Hotels near hoag hospital newport beach

Any hotels with a day use ? Want to use pool maybe have lunch and chill out. Ideally near beach and ideally some lockers or changing rooms where I can get changed and leave my things.
Staying near tiger muay thai so anywhere close will be good.

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Advent Home
trigger warnings
rape, suicide, physical abuse, emotional abuse.
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legal_affairs/more-former-students-sue-over-alleged-abuse-at-boarding-school/article_db70c152-c8db-5711-82dc-52e3d26303ab.html
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note: Several organizations share a name with the Advent Home. I am specifically referring to the now defunct group home near Calhoun, Tennessee.
We talk a lot today about trauma in a way I don't remember it being discussed even in the broader cultural consciousness when I was young. Mental health was just viewed differently. Adventists have always had a weird relationship with mental health, but I think rarely more strange and harmful than the ideas of Dr. Senior and the Advent home. Through most of this I will use fake names but as Dr. Senior's name is intrinsically and publicly tied to the school he is my one exception. Also, if any reading this had the misfortune of also attending the school, you will know we were told to call him Dr. B or Dr. Blondel but we are adults and his title was Dr. Senior.
I've wanted to write about this for some time and this will likely be a first draft of a larger discussion. Psychology isn't my field of expertise and I've never felt I found the right platform to talk about such a niche subject but finding the Ex Adventist sub and with more being said about mental health I at least feel qualified to discuss where I feel Adventism was used to twist psychology into something harmful by Dr. Senior.
Before I continue, I wasn't there for the worst of what was to happen nor did I receive the worst of what happened in my time there. I also cannot entirely claim innocence of some of the emotional bullying that was tolerated if not encouraged. I hope I have grown since then and have learned from mistakes I made when I was 13 and do believe I am largely innocent of the physical bullying and certainly the sexual assault.
First, I want to address the lawsuit. As I say, I wasn't there for most of this as by 2014 the Advent Home and Miracle Meadows seem to have become much more closely related, swapping students to hide them from law enforcement and deposition. The school closed around 2014 , the time a lawsuit was filed. More lawsuits have since been filed and the director of the sister school miracle meadows was imprisoned. I will link the lawsuit and articles above. As the events detailed in it represent a massive escalation from what was happening while I was there, but I do think the events described are merely the codification of the policies being unofficially implemented on a smaller scale in my time. In short it lays out regular forced sexual assault by students and staff, duct taping students in rooms for days if they were violent and forcing them to study the bible for days at a time as punishment. Thinking back, I can see how the deference to authority and refusal to treat mental health as anything other than a religious failing could lead to the behavior detailed in these allegations. To be clear I am linking the allegation and articles below though I wasn't part of any of these trials and don't know which charges exactly stuck.
Even though the school is closed and from what I can tell Dr. Senior is retired, I think there is a larger discussion to be had about how the Adventist Church handles mental health and firebrands. So, what was the Advent Home? The Advent Home was a young men's reform school begun by Dr. Blondel Senior in Calhoun, Tennessee. There isn't much left to find on it as it shut down around 2014 and never had a great online presence. I suspect a lawsuit around the same time was to blame, as, if any of its allegations were proven, it would have cost the advent home, Dr Senior, and the conference a lot of money and embarrassment. More on this later.
The Advent Home advertised a range of services from treating ADHD and general misbehavior to serious developmental disorders and outright criminals. Basicall, he wanted it to be everything from a more structured middle school to a juvenile detention center, and predictably, it would fail at both.
I don't know how my mom found out about the Advent Home, but I know her reasons for sending me. A nasty divorce between my parents caused me to lose interest in schoo, so I barely passed 8th grade, and I had started listening to Eminem. That's it. it seems so laughably tame but that's all it took for Dr. Senior to be able to convince my mom that this behavior would escalate and the only recourse was his school which was built on and advertised correction through a strict adherence to Adventist principles. Every student came with fundamentally different problems. Some, like me were struggling scholastically while several had been ordered there by courts for violent offenses and several had what I cannot give another name other than a complete stall in mental development (one student thought and acted like a toddler, mentally and emotionally well below his age).
We were all, however, given the same treatment regimen, Maturation Therapy. This I will argue is the root of the problem. Dr. Senior claimed to have gotten his PHD in psychology from the University of Jamaica. I am not going to cast aspersions on this institution, but if he did have this degree he missed some crucial lessons and did not keep up on developments in the field. Dr. Senior had identified 70 ideals he believed every young man should emulate as he matures. I could not possibly list them, but they ranged from keeping a clean room, respect for staff to whether you used harsh language to how often you prayed. These would have made for fine rules for a religious correctional facility, but this was the entire treatment plan. Each of the 70 points would have you ranked 1-5, and you graduated by achieving a 4.5 average. 230 points overall. An important note here is all of these points were external. There was no mention of healing trauma or discussion of past actions. We were seen as immature children and by forcing mature behavior our other issues would right themselves. Right? In short, Dr. Seniors idea of therapy was entirely about becoming presentable, respect for authority, and respect for God. I want to go through these because in each I see a failing not only of the school but Adventism's handling of mental health in general. Also while I cannot speak to the lawsuit I will be linking it below as I believe sexual assault survivors and I want to say what these points contribute to how this environment may have developed.
His entire idea of personal growth was based on becoming outwardly his idea of a respectable man. He was willing to cross any number of boundaries violating others' religious taboos, disregarding the desires of the parents and showing no interest in the students as individuals. We were broken and needed only to be put in his mold and recast. One student was Rastafarian and his father wrote a letter explaining their faith and why he shouldn't cut his hair. His father had barely left town when the boy was forced to get his hair shorn off. Our 'civilian' clothes were confiscated on arrival and sorted for how appropriate he felt they were. Anything he didn't like we would get back when we left. I never did. As for speech we were strictly regulated on what words we could say. Cuss words, and even adjacent words like darn, would result in a loss of points and thus longer before we would be able to go home. Instead of psychological healing, his priority was always to make us look healed on the outside.
The most egregious example of this was a boy I will call Zach. Zach had a severe developmental disorder that in my opinion Dr. Senior was woefully ill-equipped to treat but that never dulled his confidence. Because of his neurodivergence Zach was habitually unpresentable. Zach would frequently have food dripped down his shirt, throw temper tantrums in public areas and speak loudly about bodily functions that would have been amusing from a four year old but Zach was almost 14 and just beginning puberty if you get my meaning. At every turn, Zach was not met with treatment but ridicule. To the Advent Home staff, he wasn't sick, he was misbehaved and punished severely for it. We all had to run up to 3 laps of 1/3 of a mile as discipline regularly, but Zach's condition often racked him up more laps than could be humanly run. at one point, a new staff member refused to allow Zach to eat at all until he completed a number of laps I doubt would be humanly possible, let alone for a confused neurodivergent. One of the proudest moments of my life is that I stood up for Zach and pointed out, whatever punishment was meted out, food was an illegal method of punishment in the state. My shame, however, is how often I joined in the ridicule and bullying of Zach when the staff made punishments for his misbehavior punishments for all of us. As I say, I hope I have grown.
Dr. Senior saw scruffiness and cultural differences very much the way the Dursleys from Harry Potter did. These were not the markers of young men expressing themselves or of cultural differences but of moral failings to be stamped out or hidden until they faded into normalcy. We didn't need to discover ourselves, we needed to learn the joy of conformity
The real problems would come with his reliance on authoritative structures. Both the staff and students had clear hierarchies within them. New students would be Group Members, GM, while you could be promoted to Assistant Group Leader, AGL, a Group Leader, GL, with a possible Super Group Leader SGL at the top All leaders had the authority to report misbehavior and physically restrain violent students. Here, we start to see the problems. What constituted violent behavior was entirely up to the authority figure, and unless there were witnesses who ranked equally, Dr. Senior would implicitly believe the higher ranked individual. Keep in mind that some of these kids had real criminal records, and as I've established, we were not getting our problems treated.
I want to use one student as an example. I'll give him a fake name (James) as I hope he's reformed and also should not be judged entirely on his actions when he was 16 but these are actions I either witnessed or saw the fall out of so believer their veracity. I was walking by him one day. he had been given a job he didn't want to do. Instead, he was sitting talking to a group he bullied but passed for his friends. He called out to me to do the job for him. I laughed and kept walking. he took offense and deciding I had disrespected him, chased me down, hit me, tackled me into the gravel road, and held me there until I begged to be released. Those words; I beg you to release me. I was cut, bruised, crying and bleeding. James was unharmed, but when I told Dr. Senior, he believed James because he was a group leader and I a lowly Group member.
One of the students who had been sitting on the steps with James, who I will call Sam, would get caught performing oral sex on James only a few months later. James assured Dr. Senior Sam had asked practically begged to do it, and here again, James authority had him taken at this word. They both received punishment, but Sam got the lion's share as he had initiated and must be gay. I firmly believe James pressured Sam into this, and likely not just this once.
Dr. Senior said the word "manipulative" more than anyone i have ever known. often as we lowly students tried to explain actions or avoid discipline for petty offences, he would accuse us of manipulating. In hindsight, this is how he viewed the relationship between those with power and those without. There were those the system had put in power and those below who now would try to manipulate those who had the power. from the bottom of the ladder, he was incapable of seeing sincerity or pain. only manipulation. To be clear, I don't know how much of the reality reached Dr. Senior's ears, but enough had to he had to be actively ignoring warning signs in favor of authority. I talk about this to show how Dr. Senior felt strongly that respect for authority was essential regardless how abusive the authority figure might be. Hold on to that too.
The final point is religion. It should not need said, but Dr. Senior wanted all of us studying the bible and practicing a very conservative faith even for SDA. This is fine(ish), but he also believed that Christ had predictable healing powers and that mental health was only a failing of the individual to have the faith necessary for healing.
We were all encouraged to discontinue any medications we might be taking. For me, with ADHD and Ritalin this was probably fine, but for one student with borderline schizophrenia this led to several violent episodes he was blamed for despite the staff convincing him to get off his meds. A diabetic student was eventually pulled from the program after his 4th hospitalization when he was allowed to opt out of his insulin/ blood sugar checker. Christ, as a placebo alongside medicine, is silly but fine, but as a replacement for lifesaving drugs, it can have dangerous consequences, and Dr. Senior refused to see this. In Dr Senior's mind, I believe, these boys weren't sick, they were failing to let Jesus in to heal them and that's what needed to change.
Furthermore, behavioral incidents were often met with explicitly Christiaan remedies. Issues of bullying and cursing would require not time out but a scripture reading. sometimes alone sometimes publicly, along with a public admission of what we did. This was done at a weekly meeting when Dr. Senior came down from his literal house on the hill to play mediator and in no metaphorical sense moral arbiter of our actions. in essence, he got to play God for 2 hours a week.
The most heinous example of the use of religion however was, Mr. V who I believe saw jail time. This man was a thousand walking red flags. He went to boys' rooms to pray alone, and he insisted on a separate bible study with a group of boys he was particularly close to. Outwardly, however, he was fanatically religious, and this was enough to assuage Dr. Senior of concerns. Mr. V was the guy who when the pastor said kneel for prayer he would stand with his arms to heaven, when the pastor asked for a moment of silent reflection he would exclaim AMEN! every five seconds, He played moral police intervening in behavioral issues after considering a matter settled if a student agreed to a private prayer session (yup, nothing sus here). Dr, Senior employed and sung the praises of Mr. V's work even as this concerning behavior began to escalate to the point that some students, formerly in his inner circle, began to actively distance themselves from him but were unwilling to discuss why.
Dr. Senior could not, however, ignore when Mr. V took a kid off campus without telling anyone to a small mountain cabin to "diet" for three days. Only once the police were involved could Mr. V. 's behavior no longer be ignored and his religious authority be given priority. If you are wondering Mr. V gets a fake name because, while I am telling the truth to the best of my knowledge, we were never told the full story. The student in question was withdrawn before he was willing to talk about it, and Mr. V was not seen again. I don't know what he was charged with or what stuck but I think we can put the pieces together.
Fortunately, other than some more bullying and getting through a nasty flu with nothing more than pepper water as medicine, I graduated. Yeah, shocker, he also didn't like doctors. The shock of seeing how normal people practiced Adventism after a year of this cult like fanaticism has a lot to do with why I'm on this sub and not the SDA sub, but I got off easy. For the criminals and really troubled kids recidivism was high, with several being in a proper prison weeks or months after. Several would turn around and be back at the Advent Home in months because the behavior never stopped, they just learned to act like it did. But the real harm was a boy I'll call Dan. He had depression when he arrived, it was never treated but pushed down. He pushed it down so far he became the best of us. he was very nice and a bit of a mentor to me. he worked hard and became SGL (the highest one remember) with one of the highest scores that an Advent home graduate had had. One year after leaving the school, he committed suicide by diving into an empty pool. Only then, did I realize he wasn't fine. He was never fine. He had mastered acting fine. The furthest I got in Psychology was a single college course and some youtubers (and the small bit of real therapy I've had) but even with this, I can see how Dr. Senior was out of step with the psychological practices even of the early 2000s. He was so much more focused on appearance and behavior than he was ever interested in the root cause, his system often became a new trauma rather than treating an old one. An excessive respect for authority led to abusive behavior being overlooked if not encouraged, and Jesus was treated in a professional setting as a supreme healer despite real medical issues. I saw these issues in the church I left, and my mom and extended family still practice in. This is why I really feel compelled to write this. People like Dr. Senior may seem like an Adventist version of Godwin's law. "Oh, yeah? If we can look at Jesus to heal, it'll end up like the Advent Home!" (Or Miracle Meadows) I know this sentence has never been uttered by anyone but me and maybe Sam, hope you're ok buddy, but the fact is Dr. Senior is the end stage of the ideas put into their most harmful practice, and some like Dan paid with their life.
Finally, through all of this, I remember how Dr. Senior was treated by outsiders. Entire churches prayed for his good work to continue, meetings were held for him to teach others to copy his program, he was featured multiple times in the herald and other Adventist publications. Like Mr. V his religiosity was a shield despite all the red flags, and like Mr. V he was given the respect and admiration that came with his position all the way up until there were consequences. It isn't that no one could see there were problems. He flew his red flags high. Its that the church didn't want to see the problem and didn't care until the outside world took action.
Please, if you take anything from this, look out for your SDA relatives who struggle with mental health. The church sure won't. But on a larger note, I hope this to be part of a larger discussion about bringing awareness to the churches failing on mental health and how they overlook monsters in their ranks who just haven't embarrassed them yet. Dr. Senior never sexually assaulted a kid as far as I'm aware, but he enabled and protected abusers in service of pushing his ideology all while the church sang his praises. Disclaimer: At no point in this do I feel I deliberately lied or exaggerated, but these are 20 year old memories of a traumatized 13 year old who was never given the full story. I tried to leave hearsay out, but I did find out what happened to Dan through the grapevine, though from someone I believe completely. If there are minor inaccuracies, I do apologize, but I believe I have been accurate in the larger points.
Names are changed for obvious reasons, though my change style switched cause I am bad at coming up with names when stressed, my D&D group will confirm, and this is stressful to write about even now.
The Advent Home I attended is shut and a very attractive hotel now. My research showed he partnered closely with miracle meadows, which is also now shut. If by chance Dr. Senior is still practicing somewhere, or has appointed a successor, please persuade family to look closely and critically at his practices before signing anything. He used to complain kids were manipulative but, as with all projectors, he was the master manipulator. He convinced people to consent to incredible things. I believe everyone can change if they want and as far as I know he had the education to do good work. Instead, he chose to ignore that education in service of his biases. Unless he has updated his treatment, please at the very least accompany his work with another well regarded psychologist.

