventually ran its course. I wanted something a bit more professional, streamlined, and simpler. And so, I came across Lovecraft, the theme you see now, and put my own 12 and Beyond spin on it with new colors, fonts, and layouts.

Continue reading “Welcome To The New 12 and Beyond!” →

Project: 12 and Beyond Announcement

On By GabeIn Blog UpdatesLeave a comment

I’ve got big news. 12 and Beyond is about to go under a major overhaul starting this Saturday, and I have all the details of what the update will include below. I’m really excited!

Before I get to that, though, I’ll be releasing specifics as far as the update process in a later post this week, just know this: 12 and Beyond will TEMPORARILY become private around 9:30 am EST this Saturday, so don’t be alarmed. You won’t be able to access 12 and Beyond at all. No worries though- 12 and Beyond will reopen the following Saturday (around 9:30 am as well) and the updates would be complete.

At this point, I am unsure whether I will be able to purchase a domain at the time. So, next Saturday, visit the same domain you’re used to (12andBeyond.wordpress.com) and either:

a) You’ll be redirected to 12 and Beyond’s new domain (if I purchase the domain), which would be 12andBeyond.com.

or b) The domain will be the same as before the update, and you’ll still arrive at the same website.

This way, no matter what happens as far as the domain, you’ll still get to the right place.

I have so many things that are coming in this update, but here’s an overview:

NEW BLOG THEME

Goodbye, Hemingway Rewritten.

NEW BLOG COLOR

So long, #83cccc.

NEW HEADER IMAGES

You’ll see.

NEW GRAPHICS

For everything- and I mean everything. The new ones are of either of my own creation, or they contain un-copyrighted images (I’ve verified this) instead of the probably copyrighted ones found on the internet which you see now. There’ll be new graphics for posts, pages, and the sidebar. Which leads me to…

UPDATED SIDEBAR

A new post calendar, new reorganization, and more.

UPDATED PAGES

Not only graphics- I’ll be updating the content of my pages too.

NEW SPECIAL POSTS

I have 2 more posts arriving soon after the update regarding my trip.

12 AND BEYOND GALLERY

More details after the update.

AND SO MUCH MORE…

Which I’ll share after the update.

I’m really excited- there are major changes in store for 12 and Beyond.

Like I said, the official update times and procedure for the update will be released at some point this week. I can’t wait for you to see the new 12 and Beyond!

Thanks for your support!

Gabe

 

In Tune: I’m Forrest… Forrest Gump

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InTuneAs you could probably tell from my Kiss the Rain ‘In Tune’ edition, I love piano melodies, and this week’s In Tune feature is also one.

While on my Cross Country trip, I listened to a lot of pop music. But, as with everything, some things started to wear out, and especially on the train for long periods of time, sometimes, you just need some calming, relaxing music to refocus you on the trip and the landscapes just outside the window. If you want to read more about and see pictures from my cross country trip, I’ve grouped many posts into the ‘Traveling Beyond’ category.

Though I didn’t exactly listen to this particular song while on the train, I quickly downloaded it from Apple Music when I got home, having recently started watching the movie. Please click “Continue Reading” to read more about this week’s In Tune feature.

Continue reading “In Tune: I’m Forrest… Forrest Gump” →

Chicago Photo Gallery

On By GabeIn Traveling BeyondLeave a comment

To finish up the cross country trip I took in June, we stayed in Chicago for a few nights. It was a fascinating experience, and I took many photos, especially of Chicago’s architecture. I’ve put together a photo gallery for the Chicago portion of our trip below. Enjoy! (Also: if you want to read about our time in Chicago, visit here.

THE PHOTOS BELOW ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF 12 AND BEYOND AND MAY NOT BE DISTRIBUTED OR USED IN ANY FORM OTHER THAN FOR PERSONAL VIEWING.

A view of the spectacular facade of the Chicago Bear’s Stadium.
Across from Navy Pier, a view of a fountain and the ‘Taste of Chicago’.
A view of the Chicago skyline from Navy Pier’s centennial wheel.
Looking up from the base of the Centennial Wheel at Navy Pier.
The entrance to Navy Pier.
The entrance to Navy Pier, with some kind of a bubble-making machine.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise. This is one of my favorites- see how the bottom is in the shape of a v?
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise. Trump Tower is pictured.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view of Chicago’s fascinating architecture from our Architecture River Cruise.
A view from above Chicago, at the top of the John Hancock building.
A view from above Chicago, at the top of the John Hancock building.
A view from above Chicago, at the top of the John Hancock building.
A view from above Chicago, at the top of the John Hancock building.
A view from above Chicago, at the top of the John Hancock building.
A view from above Chicago, at the top of the John Hancock building.
A view from above Chicago, at the top of the John Hancock building.
A view from above Chicago, at the top of the John Hancock building.

Thank you so much for reading my stories of my cross country trip. This is it for photo galleries and highlights! I have two more posts to share, but they’ll be releasing in the coming days, as I transition into a normal post schedule.

Gabe