Side by side, we continued on our path, skirting through the lower section of the factory. After my initial shock, my heart rate had slowed to a healthier pace again. Frankie had assured me that his old boss most likely hadn’t heard us (“She used to have her earbuds in all the time with the volume cranked way up—you couldn’t have gotten her attention if you’d tried”), but we still considered it prude to move forward at a more hurried pace.
We soon came to the conclusion that we would have to go up one of the outside staircases. Frankie admitted in humiliation that his memories of the factory weren’t as accurate as he’d thought—either that or FunFlair had made a few changes to the building. The upper floor containers all had glass doors, presenting us with a sticky problem. If we were to go up there directly, we’d probably be spotted immediately.
“This warrants a change of plans,” I declared soberly, keeping my voice low. “We’ll have to knock her out, then.”
Frankie whimpered.
“Wouldn’t you like that?” I prompted. “I’d be the one to do it, of course.”
“Ye-es.” He shuddered. “It’d be satisfactory for sure, but that’s only assuming nothing goes wrong.”
“She can hardly be stronger than I am.”
“No. I guess not. She, uh… yeah.”
“Let’s go, then.” I offered an encouraging smile as I started leading the way back outside.
We rounded the container with the lights on inside, ascending the metal grate staircase connected to it. Every step carried us closer towards the light. Just before the door fully came into view, I turned to Frankie one last time. “Are you alright? This’ll be it in a moment.”
He made another chew-toy sound.
“Fran, what is it? If you know something I don’t about what might happen in there…”
“She shouldn’t see me,” he squeaked out. “I can’t control myself around her.”
“I don’t understand; did you two use to be an item?”
“No! No, no, no. I can’t explain it any other way. She can make me do things I don’t want,” he told me, his tone growing in desperation.
“How?”
“It’d take too long to explain now, it’s… it’s really very complicated. Please, can you do it without me? I can’t go up there after all, I’m so sorry but I can’t…”
I sighed, leaning in to put my arms around him. “It’s okay,” I whispered into his hair. “I’ll do it. Wait here.”
“I’m so, so sorry, Eva. I swear I’ll make it up to you. This is the last time I’ll ask something like this of you.”
“I doubt it,” I replied. “But it’s okay.” I drew back, reluctantly letting go of him. “For now, it’s okay.” I continued marching up the stairs. Behind the glass door, a feminine figure in a black rubber apron came into view. She seemed to be nimbly skirting around another operating table, this one occupied by a fully formed, petite doll. Now or never. I reached for the doorhandle, pushed it down and crossed the threshold in a single, large step. I slammed the door shut behind my back, drawing the attention of the woman.
She looked up at me, her eyes widening in shock behind her thick glasses. With a swipe of her slender fingers, she removed her earbuds, dropping them into her pocket.
“Are you Philomena Wallis?” I asked.
For a split second, she appeared to be too stunned to speak. Her pale face was framed by messy strands of jet-black hair that had worked their way out of her long ponytail. When she broke from her silence, she spoke with an irritatingly pearly voice. “Who’s asking?”
“A former delivery girl. Well, are you?”
“I am. I don’t understand; I-I’ve never seen you before… How did you end up here? What do you want?”
I took in a deep breath. I glanced over at the door, inwardly cursing myself for what I was about to ask her. “I need to know what you did to Frankie Preston.”
For a couple seconds, silence reigned. The other woman was staring at me with knotted brows. “I don’t know who you’re talking about,” she said finally.
“About yay high—,” I raised my hand above my head, “slightly built, blond curly hair, dreamy smile…”
Philomena narrowed her eyes. I cleared my throat, holding her gaze. Then a look of cold comprehension settled on her features. “Oh my god,” she muttered. “Holy shit… hold on.” She turned around, pulling up a photo on her computer. “Is that him?”
I cautiously stepped closer to get a better look, only to shrink back slightly. It was, indeed, a picture of Fran. He was entirely naked in it, lying on a table similar to the one I was standing in front of now, his wrists and ankles locked in restraints. His neck was craned, his face averted. The camera had caught him mid-motion, a blur around his head visually conveying a kind of violence in the movement. I couldn’t bear to look at it any longer. Instead, I moved closer to the doll on Philomena’s table, taking her in fully. Another blonde—her hair was straight, though. Her body was exaggeratedly curvy, her face delicate and fawn. Speechless, I locked eyes with Philomena from across the room again. She gave me a light shrug. “You look like you need some time for this to sink in,” she remarked, drawing out the words. “I take it you didn’t have all the information previously.”
“That’s okay,” I replied. “I think I get it now.” My head felt empty, my own voice seemingly echoing back and forth between my ears.
“So, you know my prototype,” she stated, confusion and disbelief mixing in her tone. “He told you how to get here, then?”
“In a way.”
“And you came here to find out,” she concluded. “There’s not much I can tell you that you haven’t figured out by now. We wanted to create the most detailed doll there was. He was our first attempt. I started developing him back in the late nineties as just a hopeful pet project. I kept adding more functions as time went on, though, and he turned into an insanely lucrative prospect. I wanted him to be able to move and dance and mimic an airflow, and it worked out better than I’d ever expected. So he can do a lot of things, but I never intended for him to have any sensory awareness or to talk… I have no idea how that happened. It just did. One day, I turned him on and he simply looked at me. There was something different about his eyes, and I knew right away he wasn’t the same as before. And then of course he spoke.”
A shudder ran through her entire upper body at the memory. “I have no idea how. None of us did at the time. He had no recorded voice lines or anything of the sort. And yet, he opened up his mouth and there was just… words coming out, like.” She shook her head in bewilderment at the memory. “After I got over the initial shock, I realized how big of a problem this was. He was telling me to stay away from him; he wouldn’t do a thing I told him anymore. There was my best invention in the entire field yet, rebelling like a teenager. When I tried to get him back in line, he got physical, too. Thrashed around like crazy. One of my assistants ended up concussed because that thing threw him down a flight of stairs. So we had to put an end to that, as well.”
A faint feeling of nausea seeped into the pit of my stomach, strengthening by the second. “What did you do?”
“Well, we had to take him apart, of course! And put him back together. Wash, rinse, repeat. We kept trying to figure out what was wrong with him, or at least to find a way to stop his babbling and hitting people. We didn’t, though. We managed to control his outbursts, though. He was made to react to voice commands, but obviously, that wasn’t working anymore. So after the umpteenth time we rebuilt him, we managed to make it so he couldn’t physically attack people. Don’t ask me about the finer details of his programming; the process was beyond tedious. Anyways, he kept talking and moving around on his own even afterwards. He’d only listen to what we told him occasionally and even then, he’d mouth off. We didn’t want to discard all the progress we’d made, though. He was still an incredibly well-made doll, even if he was… apparently possessed and sentient.
“We built two more like him. We tried harder with their faces seeing as that of the prototype had fallen very far into the uncanny valley. They turned out great, perfectly shaped and working smoothly. Their development took a lot less time than that of the prototype. Once we were sure they were all good, we started talking about destroying the first one. We’d kept him locked up in the meantime, but the little fucker kept on breaking out. We’d literally cuff him to the wall and moments later, he’d come up behind me and scare me half to death. He was becoming a bigger nuisance every day. We were set on taking him apart a final time, but before we could, he disappeared. He’d destroyed all our equipment he’d gotten his hands on, stolen unnameable sums from our online banking accounts—Lord knows how he did that—and worst of all, he somehow managed to… activate the two new builds. He destroyed most of the cameras, but the footage that was left clearly showed them walking around with him. And that’s that.” She palmed her forehead. “How did he get away from the people I sent after him?”
“Largely with my help.”
“Huh. So who are you?”
“Still just a former delivery girl.” Shrugging off my jacket, I made room for my extra limbs to breach my skin, simultaneously opening my mouth as my teeth morphed into fangs.
Philomena watched my transformation almost disaffectedly. Her steps as she carried herself over to her operating table however nearly faltered. Before I could advance on her, she’d cupped the sleeping dolls cheeks, causing the limp body to spring to life. The mannequin’s head jerked up along with her torso. In several clipped, mechanical movements, she slid off the surface, placing her naked feet on the floor. Her eyes flew open, fixing me with an empty glare.
“I don’t know what the fuck you are or what you want from me,” Philomena began, “but I’ve got weak nerd arms. So have fun dealing with this instead.”
I shrank back a step, the memory of Frankie picking me up like I weighed nothing fresh in my mind. Phil pressed her lips to the side of the puppet’s face, whispering something I couldn’t make out before quickly drawing aside. Before I could do so much as blink, the doll was upon me, crossing the distance between us in one impressive leap. She toppled me over, instantly reaching for my throat. I batted her cold, rubbery hands away, then pried her off of me with all my might. Using two of my tentacles, I flung her aside, sending her crashing into a shelf in the corner. Not wasting another second, I lunged at Wallis, delivering a blow to her head that sent her staggering. She sank back against her desk and I lashed out at her once more, briefly shutting my eyes to spare myself the sight of her face connecting squarely with the wooden surface as I bashed her down on against it.
She fell limp, and while I wasn’t sure if she was still breathing or not, I didn’t take the time to check. Her puppet was rising to her feet again, striding towards me in a vacantly determined fashion. I whirled around, bursting through the door and taking two steps at once. Frankie was waiting for me at the bottom of the metal staircase, his face falling when he caught my expression.
“Knocked her out,” I gasped. “We have a problem, though.”
Fran looked up at the glass door, the hinges of which were already groaning under the pressure of the mannequin throwing herself against it from the inside. With a sharp crack, a tear began to grow on the thick pane, and Frankie cursed loudly. “Get away from here!” he hollered, nudging me into the general direction of the woods. “I doused everything I could find down here,” he explained quickly. “If Phil’s out, I’ll do her room, too.”
“What about the—”
“Never you mind that! I can hold her off no problem.”
“I won’t—”
“You literally took out the one thing holding me back,” he insisted. “I’m not letting you get hurt out here. Just wait for me over by the trees.”
I still wouldn’t budge, so he grabbed a bunch of my tentacles and used them to turn me around. “Get your cute-ass face out of here, Sunshine!”
I started running, albeit reluctantly. A loud crashing noise rang out from behind me as the door burst under Phil’s puppet’s onslaught, but I forced myself to keep from turning around. Ignoring the searing hot feeling of panic raging inside my chest, I carried myself further and further away from the scene, only stopping when I reached the treeline. There, pressing myself up against the rough bark of the nearest trunk just to ground myself, I resigned to staring at the containers. I couldn’t see the waiter from where I was standing, but my eyes remained trained on the factory. They were gradually drying out, but despite the pain, I kept them wide open. I didn’t dare to blink.
For several minutes, all was still. The only sound I could hear was the frantic beating of my own heart and my pulse thrumming in my ears. Then, all of a sudden, inferno broke loose. Bright flames started to spread from around the sides of the building, quickly rising high into the sky. Crackling and roaring, they soon enveloped the entire site, lighting up the rooms behind the formerly dark windows. And emerging from the fire like a bird of myth came Frankie Preston. He was running, but with a light spring in his step that almost made it look like he was dancing.
He came to a halt in front of me, lifting his head to meet my gaze. His expression was difficult to read. It still looked empty, but in a different way. In a good way. “Hi,” he began.
“Hi.”
The firelight was bouncing off his curls and playing on his thick lashes, putting a reddish glint into his eyes. “You’re beautiful,” I added.
He drew in a little closer. No gasp preceded his smile. “Thanks.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I, uh… I don’t know yet.” He glanced between me and the burning containers.
“Okay. Take your time.” I stretched my arms and rolled my shoulders, shrugging my additional limbs back into the inside of my body.
“Say, where do they go when you don’t have them out?” Frankie asked with a raised brow.
“I never know.”
“Hm.” He turned to stand at my side. At first, his knuckles merely grazed mine, then he flipped his hand to link his fingers with mine. I briefly smiled at his profile, then went back to admiring the flames.
“Do you think the whole woods are gonna burn down?”
“Probably not,” he replied, shrugging. “Though that would be pretty cool…” He trailed off when I shot him a reprimanding look. “Yeah, yeah, we can call the fire fighters or whatever. Later, though, alright?”
I rested my head against the side of his arm. “Sure. Later.”
For a couple minutes, neither of us spoke. The only sound was the steady crackling and occasional thump as bit by bit, the structure collapsed. “So, um… this is pretty amazing,” Fran said in a low voice. “I mean, it’s not like I’ve never been happy before; my life’s kind of had its ups and downs, it’s just that this is better than any up there’s been so far. I guess I’m just really grateful and you ought to know that.”
“Don’t worry, I know.” I paused. “Can we get out of here? The place is starting to stink.”
He nodded agreeably and we turned our backs on the scene, only for our retreat to be abruptly stopped by a garbled, drawn-out screech. We spun around in perfect synchronicity. I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a sharp cry of shock. From the burning wreckage, a figure dragged itself forth on her hands. Philomena’s puppet had suffered immense damage in the fire. Her skin, obviously not made to withstand extreme heat, was melting off her face like molten candle wax. The wires that were bared beneath gave off angry sparks. She couldn’t seem to get up anymore, her legs were beyond repair and her movements overall were getting more and more arduous. She dug her fingers into the ground, pulling her body across the forest floor in slow, pained jerks.
“What the fuck? I thought I switched her off,” Frankie uttered beside me, sounding just as terrified as I felt.
“What do we do?” I exhaled the words in a single quick breath, unable to take my eyes off the doll.
“I got no idea… I-I don’t wanna deal with this…”
“We need to help her or something, she’s—she’s awake!” Before I could say anything else, the doll had emerged from the blaze. Rolling around, she managed to quench the remaining flames, pressing the dirt and leaves into her own dripping, melting body. Finally, she started trying to push herself up into a sitting position, only to fail miserably. I took a slow, tentative step towards her twitching form. Her face was contorted into a nightmarish grimace, and she let out an incomprehensible gurgle upon noticing me approaching. She reached out a mangled hand and I stumbled backwards before she could grab my ankle.
Despite the heat, beads of cold, fearful sweat were running down my face. I had no idea what to do. “We can’t leave her,” I said, my throat bone-dry. “There’s something in there, she’s not like before.”
Fran let out an exasperated, long-suffering sigh. “Is there any use in arguing?”
“Don’t be so cold.”
“Aren’t you used to it by now?”
I turned to look at him over my shoulder. He met my gaze and I could see something in his features change or perhaps even soften. He threw his head back, then pulled out his phone. “This is gonna ruin my night, but fine. I’m calling that insufferable news lady.”
X
1
2: deadbeat roommate
3: creepy crush
4: relocation
5: beach concert
6: First date
7: Temp work
8: roommate talk
9: a dismal worldview
10: warehouse
11: staircase
12: explanation
13: hurt
14: hospital
15: ocean
16: diner
17: government work
18: something in the caves
19: shopping cart
20: olms and Jewels
21: long hair
22: recruitment
23: waitresses
24: dollhouse

Chapter LXXXVII
​
Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.
​
"Well, there goes the neighborhood." Agent Smith stated as him, Agent Doe, and everyone else in town, watched the migration of people stream into the small town as the sun hit the horizon.
​
They looked like a bunch of extras to Lord of the Rings. People with pointed ears and flowing robes. People short and stout and with thick beards with bands of gold and silver woven into them. Shorter people that spoke in high-pitched nasally voices and large glasses. There were even people dressed in what looked like giant turtle suits.
​
Of course that's what the townsfolk would think. To the two Agents it was a very real possibility that these people came from another world like the lizard people, greenskins, and the halflings.
​
"So much for my report being up-to-date." Agent Smith sighed as he went inside and burned the report he had spent so much time typing out. As he cleaned up the ashes the hotel phone rang.
​
Johnathan looked between the phone and Agent Smith with a look of curiosity as the Agent seemed greatly hesitant to answer. Agent Smith looked at Johnathan as the phone continued to ring. He walked over and disconnected the line to the phone and it went silent. For a second.
​
"Damn." Smith cursed as the disconnected phone rang once more despite there being no connection.
​
He picked up the phone and placed it to his ear. He bit back another curse as the voice of the Director came through.
"Agent Smith."
​
"Director."
​
"How is the investigation coming along?" She asked.
​
"Well, until about a few minutes ago it was going pretty smoothly and quietly."
​
"Oh? And what, pray tell, changed?"
​
"I'd tell you but if you're calling then that means you already know."
​
"Of course I already know. I'm just disappointed it came from our sources in the State Government and not my two field agents."
​
"What is the State going to do?"
​
"They're going to send the 111th Engineer Brigade, and the 77th Brigade Troop Command."
​
"All of them?!"
​
"What did you expect? The population of some small town in the middle of nowhere just became the largest in the State in a single day. They're even sending the 35th."
​
Smith tapped his foot in thought.
"Can we stop them? Or at the very least make it so they don't send damn near the entire National Guard of West Virginia?"
​
"No can do Agent. Even if we had caught this before the Governor's office did, we still would've sent troops in. This became top priority the second a large number of people came over."
​
"Well what about leaks? We can't keep the lid on this with so many showing up."
​
"We'll be sending our own task force. Officially they are there as "Federal Oversight". In actuality they are there to aid you in your investigation as well as limit leaks from the National Guard."
​
"So there isn't anything we can do to stop them from showing up en masse?"
​
"Unfortunately no. Aerial recon is being deployed to "substantiate" the claim. But seventy-thousand people showing up out of nowhere isn't something to take lightly. When they see that there are indeed an entire city's worth of people, then they will send the rest. But that will be a few days, a week at most. Once they verify, they'll be getting crash courses in crisis response and begin mobilization."
​
"What about the rest of the Federal Government?"
​
"As far as the State is aware WE are the Federal response. And we are going to keep it that way."
​
Smith didn't like this, not one bit. It was hard enough doing their job quietly in even a small town like this. Now they had to worry about not only a population the size of medieval Venice, but now the National Guard.
"What if we-"
​
"No, Agent Smith."
​
"We could do it you know?"
​
"Not in the time we have nor the volume. You should know that disappearing an entire town is hard enough, doing it to a city's worth of people is harder to not only pull off but harder to sell to the public."
​
Smith huffed in frustration.
"So what's the new mission?"
​
"The same as it was before. Only this time, you'll be getting a team to back you up. Set up and monitor everything that happens. Keep the NG from getting too close to the less explainable creatures and people. ESPECIALLY keep them away from Entity APL-1."
​
"You mean-"
​
"I will not use that ludicrous name! It is a dangerous entity! Not a pet!"
​
Smith chuckled a bit.
"Since we're talking, would you like my report up till today?"
​
The Director sighed.
"Very well. Only because this is a secure way of communicating."
​
So Smith gave the Director his report. Jeb and the kobolds. Morty and the greenskins. The halflings. All of it. There was a pause as the Director processed the information. No doubt already sending various people about to adjust to the new information.
"Is that all you have to report Agent Smith?"
​
"Yes Ma'am."
​
"Good, continue as planned until our team arrives then procced from there."
​
"Yes Ma'am."
​
"And don't call me Ma'am. Makes me sound old."
​
"You are old."
​
Smith heard the Director guffaw.
"And you aren't?! Quit being insubordinate and get back to work Agent Smith."
​
"Yes Ma-"
​
CLICK
​
"Rude old bitty." Smith quipped playfully as he set the dead phone back on its base.
​
Johnathan just stared at Smith.
"How-"
​
"Trade secret Agent Doe. You'll find out when you're older. In the mean time. Its business as usual until reinforcements arrive. So go pull up a chair and observe." Smith stated as he dragged one of the worn hotel chairs out and sat on it while he watched the sheer number of people walking about along the main street of the town.
-----
Time must be different here than back home, because that was NOT "20 minutes", thought the Duchess as she entered the town the deputy had pointed out to her. She and her people were drained. Mentally, physically, and emotionally.
​
This worlds sun was past its peak when they came to this world. Now it was just nearing the horizon to the west as they reached the town. The chill air didn't help, especially the turtle people from the isles. The moderately sized enclave that live- HAD lived in Daele grumbled and groaned the whole walk. Both the temperature difference and the long journey didn't agree with them.
​
Everyone had dressed for a spring that, just a few hours ago, they were sure they weren't going to see. Now it felt like they had missed it entirely! But the sight was still something to behold.
​
Sure it wasn't a grand city like Daele... was. But it was still shelter, and it was still a wonder to see. Buildings made of faded red brick or what looked like solid stone and glass. A road made from a faded black stone. Lights that didn't look like they needed fire. Not to mention the multitude of metal carriages about! She couldn't see any horses in sight and she wondered how they were pulled.
​
A sentiment shared by many, but especially of Dylan. He was looking around the new town with wide eyes. Scribbling on his notepad furiously as his eyes darted back and forth over everything new they saw. He wasn't the only one shocked and awed. Though some looked less than impressed by the simple, even rough, conditions of the town.
​
They weren't sure where to go, but seeing a slightly taller white colored building decided to head there. Perhaps that was where they could inquire with whoever the ruler was, the Duchess thought.
​
As they neared City Hall, the Duchess glanced about and observed the people of the town. Everyone she saw was human, many were old and tired looking. But even the younger people she saw had a tired and worn look on their face. These looks barely changed as they watched and stared at the migration.
​
There were no offers of support or aid from the townsfolk. Judging from the condition of the town, they probably didn't have much for themselves let alone her people, she thought sadly. Her honor guard stayed close to her as they made their way through the street.
​
As she reached the steps of City Hall a commotion was heard and a portly man, a gangly nervous looking man, and several other, equally rounded, men shuffled out and greeted her. Or what might pass for a greeting around here.
"Who are you and what is going on here?!"
​
The nervous looking man stuttered a response.
"T-t-t-the Sh-sh-sheriff l-l-l-l-"
​
"Cease your infernal stuttering Greg and get to the point!" The Mayor snapped.
​
"The point is Gerald is that these people arrived looking for shelter." The Sheriff stated as he climbed the stairs, his two deputies flanking him.
​
The Mayor cast a suspicious eye on the sea of people that filled out one of the few roads Somewhere had. They were starting to coalesce around City Hall as they tried to get close enough to hear what was happening. Though many were still amassed at the edge of town where the town ended and the landscape changed to that of fields and hills.
​
"Oh are they now? Pray tell how we are supposed to shelter them Sheriff? How are we supposed to feed them? Hmm? Did you think of that before inviting these people to our town?"
​
"You're right Mayor. Our town is under enough stress without adding more people we can't take care of." The Sheriff answered plainly.
​
"There we have it! You all will just have to-"
​
"That's why I called the Governor and he's sending the National Guard to aid both the town and these poor people."
​
"YOU WHAT!?" The Mayor rounded on the Sheriff so fast his jowls still shook from the motion.
​
The Sheriff stepped up to the Mayor.
"We needed help before these people showed up. Now we DESPERATLY need help!"
​
"So you call the Governor!?! Are you mad!?"
​
"No! I care about this town and I'm not going to see it die because you're too scared of the past!"
​
"There's a damn good reason we are and you know it!" The Mayor hissed.
​
As the Mayor and the Sheriff bickered, the Duchess, flanked by two of the Delta Guard, walked up the steps and bowed to the two men. The heavily armed and armored men made the councilmen and deputies nervous, causing the latter to put their hands on their holsters.
"I am sorry if our presence puts too much strain on your town. If need be we will leave at first light."
​
"Good! You can-"
​
"STAY! We are good and honest folk and we won't turn away those in need!"
​
"If it helps alleviate your burden. We do have some wealth that we still retain. We can donate some as thanks for your hospitality."
​
The Mayor, and councilmen, perked up at that.
"Wealth you say?"
​
The Duchess touched a hand to a ornate necklace she had. Silver and aquamarine. She unclasped it and held it out.
"I could not ask my people to do what I would not. So accept this as my thanks."
​
The Mayor's eyes went wide and he licked his lips as he reached a fat hand out to snatch up the exquisite jewelry. But he was stopped by the Sheriff who stood between the necklace and his meaty hands. The Delta Guard tensed at the movement put did no more once it was apparent it wasn't a threatening motion.
​
"That isn't necessary. If you wish to show thanks then please. Enjoy what the town has to offer. Food, a few hotels and apartments you and yours can stay in and any other services and amenities you find. Please. If you wish to offer thanks, then offer it to the people of the town itself."
​
The Duchess smiled and withdrew the necklace before bowing.
"Thank you for your hospitality. Me and my people will do our utmost to repay it and do our best to be civil guests in your town!"
​
"Of course! If need be there are other places that might be able to shelter your people. We have some space at the station. The railyard probably wouldn't say no to housing some of your people. As I said, we have room and board in several parts of town that wouldn't say no to any new business!"
​
The Sheriff and the Mayor bickered quietly while the Duchess turned to address her people.
"Good people of Daele! We have come far from our home by the sea and have faced many hardships in these past weeks! But now the people here have been generous enough to offer us shelter! Offer us Sanctuary! They only ask that we reward that kindness at the many shops and vendors around the town! So go and find a place to rest and fill your bellies and get warm!"
​
With that, the great flood of people murmured curiously and excitedly as they formed various groups and began to explore the town as the message was carried through the mass of bodies. As the Duchess watched, many group heads came to her.
​
The scions of the dwarven banking clans and the remnants of the nobility, elvish and human, walked up to join her. As did the heads of the various merchant houses, smithy and artisan guilds. Even Alban pulled Dylan away from running off to fulfill his duty as the leader, and half, of the Artificers Guild. The Great Sage of the tortle enclave grunted as she walked over with the rest of the leaders before sitting down on the cool grass nearby with a relieved sigh.
​
"What're we ta do now yer Ladyship?" One of the dwarves asked as he ran a bejeweled hand over his golden beard that was woven with emerald imbedded silver bands.
​
"We do as I stated. We find places to rest and recover from our journey. Tomorrow we will meet again with the leaders of the town and work out the rest."
​
One of the elves sniffed his hawkish nose as he gazed at the town.
"Are we really to stay in such a place so... pedestrian?"
​
"We aren't really in a position to argue my Lord. If it is not to your liking then you are free to keep walking in hopes of finding someplace more suited to your tastes."
​
The elf sniffed indignantly but remained where he was. One of the merchants spoke next.
"What should we do then? We have no place to work our trades."
​
The other merchants and various guild leaders nodded in affirmation.
"For tonight, just find food and shelter. I'm sure that these people will have need of, and greatly appreciate, your work. As I have stated already. Food and shelter first. Everything else will be settled tomorrow."
​
The leaders all grumbled and murmured but did little else as they split off to find their own places of rest. The Great Sage groaning and grumbling as she forced herself to stand and return to her people. Though the dwarves and Dylan walked over to the Sheriff and Mayor.
"Excuse me lad? What were tha' 'bout a railyard?"
​
The Sheriff broke the mutual glaring between him and the Mayor and turned to the stout man.
"The railyard. Its on the north of town. Follow the main road here and take a left at the library. Can't miss it."
​
"Well thank ye lad. But uhm? What is a railyard?"
​
"Well, its a place where trains are stored and maintained, its also where freight from our town is, or was, shipped out of and to the rest of the country."
​
The dwarves hummed in understanding.
"One last question lad. What is a train?"
​
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March 21, 2019
After having a talk with Sergeant Lyria Delara returned to her quarters where her pod mates were already gossiping about what had happened in the pool, though she didn’t even know how they could had find out as none of them were even near the pool at any moment.
So do you have anything to share with us said Xav’nia their pod leader.
“How did y’all even find out?” Delara responded while looking for her clothes to change in.
“Fur ball over here likes to be nosy.” Xav’nia said pointing at Rukna the Rakiri of the pod.
“I have a great nose for drama.” Rukna said while eating a human food called Jerk or something like that but Delara was sure that was the right word as she was pretty sure it was an insult for humans but she didn’t care enough to look it up.
“So?” Xav’nia pushed the subject.
“Can I at least get a shower first the chlorine from the pool makes my skin itch.”
“Alright go ahead but we want details when you come back.”
After a warm shower Delara got dressed, brushed her teeth, and exited the restroom where all her pod mates were staring at her, expectantly waiting for her story.
“Alright, alright, by the goddess, no one can do anything without y’all having to know.” Delara said, a little irritated by her pod’s insistence.
“So I saw the guy from the other day, and-“
“The one you told us about the other day?” Rukna interrupted.
“Yes fur ball there aren’t many other guys in this hotel.” Delara responded with a sigh at the lack of use of context clues the Rakiri used.
“So as I was saying he was by the pool reading a book and…”
“And what?” Asked Pravna
“He was…”
“Spit it out!” Said Xav’nia, sipping her water
“He was shirtless.”
Pffffff Xav’nia spat her water all over Rukna.
“Agh great now I’ll smell like wet dog”
"He was what?"
After what felt like an eternity of Delara trying to convince her pod mates that what she was saying actually happened and she wasn't just daydreaming in some kind of young adult fantasy.
"So then after the Sergeant left with Margna he invited me to sit next to him."
"I am going to keep calling ts on this." once more insisted Xav'nia as she turned and turned off her light.
"Look if your head is denser than a neutron star you can ask him tomorrow morning during breakfast, now would you let me finish?" Delara exclaimed already too tired and wanting to sleep, the day night cycle here threw her way off, as days were physically shorter but as they were told the day night cycle changed as the year progressed.
"Then he put on a shirt as I assume he learned that is not normal for us to see males shirtless, which seems to be something normal here." Delara said looking at the three of them to see if someone wanted to say anything before continuing "So, we talked about the book he was reading which he told me the name but I didn't quite understood, and then we went for a swim, in which he got really scared because he was surprised on how fast we could swim, and then after a while the Sarge came for me and we said our goodbyes."
"Hey maybe you'll leave this rock a married woman." said Pravna as she laid down to sleep.
"Yeah... That's what I'm not so sure about, the Sarge said she would talk to him and his mother about his relocation, and after a couple more weeks we ourselves are out to move also." said Delara laying on her side while under the covers."
"Then you better get him fast." said Pravna as she turned her light off leaving Delara with the only light on.
"Well I'll think about all of this tomorrow, I am too tired as of now, see ya in the morning." Delara said as she turned her light off.
*sniff \*
*sniff\*
"You smell like wet dog fur ball." Delara said as she passed out on her sleep.
"Well you have someone to thank for that." Rukna said as she lifted her head to face Xav'nia.
"You know what? you'll also have it." she said as she got up and jumped over to Xav'nia's bed in order to rub her fur on her so now she would smell like wet dog also.
"Uuuugh, get off!" exclaimed Xav'nia as she pushed Rukna off of her.
"Goddess dammit Rukna, now I smell like wet dog."
"Well now you wont get me wet again." said Rukna as she went back to bed.
"Go to sleep we have patrol tomorrow."
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March 22, 2019
Beep beep beep
Beep beep beep
Beep beep beep
"Ugh" I groaned as he unsuccessfully tried to turn the alarm off several times, until I lifted his head from the pillow and looked at the alarm clock.
'8 AM, it sure feels like it's earlier' Jeriel thought as he sat at the edge of the bed, he needed to give his body time to properly wake up.
'Eyesight?'
'Focusing but otherwise systems are online and at regular capacity'
\Check**
'Muscles?'
'Systems coming on sir'
'Take us to the bathroom, and begin our day'
'Aye sir'
After a not so cold, not so warm shower, brushing his teeth, and combing his hair Jeriel took a look at the clock.
'8:30 AM, good enough'
Stepping out of the room and arriving at the dining hall that was relatively empty compared to the other days for it being eight thirty, what it was not of my liking was the fact that today was a really grey day, you felt as it was actually way earlier with how dark the sky was, but here I was on the line for my food, so after picking my breakfast for today which was to no one's surprise eggs but this time sunny side up, bacon, sausages, waffles which I've always thought as the superior option over pancakes and that is a hill that I'm willing to die on, hash browns, and cranberry juice, it was all good don't get me wrong but eating the same thing for breakfast for a week straight wasn't the most pleasant thing the biggest difference there would be was when they had tortillas instead of waffles and pancakes, I also wondered how was it going to be until the hotel ran out of food, and that got me thinking on how the world would change with out new overlords, or- overladies.
That thought got interrupted by Delara sitting across from me, "Hello Jeryl." At least she was trying unlike some of my teachers over the years or the people working at the DMV, "Good morning to you." I said as I sipped from my juice, to then feel someone sitting next to me, I knew it was not a human for how furry it felt, looking to my side I saw one of them Rakiri I had seen before.
"Hey there." said the werewolf like being, although they look more like felines, lions if you ask me, but what do I know I'm not a Xenobiologist, that must be a profession right? anyways, as I mentioned before this Rakiri for some reason seemed to have a kind of Russian accent which always threw me off, but I've never known why.
"Uhm hey." I answered as I looked at Delara who didn't look worried but more annoyed than anything, "Are you Delara's friend?" I asked her prepared to move if I had to.
"Oh yeah, this is Rukna, she's in my group." Delarad told me as she once again grabbed the mapple syrup to complete her breakfast for then other two marines seat next to Delara and the opposite side of the table by moving an unused chair, "Oh and this are Xav'nia and Pravna, Xav'nia is my group leader." Delara said as she ate a piece of waffle and sausage with the thich substance dripping down.
"So we need to know if what Delara told us las night was true, did you two swim at the pool together?" asked Xav'nia who seemed like she was her squad leader, but why was it so unbelievable that she and I had a swim together? Thinking about it, yeah it wasn't the most believable thing in the galaxy.
"Uhm yeah we swam together for a while." I said as I saw all three of them stare at Delara with open wide eyes.
"And Uh- were you without shirt?" asked Pravna who was the shortest one there but still had like a feet on me.
"Uh... Yes?" I answered as I saw Pravna choke on her food, at the news of me corroborating Delara's story.
'Is being shirtless that weird?' I thought but then I remembered how foreigners acted when they visited a beach in Europe and saw topless women, so I guessed I was the European in this case.
We chatted for a bit until Xav'nia told the rest that they had to go, "Uh- It was nice meeting y'all." I told them as they all stood up, "Oh uh... Sammme." answered the Rakiri, and saying bye to Delara with a hand wave she got out of view.
I sat back thinking on the fact that this were in fact actual aliens, extraterrestrial beings, people from beyond the stars if you will, and we just had a relatively normal conversation, then I felt someone sitting next to me which made me jump, after turning to see who it was I saw that it was Miranda, and I saw mom also getting her food, "So what did they want?" Miranda asked in a not so friendly tone, "They just wanted to chat." I answered as I once again sipped my cranberry juice.
"I don't like them." Miranda said as she sipped from her orange juice.
"And I don't like you, but that doesn't stop me from having to care for you." I said as mom sat in front of us.
"Good morning son"
"Good morning ma, bendición,"
"God bless you, how did you sleep?" mom said as she ate her French toast
"Well, or at least alright, I was thinking about what we were gonna do today."
"Wait what's today?" jumped Miranda.
"Sergeant Lyria wanted to speak to mom and I." I said.
"And why did no one told me?" Miranda exclaimed.
"It was classified information and I outrank you by three years." I said, "And she said that she wanted to speak to mom and I, so there was no point in telling you."
"MOM?" Miranda borderline screamed making everyone else in the dining hall turn to look at your table.
"Can you I don't know not scream? It's too damn early in the morning for these voice volumes."
"Ugh"
"I agree with your brother, I didn't see any point in telling you, so can we eat and have a regular conversation?" mom said as she also started eating.
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"It's 9:55, shouldn't we go now to not be late? we don't even know where her office is." I said as I stood up to put my plate and glass away.
"Yeah I think that's a good idea, I don't want to be late for this."
After asking one of the marines we arrived at the Sergeant's improvised office, which was actually one of the hotel manager's office
All three of us were let it and were instructed to take our seats by Sergeant Lyria
“Well good morning, how are y’all doing today?” She asked while looking something up in her tablet.
“We are doing well all things considered.” said mom while glancing at us.
“Good, good, so.” the sergeant said as she put her tablet down and looked at us, “I suppose your son told you why we are here today right?”
“Y- yes, something about relocation?” mom said while giving me unsure glances.
“Yes, relocation, considering your situation including the destruction of your home and as I understand the passing of your husband, my condolences, I want to ask if you have a place with friends or family that you would want to move to and maybe stay with them, and from there I will see what I can do.” she said as she stared at my mom who was just staring back, who then stared at me giving me the well known gesture of translate for me because I didn’t understand a damn thing she said.
After translating and becoming the middle man I said “Well we have some friends in Austin.”
She then turned her tablet to me and asked if I could point that in a map, which I did, and after a little while of her checking something, she talked to us about how this were going to be.
"Okay so you all are going to be transferred in two weeks, so I would suggest that if you are able to you contact the people who you wish to stay with, but if that is not possible a shelter is going to be set up until we can find a permanent home for you and your children, as you are now a widow the Imperium offers help for single income families and single parents, but you would have to talk to a social worker that you would be able to talk to once you get there, but from what I know benefits include but are not limited to, housing, food, educational programs outside of school and some other things that I don't remember at the moment, but I will try to get someone in contact with you with all the information before you have to depart."
"But as of now we are going to start handing out IDs in about a week, so on that date you are going to head here because with you not having a permanent residence the process is a little bit different than standard, but you and your two children would get Imperial IDs."
"Is there any questions that I can answer at the moment?"
"No, I don't have any questions." mom said to me for me to say to the Sergeant, I looked at Miranda who also said she didn't had any.
"No they don't." I said.
"Well then you are dismissed." the Sergeant said, but I stayed behind to talk to her in private after Miranda and mom left after telling them that I would catch up with them later.
"Uhm Sergeant?" I asked getting her attention back from her tablet.
"Oh you are still here, anything I can help with?"
"What happened to the woman from yesterday?" I said while trying to find a place where to look.
"Oh Private Margna? you don't have to worry about her she was arrested for sexual harassment with your testimony and camera footage, as well as Private Delara's testimony, my guess she would be in jail for a while and if not she would have latrine duty for the rest of her days in the military."
"But if you need any kind of treatment, maybe talk to a psychiatrist just tell me alright?" She said with her again motherly tone, different from when she was talking with mom, then she sounded more like an old friend, trying to help mom.
"Uh yeah, I will let you know." I said as I stood up and exited the office.
'Austin huh?'
'Who would have thought'
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First / Previous / Next
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This is it for today everyone, tune in next time to find out how will Jeriel and his family adapt to the changes in their life.
Thanks for the support and as always if you notice anything out of place or any error I made just let me know in the comments so I can fix it.

Two years since I landed in the hospital. Two years ago I got a hotel room and I was going to kill myself. I drank non stop for 2 days and on the third day I called my dad to come get me and I checked myself into the hospital. It wasn’t the last time I drank. I still went back out for two months and it nearly killed me but it brought me closer to what my life is right now. I can’t forget where I was.

“There were rules, Mafia codes you had to go by. But the code is ridiculous. It's a code among sociopaths.” David Chase (creator: The Sopranos)
Chapter Three: Tiffany and The Ax

1. ANTIBES, FRANCE. Jude sat at a small table outside La Forge Restaurant on Jacques Audiberti Place. The petite square was bustling with late morning activity. He sipped an espresso and paged through his USA Today. A group of teenagers passed loudly through the square on their way to the beach from a hostel. Tiffany and her girlfriend were with the group. He had been watching her for about a week now but the right opportunity hadn't presented itself.

He told himself he wasn't delaying the operation because he was on an unlimited expense account and his target was spending the summer on the Cote d'Azur. He supposed milking a client that way would be unethical. The thought amused him. It really was because he hadn't found the perfect chance to kill her. Mostly. Mostly that was it.
He noted that the Tour de France was passing through the area and decided to find a place to watch the event. And then there was the Musee Picasso on Place Mariejol. He didn't want to miss that.
He could kill Tiffany tomorrow. Or the next day.
Finally it was the weather that forced his hand. A fierce summer storm was predicted for that week. Such an event would make Tiffany's movements unpredictable. She might stay in and weather it, as he would then have to do as well or she might catch the train to a fairer climate. He had no doubt he could find her again, but uncertainties made him uncomfortable. The night before the storm rolled in, he got his perfect opportunity.
It was late, past midnight. Jude had been watching Tiffany as she snuck away with a young man, an Australian, Jude guessed. They had been drinking on the beach, the Plage Gravette, having snuck on after it closed. The location couldn't have been more perfect if Karsen picked it himself. It was surrounded by walls on three sides and faced the ocean. It wasn't lit other than the light kicking off the surrounding apartment buildings. And with the cloud cover from the oncoming storm, it was all but impossible for anyone in the overlooking apartment buildings to see any activity on the beach that night.
Tiffany's male companion passed out after sex. Tiffany lay there, quite drunk herself. Finally she got up and staggered towards the road. Jude watched from the shadows as she came right towards him. She passed one bum, fast asleep by the wall and entered into the tunnel leading from the beach. She never saw Karsen.
She cried out for a split second. But Jude covered her mouth with gloved hands and snapped her neck. He carried her body off the beach, out the gate to the Quai Henri Rambaud and onto a waiting boat.
While Jude piloted the motorboat out into the ocean, into the face of the storm, his partner prepared the body. When they reached far enough out, they dumped the pretty, blonde teenager over the side. And started a media firestorm.
​
Tiffany Teague was an ordinary American girl. She was from the state of New York. Wynantskill, specifically. A hamlet outside of Albany. She was a junior in college, attending Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA, an all women's school. She liked Justin Timberlake and Fallout Boy and thought that Paul Walker was the perfect man.
Edward and Maggie Teague weren't rich, or even well off after several failed business ventures, but they doted on their kids and helped Tiffany save for a summer of backpacking in Europe. They were proud of the fact that while most of Tiffany's friends were sitting around getting drunk and pregnant, Tiffany would be learning about the world. They probably wouldn't have been pleased with how she spent her last hours alive.
When she vanished, they began a tireless campaign. Like all parents faced with an unsolvable mystery of this type, they played nightmare scenarios over and over in their heads. Was it worse that she was dead? Or was it worse that she was alive, perhaps living in some horrible situation? Which to hope for? How to pray?
The case caught the attention of Nancy Grace and Greta Van Susteren. The resulting media pressure caused France, the United States and Australia (the home of the poor drunken boy last known to be with her) to redouble their efforts on Tiffany's behalf.
But there was no trace to be found. No clue as to her disappearance. The Australian boy, somewhat of a loathsome cad, found himself now reviled as a murderer. For the life of him, he could barely remember their last hours together. He didn't even remember having slept with her on the beach. A fact attested to by the drunk who watched it, but his testimony was highly questionable.
No one would ever have tied it to a case in Federal Court from almost two years before. The prosecution of a small time thug named Paulie Azeglio. In 2002 Paulie was convicted under U.S.C. § 2315 Sale or receipt of stolen goods, securities or monies. He was sentenced to three years, but died in prison in 2003. His death was retribution in an ongoing organized crime power struggle involving his infamous father, Frank “The Ax” Azeglio. Edward Teague was a juror in the trial that convicted Paulie.
​
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK. Two and half months before Tiffany's death, Jude was in the living room of his home in Sherman Oaks. He had his laptop hooked up to his 70 inch big screen television and he was sitting on the couch watching porn when his cell phone rang with an unknown number. Normally he wouldn't have answered it, but the area code was from New York. And he got a prickly feeling at the back of his neck. So he managed to get his hands clean in time to answer the call before it kicked over to voice mail.
The speaker was abrupt. A limousine would be arriving at his home in forty-five minutes. It would take him to the airport. He would fly to New York, JFK International and be picked up from there for a meeting. After the meeting he would be taken to a hotel before being flown back to L.A. the following afternoon. The option to refuse this was not offered. And Jude, recognizing the voice, knowing the caller by reputation, never once thought of turning it down. He got up, showered and packed an over-night bag. The limo was right on time.
When he arrived in New York, it was almost 4 AM. Another limo was waiting for him and the ride from the airport took forty-five minutes. Jude slept for most of it as it was past one in the morning, California time. He woke from the sound of the limo coming to a stop. The driver opened the door and Jude stepped out, stretching as he did so.
He was in a warehouse complex. Dull orange lights hung from the corners of buildings in halos of mist. The ocean was nearby, though he couldn't see it. He could smell the salt in the air and hear the not-so-distant sound of compressed surf crunching against a wharf. This was an old complex. Rust rotted through the walls of the buildings. Some were missing whole panels.
The limo drove away, leaving him alone. For a moment, there was a tightness in his chest. Anxiety. He didn’t have a gun. He wasn’t armed but that was unavoidable. He pushed it away. Calculated the odds. It was unlikely they brought him this far just to kill him. Unlikely, but not impossible. He pushed the thought away again. You never knew for sure when dealing with the Mafia. Before anxiety consumed him, a door opened. Twenty feet away, a large man wearing a suit stepped out of the darkness and motioned him to come forward. Karsen did not feel better.
The man searched Karsen, patting him down. Karsen didn't object. When the man was satisfied, he waved Jude through the doorway. Neither of them spoke.
Karsen moved cautiously into the old warehouse. It was a huge empty place. Dim light filtered in from broken windows high above. Deep shadows hung like curtains through cavernous space. Karsen lit a cigarette and walked, kept walking towards the center of the warehouse. Finally, seeing no objective and hearing the door crash closed behind him, he stopped. In a dim pool of light drizzling in from a broken window high above.
Footsteps echoed out of the shadows. Coming towards him. Gradually a man emerged from the gloom. He stopped a few feet from Jude. The man was in his late fifties or early sixties. Obviously Italian. His hair was steel grey and his manner was one that assumed authority.
Jude stared at Frank “The Ax” Azeglio. He took a drag on his cigarette and exhaled softly. Frank spoke.
“Mr. Karsen.”
“Yeah.”
“Put out your cigarette. My sinuses...”
“Oh. Sorry.” Jude dropped the smoke and crushed it with his shoe.
“Thank you. And thank you for coming.”
“Sure.”
“I have a job for you, Mr. Karsen.” With gloved hands, Frank the Ax passed a manila envelope to Karsen.
“Family member?” asked Jude.
“No.”
“One of the bosses?”
“Is this a quiz show? Open the fucking envelope.” Azeglio pulled out a bottle of nasal spray and took a squirt up each nostril.
Karsen skimmed the information and looked at the photo. A photo of Tiffany Teague. He glanced back up at Azeglio, curiosity on his face.
“This is a teenage girl.”
Frank stared at him. Silent. Jude shot him a small, knowing smile.
“Sure. I'll do it. Any special requests?”
“Make it quick and painless. Make the body disappear.”
Jude nodded and slid the papers back into the envelope. Something was weird about this. There was a reason Frank called him in the middle of the night, flew him across the country. There was a reason they were meeting in this warehouse instead of some back room of a restaurant. Something about this contract was different.
“A mil,” said Jude. “Plus expenses.”
The Ax didn't hesitate or negotiate. “I'll have it wired to your account. Bill me the expenses through our usual contact.”
“You got a deal.” Karsen handed the envelope back to Frank.
“Don't you need this information?”
“I have what I need memorized. I don’t want to carry that file past the TSA.” Karsen turned and walked towards the door. He hadn't gone more than a couple feet before Frank spoke again.
“Mr. Karsen.”
Jude stopped and turned to the mob boss.
“I want you to know why.”
Jude shifted uncomfortably. He was itching to go and he felt the nascent urge to urinate. But it was more than that. Somehow he felt that the longer he stayed, the more...culpable he was. It was an irrational, random thought, but it nagged him. It put an urgency on him.
“That's not necessary. I prefer not to know. To know as little as possible.”
“But I want you to know.”
Jude stood there quietly. He desperately wanted a smoke. Frank “The Ax” began to speak.
“My son Paul. Francis Paul Azeglio Jr, you know I wanted a better life for him. Wanted him to go to college, maybe join the military. I didn't want this life for him. This life that you and I lead. I wanted better for my children. Wasn't that the point of fighting my way out of the gutters and back alleys of Brooklyn? And I did it. I gave my children everything. Paul was raised in luxury. He got an excellent education at a private school. He had all the opportunities of privilege at his fingertips. Opportunities I bled and made others bleed to win for him.
“All I wanted was for him to be a doctor or a stockbroker or even a musician. To have a family and give me grandchildren. I wanted my son to escape this life that I was forced into by simple economics and...certain skills I had that others lacked. You understand me, Mr. Karsen?”
“I don't have children,” Jude regretted it the moment it came out his mouth. Frank's expression clouded and his brow furrowed.
“But I get your point,” Karsen added quickly.
“Every father worth a damn wants to protect his children. Of course, to my son, it seemed like I thought he wasn't up to it, like I thought he wasn't tough enough for the job....” Frank trailed off, staring up at the shattered windows with their rusted frames. “Which, of course, was the absolute truth.”
They were silent. Jude's need to piss was growing stronger. But there was no way to leave this conversation. Not until Frank the Ax was done. Was this a confession wondered Jude? Karsen suspected Frank was probably a Catholic. How did he suddenly become this man's priest?
Frank finally broke the silence. “Did your father respect you?”
Ahh jeez, thought Jude, “I broke his jaw when I was sixteen. After that it didn't matter.”
“Bullshit. It always matters. I never even knew my father and I still wonder what he would've thought of me, to this very day. But you took respect from your dad the day you cracked his face.”
“I don't know. I didn't see him much after that.”
“Right...right,” Frank sighed. “Paul wanted my respect. He wanted to impress me, not just as a son or even as a man, he wanted my respect as a gangster. He coulda done anything and I woulda been proud of him. But he wanted to be good, be great at what I was great at. You understand?”
“I think so.”
“This kid...this right side of the tracks, white kid who never had to fight in his life, decided he was smart enough to do a major job, like it was some movie or one of these cable TV shows. He stole a container full of flatscreen TVs and tried to fence. He wanted to bring down a big score, just like the stories he'd heard his old man tell the boys, when he shoulda been in bed at night...”
“He got caught.”
“Of course he got caught. Grand Theft Auto was a video game to him. To me, it was a way of life.” Frank muttered something under his breath that Jude didn't make out.
“What?”
“Nothing. Because Paul went across state lines it was a Federal Crime. Ahh, that shouldn't have mattered. I got the best lawyers, greased the skids with the Judge and the prosecutor. They offered a decent deal, but not enough. I didn't want my boy to do a day inside. So it went to trial. Still shouldn't have been a problem. I hired one of those fancy jury consultant companies and wired the jury...but one slipped by. One man named Edward Teague. Real Dudley do-right. From my man inside, he tells me this Edward Teague bullied this jury, harassed this jury, and wore them out by dragging it on for days so they finally gave in and convicted. They didn't want to convict. But this guy...this guy...he was the foreman and he all but forced them...”
Something didn't ring true about this story, but Jude wasn't about to question a man nicked-named 'The Ax'.
“Tough break.”
“So my sweetheart baby boy, my only son...went to the Federal Pen. God, the way he acted, like it was a badge of honor, like I should be proud of him. I told him-”
Frank stopped, his voice catching as the memory overcame him. He composed himself and wiped a tear, passing it off as rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“I told him. Keep your head down. Do your time quietly and he'd be taken care of. Mob guys can be very safe inside. But he... he still had something to prove...”
Another tear slid silently down the mafia don's cheeks. Jude wanted desperately to leave. But he felt he had to say something at this point.
“He's dead.”
“I got the guys that did him. I got them already.” Frank wiped the tears from his face and his manner changed. As he spoke, a slow rage filled his voice. “Now. Now I want Edward Teague. Juror number nine. I want him to suffer like I do. To live without his precious child, his daughter that he dotes on, that he loves. I want to rip her out of his arms.” His voice seethed with hatred.
“I want him to hurt...you understand me? I want him to have this hole in his heart. This ache, this, this horrible, empty, loss torn into his soul.”
Frank stepped closer to Jude, until he was so near Jude could smell the faint medicinal scent of nasal spray on the man's breath. He was so uncomfortable that he wanted to burst out laughing, but knew that would mean his instant death. Not figuratively. Frank, in this moment, would kill him for disrespect. It was the thought of his own face being bludgeoned that drove the amusement away.
Brutality filled Azeglio's voice, “I want to take his daughter from him and I want him to live the rest of his life never knowing what happened to her.”
The cold hatred that burned out of the man was awful in its intensity. His eyes cut into Jude's with the horror of emptiness. Without another word, Frank turned and walked back into the darkness.

Forgive me, I am very emotional right now. My partner went through a hard time a few years ago, he had a health problem that resulted in him being in hospital. His friend cared for him for two weeks after this near tragedy and they became close like brother and sister he says.
I met him 6 months after all this and we fell in love. I met her and found her to be a little over the top, calling him babe, sweetheart etc whilst out shopping, I ignored it. I found out they spent the day out at the beach together when I was working, again I let it go. She told him her boobs were growing since she joined the gym, I told him it was weird a sister would share this, again I let it go. Then she sent him a picture of a woman's lady bits as a flower, I was disgusted.
I told him the friendship bothers me, he has no feelings for her and I believe him but I feel like I'm getting in the way of something here. He finally admitted to me that it was because he's old fashioned and she did him a favour so he can't just let her go. He chose her over our relationship.
I'm so broken, he deletes texts and calls because he admitted that if I knew I wouldn't approve. I know I can't dictate who he is friends with but surely this is wrong. Can someone please explain to me how I'm being unreasonable.
For context we've been dating 6 years living together for 7, 38f, 46m
Tl;dr long term partner doesn't see his friendship is inappropriate and he should let it go, is he right in continuing his friendship

Hi everyone! Glad to have found this sub, already learned a lot. My wife and I (🇺🇸) are planning our first trip to Iceland for a week 1 July - 8 July, followed by a week in France for a friend’s wedding.
We’ve rented a Cozy Campers 4x4 campervan for most of it, with an understanding that campsites are both the best budget option and give us more flexibility day to day without having to book in advance. (This is right, right? Generally can always find a camping spot day of in July?)
A guidebook once described Flying Mountain in Acadia, Maine as the “lowest effort for the highest reward” and that describes us perfectly when it comes to hiking and stuff. We’ll push for a good view but we don’t need to be extreme. Established trail, “Sneaker hiking” :-)
We are not planning to cram and do the whole ring road, probably mainly sticking to common big hits in the South. Key priorities:

1. We need a good whale watch somewhere or my wife said she might kill me.
2. We need to see some Puffins, more the better.
3. Per the above, I’m thinking Heimaey / Westmann islands are an important overnight to fit in.
4. I’m excited to use our 4x4 to get a little Highlands action while keeping river crossings to a minimum. Landmannalaugar, Hveravellir?
5. Jökulsárlón sounds awesome.
6. As does the black sand beaches of Vik.
7. And the Golden Circle, particularly the cultural significance of Thingvellir and Gullfoss.
8. Other waterfalls and hot springs along the way :)

Accordingly, here’s what I’m thinking Itinerary wise:
1 July Saturday KEF arrival at 6:30am Blue Lagoon? Sky Lagoon? City Center Hotel in Reykjavík for the night
2 July Sunday Pick up Cozy Camper at 9am Golden Circle? Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss. Anything else? Find camping near Gullfoss?
3 July Monday Drive out somewhere in the Highlands, Hveravellir or Landmannalaugar? Camp there? Or drive back to a place like Hella?
4 July Tuesday Drive out to Vik area and see some black sand and basalt and puffins. Skogafoss falls on the way? Camp at Thakgil maybe? Or evening ferry to Heimaey and camp on island?
5 July Wednesday Get a ferry to Heimaey if not already there. Whale watch? Hike a volcano? More puffins? Camp on Heimaey
6 July Thursday Morning ferry to mainland. Drive to Jokulsarlon? Take a boat tour? Diamond beach. Camp at Hofn or back in Thakgil?
7 July Friday Slowly meander back to Reykjavík hitting some stuff we missed maybe. Turn in camper to Cozy around 17:00. Get a bus to Keflavik and stay at the Hotel Berg.
8 July Saturday Fly to Paris at 7am
Advice on this? Additional suggestions? Are we taking it too slow? It is hard to judge distances and how much driving we should plan per day and also how many distinct outdoor landmarks per day.
A big fear of mine is weather being crappy and making a Westmann islands trip impractical. Or highlands inaccessible on the day we want want to go. How likely is that in July?
Thank you!

Booked non refundable flight tickets to Okinawa like a dummy and the weather will be raining + thunder everyday. We wanted to visit near by islands to swim at the beaches so i’m pretty sad about this. Trying to figure out what activities can be done while it’s raining… Per the website i’ve been using my weather look like this:
June 13 - Mostly cloudy; a couple of showers in the morning followed by thunderstorms in the afternoon. Hours of precipitation 3
June 14 - Just “Rain” hours of precipitation 12
June 15 - Windy with periods of rain. Hours of precipitation 8.
(12th raining and we fly in at 6:30 -and the 16th sunny, ofcs, we leave at 7) The hotel I have has two pools and an onsen so i’m hoping i can at-least use the pool to swim at if they don’t close them down.
I really wanted to go to the beaches and take a ferry to different islands to the beaches but i’m unsure if that’s possible while it’s raining for 12 hours… maybe on the 13th sinxe it’s only 3 hours.
we could also move the flights but have to pay an extra ¥8,000 minimum up to ¥11,500 each to rebook different days but would rather not pay extra 😞
Any suggestions are helpful! We will not be renting a car and our hotel is within the city area.
Thanks!

Introduction:
Welcome to Jodhpur, the mesmerizing Blue City of Rajasthan! Nestled in the heart of the Thar Desert, Jodhpur is a city that beautifully combines vibrant colors, rich history, and royal grandeur. Here are many best luxury resorts in Jodhpur. Known for its majestic forts, intricate architecture, and warm hospitality, Jodhpur offers a unique experience that captivates the senses and leaves a lasting impression on every visitor. Join us as we embark on a virtual journey to uncover the hidden gems and cultural delights that make Jodhpur a must-visit destination.
Majestic Mehrangarh Fort:
Our exploration begins with the crown jewel of Jodhpur, the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort. Perched on a hilltop, this colossal structure stands tall as a symbol of the city's glorious past. As you ascend the fort's imposing gates, you'll be greeted by intricate carvings, expansive courtyards, and breathtaking panoramic views of the city below. Explore the museum within the fort, showcasing an impressive collection of artifacts and artifacts that offer a glimpse into Jodhpur's royal heritage.
The Blue Hues of the Old City:
One of Jodhpur's most distinctive features is its old city, painted predominantly in shades of blue. Wander through the narrow, labyrinthine alleys of the Blue City, where every turn reveals a picturesque scene of indigo-washed houses. This unique architectural tradition has both historical and cultural significance, with blue believed to keep homes cool and ward off insects. Immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere, interact with friendly locals, and capture stunning photographs that will transport you back in time.
Umaid Bhawan Palace:
Prepare to be awestruck by the grandeur of Umaid Bhawan Palace, an opulent residence that epitomizes luxury and elegance. Built during the reign of Maharaja Umaid Singh, this magnificent palace is a splendid blend of Indo-Saracenic and Art Deco architectural styles. Today, it houses a part of the palace as a museum, showcasing an exquisite collection of artifacts and preserving the rich history of Jodhpur's royal family. Indulge in the regal experience by staying at the palace hotel, where you can immerse yourself in royal luxury and impeccable hospitality.
Savoring Rajasthani Delicacies:
No visit to Jodhpur is complete without savoring its delectable culinary delights. The city is renowned for its mouthwatering Rajasthani cuisine, which is a delightful fusion of flavors and spices. Indulge in local specialties such as dal baati churma (lentils, baked wheat balls, and sweet crushed bread), gatte ki sabzi (gram flour dumplings in spicy gravy), and mirchi vada (spicy chili fritters). Don't forget to try the famous Makhaniya Lassi, a traditional yogurt-based drink that offers a refreshing respite from the desert heat.
Exploring Local Bazaars:
Experience the vibrant colors and lively ambiance of Jodhpur's bustling bazaars. Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) Market and Sardar Market are the heart and soul of the city's shopping scene. Lose yourself in the maze of shops selling handicrafts, textiles, traditional jewelry, spices, and vibrant tie-dye fabrics. Bargain with local vendors to bring home unique souvenirs and keepsakes that reflect the rich cultural heritage of Jodhpur.
Jaswant Thada:
Located near the Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada is a stunning marble cenotaph built in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. This architectural marvel is adorned with intricate carvings, delicate marble lattice screens, and tranquil gardens. Take a peaceful stroll around the memorial and enjoy the serene ambiance while marveling at the detailed craftsmanship.
Desert Safari and Camel Rides:
Experience the magic of the Thar Desert by embarking on a thrilling desert safari adventure. Hop on a camel and traverse the golden sand dunes as you soak in the awe-inspiring desert landscape. Witness mesmerizing sunsets and enjoy traditional Rajasthani folk performances under the starlit sky. The desert safari is an exhilarating escapade that allows you to connect with nature and immerse yourself in the rustic charm of Rajasthan.
Mandore Gardens:
Escape the hustle and bustle of the city and explore the tranquil oasis of Mandore Gardens. This historical site, once the capital of Marwar, features beautifully landscaped gardens, ancient temples, and grand cenotaphs. Admire the intricate architecture of the cenotaphs dedicated to the brave Rajput warriors and enjoy a serene picnic amidst the lush green surroundings.
Stepwell Excursion to Toorji Ka Jhalra:
Jodhpur is home to a hidden gem known as Toorji Ka Jhalra, a magnificent stepwell that dates back to the 18th century. This architectural marvel was constructed to provide water for the local community. Descend the steps and witness the intricate geometric patterns adorning the walls of the stepwell. The tranquil ambiance and unique design make it a perfect spot for photography enthusiasts and a peaceful retreat from the bustling city.
Marwar Festival:
Plan your visit to coincide with the Marwar Festival, an annual extravaganza that showcases the vibrant culture and traditions of Jodhpur. Held in memory of the valiant heroes of Rajasthan, the festival offers a captivating display of folk music, traditional dance performances, camel races, and exciting competitions like turban tying and mustache contests. Immerse yourself in the lively festivities and witness the vibrant spirit of the locals as they celebrate their rich heritage.
Bishnoi Village Safari:
Embark on a Bishnoi Village Safari to get a glimpse of rural life in Rajasthan and learn about the Bishnoi community, known for its harmonious relationship with nature and wildlife conservation efforts. Interact with friendly villagers, witness traditional pottery making, and observe local artisans at work. Keep an eye out for the region's diverse wildlife, including blackbucks and migratory birds, as you explore the rustic beauty of the Bishnoi villages.
Adventure Activities:
For adrenaline junkies seeking adventure, Jodhpur offers exciting opportunities for ziplining, paragliding, and rock climbing. Indulge in thrilling activities and witness the mesmerizing landscapes of Jodhpur from a different perspective. Challenge yourself and create unforgettable memories as you engage in these adrenaline-pumping adventures.
Conclusion:
Jodhpur, with its magnificent forts, vibrant markets, cultural festivals, and warm hospitality, offers a truly immersive experience. Whether you're exploring the architectural wonders, savoring delectable cuisine, or witnessing the vibrant traditions, Jodhpur never fails to captivate visitors with its unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. So, pack your bags and get ready to be enchanted by Blue City's timeless allure.

By user request, I'm recreating this thread in an effort to allow /norfolk's members to update & improve the information. Please comment as needed and I'll do my best to revise the main text as quickly as I can. Thanks!
Welcome to /Norfolk! Our subreddit gets a lot of questions about relocating to the area, so be sure to search the subreddit to see if your specific questions have already been answered.
Here's a quick list of the top tips and most frequently repeated advice about moving to the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area:

• Live on the same side of the water as you work. Our many bridges, tunnels and bridge-tunnels frequently experience heavy traffic volume and become chokepoints even on days without incidents or accidents. Commuting from the Southside (Norfolk/Virginia Beach) to the Peninsula (Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg) and vice versa is not recommended. Additionally, many water crossings are now or will eventually be tolled. Get an EZ-Pass to pay the lowest rate.
  
• This area floods. Look at FEMA flood maps for the area you want to move to and be aware of possibly needing flood insurance. Similarly, our area occasionally experiences hurricanes. Know your Evacuation Zone and learn more about Hurricane Preparations. Also check out the jet noise map (PDF warning) (credit to NotEntirelyUnlike)
  
• Hampton Roads has a lot to offer. Obviously there is the beach. But there is also a surprisingly good and growing food & craft beer scene. A great many museums and activities. And an easy drive to the mountains and other major cities. Career wise the medical center is growing year over year, and is only expected to continue expanding into a major hub for the region. Norfolk offers a slightly more urban feel, with lots of great food joints and cultural amenities, all while being walking and bike friendly. Virginia Beach is more suburban in feel, and has a large amount of great neighborhoods at a decent price not too far from the beach. Chesapeake is even more suburban, but more affordable. Suffolk is growing, but still by all rights could be considered mostly rural. (credit to Here4thebeer3232)
  
• Check crime reports. Crime can happen anywhere but some areas see more reported incidents than others. Great areas can be adjacent to bad neighborhoods, sometimes separated only by a road or a few blocks. When buying or renting a residence, try to visit the area at different times of day and strike up conversations with locals to get a feel for the location. Use Norfolk's Crime Mapping tool to view crime reports and statistics.
  
• Norfolk Neighborhoods of Note
  

  Chelsea/West Ghent: Small former industrial area that is now home to 2 top tier Breweries and is a central part of the Elizabeth River Bike Trail. Has a growing culinary scene. Limited residential options. Colonial Place: Upscale residential neighborhood with waterside access. Flooding is a concern in this area, but neighborhoods are family friendly and homes are gorgeous. Downtown: the urban center of our region. Growing residential population to match established barestaurant, entertainment and financial scenes. East Beach: Newly constructed high end beach condos right on the Chesapeake Bay. Has abundant docking for boats, fishing holes, and beach access. A more quiet and older community. Fort Norfolk: Growing area adjacent to EVMS and Sentara Medical Center. The unofficial midtown of Norfolk, that is slowly becoming a part of the city skyline. Floods often. Freemason: straight-laced & upscale enclave adjacent to downtown and built around cobblestone streets. Ghent: trendy, historic and filled to the brim with character, culture and delicious cuisine. The neighborhood’s main thoroughfare, Colley Avenue, and adjacent 21st and 22nd streets are lined with eclectic eateries, unique shops, art galleries and antique stores. Larchmont: High end homes in a family friendly neighborhood. Adjacent to ODU, but without the noise, Larchmont is home to incredible homes in a very green and quiet part of the city. Also has waterside access. Oceanview: Affordable community right on the beach. Still considered more working class, it is slowly looking to compete with the Virginia Beach Oceanfront as a tourist attraction. Home to the Bold Mariner Brewery and Jessy's Taqueria NEON District: Growing Arts district, adjacent to downtown. Home to a variety of arts shops and artisan restaurants, as well as the Chrysler Museum of Art and the Harrison Opera house. Park Place: Park Place is a historic neighborhood centrally located to the north of Downtown Norfolk. Park Place offers multimodal access to health and fitness facilities, dining, coffee shops, retail, visual art, live music, and community for people from all walks of life. This historic residential neighborhood is a diverse and inclusive community, and is comprised of a mix of single detached houses, condos, luxury, market rate, and affordable rentals homes and apartments. Located between 23rd street and 38th street, and between Granby street on the east, and Colley ave on the west, the Park Place area neighborhood includes two business districts, the 35th Street Business District and the Railroad District, and is walkable to the North Colley, Ghent, and Riverview business districts. Railroad District: Rapidly growing former warehouse district located between Ghent and Park place. Home to the majority of Breweries in the city. While could be considered gentrified, is still home to novel cultural centers such as 757 Makerspace and Nomads Clothing Exchange. Riverview: Immediately adjacent to the Norfolk Zoo and Lafayette park. With waterside access and a small commercial corridor, Riverview is a good area for all ages. Also home to MJs Tavern, the largest LGBT bar in the metropolitan area. St Paul's District: Under construction West Ocean View: Turns into a parking lot for HRBT traffic every time the base lets out. Willoughby Spit: Quiet residential sandbar. Remains somewhat isolated from HRBT traffic, but offers a commanding presence along the Chesapeake Bay.
  

• /VirginiaBeach Neighborhoods of Note
  

  Chesapeake/Chic's Beach: "locals only" beachside community. Oceanfront: touristy stretch of beach + boardwalk, hotels, and trinket shops. Town Center: VB's Central Business District including Pembroke Mall and other high-end shopping, dining, and entertainment.
  

• Portsmouth Neighborhoods of Note
  

  Olde Towne: boasts the largest collection of period homes between Charleston, South Carolina and Alexandria, Virginia. Walkable, lots of shops and restaurants, close to the riverfront, ferry access to downtown Norfolk. (credit to BrobaFat)
  

• Odds & ends
  

  • Norfolk's hardiness zone is 8a, for any gardeners out there. A bit further west, and you're in 7b.
  • The large military presence means a lot of traffic around 4pm. High school gets out around 2, middle school around 3.
  • There are slow cargo trains going to and from the port. When scoping out neighborhoods, check for tracks nearby, and if there are any bridges or underpasses to help bypass a stopped cargo train. Example: Taussig and Granby, near the post office? If you hear a train, pray that it's a short one, because I haven't found a shortcut there yet.
  • This WeatherSpark page has some useful data on the local climate for anyone particularly interested in our weather patterns. TL;DR, it doesn't really freeze here, but we still get snow every few years. (credit to sin-so-fit)

Please also view the 2021 EDITION for additional context & information, especially in the comments.

We're both college students from the east coast, decided to spend our summer break in LA because my friends' cousins used to live near Downtown LA and Beverly Hills, and she said she wanted to retrace the steps of her childhood. Both of our moms plans to visit us and maybe hang out together for a month, so the trip's highly likely to be foursome.
But me being an Asian-American my friend mentioned, being worried, that she heard LA had quite some troubles & hate crimes involving Asians after COVID. Not particularly hate crimes, but the overall safety has gone.. well, bye-bye.
People say that carjacking and all these 'petite-crime' rates have gone up nationwide, not just west coast, after many lost their jobs due to COVID but we didn't really notice any increased threats whilst running around in NY.
We're not so little, both over 5'6 but quite ..thin? And we plan to stay at only 5 star hotels, using public transportation mainly and maybe 2 weeks of rental-car road trip. I'm not worried about parking in big shopping malls or any building with CCTVs but our road trip to Vegas sounds a bit.. dangerous after hearing concerns about walking around late at night in beach areas.
​
Our concern is if the east coast or midwest is a better fit for 4 women with umm... how should I put this nicely... huge interest in fashion (?). My friend's mom already gave us some money for our trip because she didn't want to drive around in a honda. *cough*
Yeah so... you get the idea. Is it less dangerous to walk around in silk dresses or just shorts..? It'd be the best if we just walk around rodeo drive for a week straight but we kinda want to explore around a bit.
Can you recommend some areas that we need to avoid? And is it indeed not so safe for two young girls and two moms to navigate through?

Research Nester has released a report titled “Sound Masking System Market – Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2027” which also includes some of the prominent market analyzing parameters such as industry growth drivers, restraints, supply and demand risk, market attractiveness, year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth comparisons, market share comparisons, BPS analysis, SWOT analysis and Porter’s five force model.
Sound masking systems lower the unwanted noise in an indoor premise by producing white and pink noise patterns. The sound masking systems often consists of speakers, sensors and amplifiers that power these components.
Rising need for silent environments in indoor premises, especially for public places, such as hospitals, offices, schools and temple among others, which are often believed to have a silent and peaceful environment owing to their purpose of work, is believed to drive the growth of the global sound masking system market.
Additionally, increasing number of civil constructions around the globe that has gave birth to numerous residential and commercial buildings, along with the change in designs observed in commercial and office spaces has raised the need for the deployment of sound masking systems to maintain the level of unwanted noise, especially in offices and schools, where concentration on work is utmost important without any unwanted disturbances from noise. On the other hand, with open work policy being deployed in offices, modern offices are built with open work platforms and less cabins.
The disturbances hence observed and faced by employees owing to the communication going on between other employees of the office or for any undergoing meetings is also raising the need for the deployment of such sound masking systems in indoor premises. Such factors are anticipated to drive the growth of the global sound masking system market.
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The global sound masking system market is anticipated to record a CAGR of around 5% throughout the forecast period 2019-2027 on account of the need for silence in most public buildings and public spaces and the growing advancement in sound technology systems which has led to the birth of sound masking systems. Additionally, the global sound masking system market was valued at USD 150 million in the year 2018, and it is further anticipated to cross USD 220 million by the end of 2027.
The global sound masking system market is segmented by type of technology into QT100, QT200 and QT600. Among these segments, the QT100 segment is anticipated to hold the largest market share by the end of 2027 and reach a value of around USD 100 million by the end of 2027 by growing at a CAGR of around 5% over the forecast period, i.e. 2019-2027. Additionally, the segment in the global sound masking system market held a market share of around 43% in the year 2018.
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Geographically, the global sound masking system market is segmented by five major regions into North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America region, out of which, Europe, which is anticipated to grow by a growth rate of around 1.50x during the assessment period, is primarily driven by nations such as such as Germany, UK, France, Spain and others, where Germany held the dominant market share of around 15% during the year 2018.
The sound masking system in Europe is anticipated to grow on account of the growth in the hotel industry backed by increasing revenue per available rooms (RevPAR) and increasing number of exhibitions being organized in hotels. Moreover, the North America sound masking system market is primarily driven by nations such as U.S. and Canada where U.S. accounted for the largest market share of around 82% in the year 2017.
However, concerns for the lack of awareness amongst consumers for sound masking systems is estimated to act as a barrier to the growth of the global sound masking system market.
This report also studies existing competitive scenario of some of the key players of the global sound masking system market, which includes profiling of Biamp Systems, Soft db, Lencore Acoustics Corp., Dukane AV, Pro Acoustics® LLC, K.R. Moeller Associates Ltd., Soundmask Global Pty. Ltd., MPS LLC and Vibra-Sonic Control.
The profiling enfolds key information of the companies which comprises of business overview, products and services, key financials and recent news and developments. Conclusively, the report titled “Sound Masking System Market – Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2027”, analyses the overall sound masking system industry to help new entrants to understand the details of the market. In addition to that, this report also guides existing players looking for expansion and major investors looking for investment in the global sound masking system market in the near future.

Red Velvet, a renowned name in the hospitality industry, proudly stands as the top 4-star hotel in Patna. Located in the heart of the city, Red Velvet offers a perfect blend of luxury, comfort, and convenience for its guests. With its strategic location Red Velvet is the top hotel near the railway station and a host of exceptional amenities including meeting and banquet facilities, a top-notch restaurant, and proximity to Patna Junction, Red Velvet has earned its reputation as the premier choice for travelers seeking a memorable stay in hotel near Patna Junction. Being the top hotel in Patna, Red Velvet redefines luxury with its exquisite accommodations that cater to the discerning needs of its guests. The hotel offers a range of elegantly appointed rooms and suites, each designed to provide the utmost comfort and relaxation. Every detail has been carefully curated, from the plush bedding and contemporary furnishings to the modern amenities and personalized services. Whether you are a business traveler or a leisure guest, Red Velvet ensures a truly luxurious experience during your stay.
Visit us: www.redvelvethotel.com
Situated in close proximity to the railway station, Red Velvet enjoys a strategic advantage for travelers. Its location near the railway station makes it easily accessible to both domestic and international guests, saving them time and ensuring a hassle-free arrival and departure experience. Patna Junction, one of the major railway stations in Bihar, is just a short distance away from the hotel, making Red Velvet an ideal choice for those seeking a hotel near Patna Junction.
Recognizing the importance of hosting successful business meetings and events, Red Velvet offers state-of-the-art meeting hall in Patna with top facilities. The hotel features spacious and well-equipped meeting rooms that cater to the needs of modern businesses. With advanced audiovisual equipment, high-speed internet access, and comfortable seating arrangements, Red Velvet ensures a productive and seamless experience for corporate events, conferences, and seminars. The hotel's professional staff is dedicated to providing impeccable service, assisting guests in organizing and executing flawless events.
Visit us: www.redvelvethotel.com
Red Velvet's banquet hall in Patna are the epitome of elegance and grandeur, making them the perfect choice for weddings, receptions, and social gatherings. With their exquisite decor, spacious layouts, and meticulous attention to detail, these banquet halls create a captivating ambiance for any special occasion. The hotel's expert event planning team takes care of every aspect, including decorations, catering, and entertainment, ensuring a truly memorable and unforgettable event for all guests.
Red Velvet takes pride in its culinary offerings, showcasing the rich and diverse flavors of Patna and beyond. The hotel's has best restaurant in Patna offers a gastronomic journey that is sure to tantalize the taste buds of even the most discerning guests. The expert chefs curate a menu that combines local delicacies with international favorites, prepared with the finest ingredients and meticulous attention to flavor and presentation. The restaurant's elegant ambiance, attentive service, and delectable dishes make it a sought-after dining destination for both residents and visitors alike.
Red Velvet places great emphasis on providing impeccable service to its guests. From the moment of arrival until departure, the hotel's dedicated staff ensures that every guest is treated with utmost care and attention. The warm and friendly reception, prompt room service, and personalized concierge assistance are just a few examples of the exceptional service that guests can expect at Red Velvet. The hotel's commitment to attention to detail and guest satisfaction is evident in every aspect of their operations.
Visit us: www.redvelvethotel.com
Address: Ranjan Path, Near RPS More, Bailey Road, Patna – 801503

This sub has been an incredible source of information and inspiration, so I gave myself an hour to write down and share some insights from the recent three-week road trip I’ve had with my partner.
General remarks:
- Our main goal was to enjoy nature, so we were okay with spending absolutely no time on the golden circle or in Reykjavik. Due to the weather, we ended up doing both anyway; but these would be the parts of the trip I would skip first. Coming from continental Europe, we had almost no jetlag and could safely start directly with our journey. With more jet lag, some more time to adapt is definitely a good idea.
- We rented a 2WD campervan from Star Car Rental and spent all but the final night on campsites. Our experience with Star Car was very good. The price was competitive and included unlimited mileage, additional driver and all necessary utensils (chairs, table, cooking stuff). We got picked up from the airport and were ready to go within 15’. When giving back the car, we got driven to our hotel without any inspection (we did have zero excess insurance).
- Mid-May to beginning of June was a very nice time to travel. The days are long (I’ve seen no darkness), almost all camping places are open, but the crowds at the highlights are small – except for the big boys in the south.
- We started our days quite early and therefore typically arrived during the afternoon at the campsites. The kitchen area, showers and laundry spaces were often free to use. Be prepared to go to campsites that have only 2 stoves and 1 shower. During prime time, expect some waiting times.
- We picked up around 100 € worth of cash – two campsites were cash-only, everything else was absolutely card-first / cash-free.
Useful ressources:
- Vedur and Safetravel: This sub is absolutely right. Learn how to read and anticipate the weather before you get there. We were there during two yellow warnings and these things are really no joke. It helps to have plenty of time to spontaneously adapt the schedule. And we’ve seen it all: blizzard in the West, hail up North, storm in the East and sun in the South.
- Google reviews & park4night: These were pretty accurate for the campsites. 4+ stars are no-brainers, 3+ depend on your needs (kitchen, shower, electricity) and less than 3 should be avoided. Also, remember to rate them yourself during/after your trip to increase the statistical significance ;)
- Google Maps/MyMaps: MyMaps was useful during our planning to fill with random highlights (waterfalls, hotpots, hikes, campsites) and to set up a rough itinerary. Google Maps is accurate on paved roads. On gravel roads, expect some significant delays. Maps calculates with 80 km/h, while you will probably never exceed 50 km/h. In the Westfjords, we guess-timated our times with 2 minutes per kilometer on the gravel roads. The Happy Campers Campsite Map as well as the Hot Pot Iceland Map were nice to have in the back-pocket to check with some time to spare whether something is close by.
- Polarsteps: This was a cute little App, which we used to keep family and friends informed. You can add pictures and some text to your highlights. This way, you don’t send the same picture into various chats and there is a location- and time-dependent context.
Cost: This is the per-person cost breakdown for our 21-day trip (20-day camper rental, 1 hotel stay, total 3’500€).
- Rental (zero excess insurance, additional driver): 1’135 €
- Flight (from continental Europe): 700 €
- Activities (Pools, Spas, Horse-riding, Kayak): 300 €
- Camping (pretty consistent 2’000 +- 500 ISK p.P.): 275 €
- Groceries (Bonus, Kronan, Netto): 255 €
- Coffee, Beers, Food in Restaurants: 260 €
- Petrol (420 € in total for roughly 3’600 km): 210 €
- Souvenirs: 180 €
- Ferries (into Westfjords and to Westman Islands): 95 €
- Hotel: 75 €
Highlights:
- Sundlaug and Spas: When camping in small towns, very often there will be a swimming pool close by. They are not expensive (around 1000 ISK pP) and a great way to relax after a long day. Also, it feels nice to take longer, hot showers without knowing people are waiting in line. We decided to go for some smaller premium spas and were very happy with all of them: Krauma was one of our first stops, the Forest Lagoon was incredible during evening hours and GeoSea was also fantastic. Re: nudity. It takes a bit to get used to, but its very refreshing to see this very open approach to nudity in the pools. No one cares, no one watches – just do your thing. It’s cool to see groups of friends at all age groups be so open about it. Certainly very different compared to continental Europe.
- As we had to skip the Eastfjords a bit due to storm, we had some time left at the end. We spent the last 3 nights on the Westman Islands. It was great to leave the car for a longer while and do everything by foot. There are plenty of things to do and the swimming pool is fantastic.
- Mulagljufur: Use Google Maps to find the exact location, as of now, there is no sign along the road. The canyon is very beautiful and we ended up hiking for almost three hours. Couldn’t get enough of the views.
- Glymur: The infamous log wasn’t placed when we were there, but the short hike to the cave and towards the canyon was absolutely worth it.
- Camping highlights: Melanes campsite at Raudasandur beach (Westfjords): incredible scenery, wild drive to get there; Thingeyri campsite (Westfjords): directly at the fjord, fantastic infrastructure (probably the best kitchen we’ve had) and IMHO a great alternative to the Tungudalur campsite in Isafjordur; 66.12 N campsite (near Husavik): insane ocean view, good infrastructure, one of the best sites along the diamond circle; Glamping&Camping (Westmann Islands): beautiful setting, good infrastructure.
Itinerary (Highlights: *, ** or ***)
Day 1: Arrival at KEF during the afternoon in pouring rain, set up campervan, first grocery stops at Bonus and Kronan, Dinner at Issi’s Fish&Chips*, Camp at Hjalli Kjos
Day 2: Glymur hike** (up to river, no log), Krauma Spa**, scenic drive into Snaefellsnes, Camp at Freezer Hostel
Day 3: Check out Snaefellsnes highlights, get to Stykkisholmur in the afternoon, Ferry Baldur to Brjanslaekur, Hellulaug hotpot*, drive to Melanes campsite*** on Raudasandur beach
Day 4: full day at Raudasandur, great hikes, another night at Melanes campsite.
Day 5: Long drive through westfjords. Highlights included the self-service fish station in Talknafjordur (amazing fisk bollur**), Dynjandi waterfall and Sandfell hike. Camping at Thingeyri*, relax in local swimming pool
Day 6: drive to Isafjordur, check out city (kind of underwhelming, but it was a national holiday; the brewery is nice), do some small hikes in the area. Camp at Tungudalur.
Day 7: very long drive out of westfjords towards Varmahlid. Hot dog stop in Holmavik and arrive at Lambeyri campsite (cash only)
Day 8: woke up with dead battery, but got jump start by campsite owner. Horseriding tour at Lytingsstadir* was very nice, drive to Akureyri, visit Forest Lagoon**. It was Saturday night when we visited, upon leaving we had police checking every driver for alcohol – so better hold off the pool-side bar ;) wanted to camp at Vaglaskogur but campsite wasn’t open. Went up until the CJA campsite in Laugar with a late-night stop at Godafoss (around 10pm, were the only people there)
Day 9: check out Myvatn area: Dimmuborgir hike, Hverir, Leirhnjukur hike**. Then continue to Dettifoss and camp at Asbyrgi. Late night hike to Asbyrgi ‘island’*.
Day 10: Hike in Asbyrgi canyon, continue to Husavik, visit GeoSea**, camp at 66.12N***
Day 11: long drive with very strong winds. We had to go back to Akureyri (optician to fix broken glasses), so went through Myvatn again with a quick stop at Grjotagja. Beautiful drive, weather was too bad for Studlagil canyon, so we continued all the way to Borgarfjordur eystri. Crazy winds during the night and we were happy that our car didn’t get blown away.
Day 12: unfortunately, no hikes in this beautiful area. Waited for storm to pass until lunchtime, visited harbor with puffins**, drive to Egilsstadir (hot dog stop), continue to Seydisfjordur (kind of underwhelming town, the drive is gorgeous though) and, due to weather forecast, continue all the way to Djupivogur campsite.
Day 13: Incredible drive from Djupivogur to Höfn, stops at Hvalnes and Jökulsarlon. Hike at Mulagljufur***, camp at Svenifell.
Day 14: early-morning hike in Skaftafell**, continue to Kirjubaersklausur for campsite. Had to skip Fjardrargljufur due to weather, visited local swimming pool.
Day 15: yellow warning again. Continued to Vik for Skool Beans Coffee*, quick stop at Reynisfjara beach (red alert was on, so we didn’t go further than the sign), continue to Skogarfoss and hike part of Fimmvorduhals*, camp in Selfoss – swimming pool was closed unfortunately.
Day 16: Weather forecast was very bad, so we spent the day in Reykjavik. Walked around town, grabbed some coffees and visiting the local Sundhöll*. Camp at Mosskogar** (cash-only)
Day 17: Golden circle: hike at Thingvellir, look at Geysir, skipped Delfoss. Camp in Selfoss again.
Day 18: quick stop at Seljalandsfoss, ferry to Westman islands. Set up camp at Glamping&Camping** for the next 3 nights. Visited Brothers Brewery*.
Day 19: Kayak tour with Kayak-and-Puffins-company***. Visited local swimming pool* (trampoline slide was very nice) and watched a local handball game.
Day 20: Hike along volcanoes and coast**, visit brewery again, go to puffin bay**
Day 21: Ferry back to mainland. Drive back towards KEF. Drop-off campervan and spent night in Konvin Hotel. Early morning shuttle to airport (we arrived about 2h early for our 7 am flight and had plenty of time).
Of course, I’m very happy to answer any questions you might have!
Hope this is helpful to some of you :)

Hi all, we are traveling to Italy June 10th until June 20th. We are staying near the beach in Cervia for 6 days. 2 days in Lugo (Best friend's wedding) and the last days in Bologna. Looking at the weather forecast has made me so sad. Esp during the 6 days in Cervia. I am not sure exactly how rain works in Italy. For eg in the UK, when it rains all day, it's impossible to go out. It's dark, cold and miserable. While in India, when it rains, it stops after a while and the sun comes out and it's so fresh and nice to be near a beach. How is it in Cervia ? If it rains all day, does that mean we have to be stuck in the hotel room? Any tips regarding this would be so helpful!
Thank you !