Run Jaclyn Run!!!

I've just finished my 5K run for Cancer Research and I feel great! It was such a good feeling to be out in the park with about 6,000 other women who were all there to run/jog/walk for a cure for cancer. The men and the Nivea male cheerleaders were there to cheer us on along the way. The weather turned out to be nice, not too hot and no rain. I definitely plan to make this a yearly tradition. Maybe I can work my way up to a 10K run next year. Thanks to all who have donated, and if you haven't yet, you still can. Just visit the link below:
http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/jaclynhocutt

Thanks for your support!Jaclyn xoxo

Here Comes The Bride!

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet, but we all know what it's like to be busy. Especially when you are completing a second Masters degree, searching for a job, and, oh I don't know, PLANNING A WEDDING!!! That's right, I'm engaged! Enjoy the story.It's funny how much of a blur it can all seem, due to the excitement and the feelings that just can't be put into words. My description here does no justice to the actual day, but hopefully my memory serves well in telling the story. On the 30th of September, 2006, Jamey asked me to marry him. We were in Barcelona Spain for a holiday/vacation. The weather was beautiful the whole time we were there. We spent the later part of the week sightseeing and enjoying the Spanish food and culture. On Saturday, we rented a private sailboat for the day. It was just the two of us and our skipper. The sailboat was fabulous! It slept up to 12 people, so it was pretty big. It was equipped with a kitchen, 3 bedrooms, a living room, and 2 toilets (or in America, bathrooms). It was a gorgeous day for Sailing! We sailed from Barcelona to another town called Baddelona, where we had an amazing Spanish lunch (Lobster Paella). On our way back, I was sitting at the front of the boat, soaking up the sun and enjoying the relaxing moments of the day at sea, when Jamey came to join me. We were sitting together for awhile, taking in the beautiful surroundings, when he asked me if I was enjoying myself. When I told him that I was enjoying myself so much that I wished I could bottle up the day and take it home with me, he went to reach in his pocket. I encouraged him to take a picture of the two of us, as I was certain he was reaching in his pocket for the camera. As I looked down, I realized it was not a camera he pulled from his pocket, but a small blue box wrapped with white ribbon. Tears immediately filled my eyes, and I was speechless. Jamey opened the box and inside was the most beautiful ring I have ever seen in my life! He presented the ring to me, told me that he has known for a long time that this day would come, and then proceeded to ask me to be his wife and spend the rest of our lives together. I graciously accepted! We arrived back to Barcelona and later went out to dinner to celebrate the exciting day. My mom and dad were the first to know, as Jamey asked for their blessings just before our trip. They did a very good job keeping it from me, because I was completely surprised. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect, or magical proposal! I'm marrying "MR. RIGHT" in more ways than one! I am truely blessed.

Back to my "roots"???

So, I'm thinking about ditching the blonde for a while and going darker. Something warmer for the winter, perhaps. I'm naturally dark red, but I think I want to go more chocolate brown. Any comments or suggestions?

4th of July trip

For the 4th of July, I made a trip home to NC. The first week was spent visiting family and friends in the hometowns. I enjoyed seeing those that I saw, but it's funny how everytime I go back, I see fewer people than the time before. The week flies by, and it's almost impossible to fit everything (and everybody) in. I'm glad, though, that the time I do get to spend with my family and friends from back home is so valuable, not just shooting the s&@t. I always miss home when I go back there, but once I return to the place I now call home (Reading), everything goes back to normal. I would like to have some visitors from the US though, hint hint!!!

So the second week of the trip to the US was spent at Wrightsville Beach, one of my favorite places! We have a bit of tradition going on, to go there every year for the 4th of July. It's great because so many friends know that there's a place we can all meet the same time every year. We had a blast this year, as my pictures demonstrate. Can't wait for our next trip!

Finally, the last few days of the trip were spent in Manhattan. I absolutly love NYC! I've been several times before, in the winter months, but this was my first summer visit. It gets pretty hot in the Big Apple. We had a great time there. We sat front row for the "late show with David Letterman" and "Live with Regis and Kelly". We met Regis and Kelly and that was just a dream come true! I've always been a Kelly fan, and my mom loves Regis. They acted the same in person as they do on TV, very down to earth. We saw lots of celebrities on this trip. I also did some sightseeing on my own while Jamey worked. I visited all the designer stores and drooled over it all. Oh yeah, sightseeing. Jamey and I visited the Empire State Building and the area where they are rebuilding the World Trade Center. We went to Central Park and visited Strawberry Fields, the memorial for John Lennon. We also ate dinner one night at Tavern on the Green, which is a swanky restuarant in Central Park. I can't wait to go back to New York, which won't be long from now, long story. Okay, end of Blog for now, I have other matters to attend to. Cheers!

Thanksgiving, 2005

While I'm writing about cool restaurants, I figured I would go ahead and blog about the coolest one I've ever been to. For Thanksgiving this past year, my best friend, Steph, came to visit me in Copenhagen. Her birthday was near Thanksgiving, so as a gift to her, I surprised her with a trip to Berlin, Germany (which is a 35 minute plane ride from Copenhagen)! We were there for Thanksgiving and we had our traditional dinner at a not so traditional place. The restaurant was called Nocti Vagus. The theme is that all the wait staff are blind or severely visually impaired. The dining room where we ate our dinner was pitch black. We litterally could not see our hand in front of our face, let alone the food on the table in front of us. When we arrived, we were greeted in the lounge (which was lit with candles). There we spoke with the hostess who explained to us what we were about to experience once we were taken into the dining room. We looked at a menu in the lounge so that we could decide what we wanted to order. Steph got the vegetarian menu, and I got the surprise menu. That meant, I had no idea what I was going to be served, and I couldn't see it once it was served to me. So we had a drink in the lounge before we were taken to meet our waiter at the door leading into the dining room. His name was Wolfgang (pronounced Volfgang, German). He met us in the pitch black room and led the two of us to our table. We couldn't see a thing, we just depended on Wolfgang to seat us safely. He did. He then helped us to find our silverware, and our glasses for our beverages. We were instructed to not get up on our own if we had to go to the bathroom. After a few drinks, of course I had to go. We called "Volfgang" and he came to us straight away. He led the two of us to the door and waited for us to return. The bathroom was lit, so we didn't have to do that in the dark. When we returned, Steph and I were, accidentally, in different positions than we were when we left. He seated us in each others seats because that was his way of remembering. We apologized and corrected him, and he switched us back to our own seats. For our Thanksgiving toast, we had to first feel for each others hands to make sure we didn't crash the glasses into each other and shatter them. We had to carefully pour the wine and stick our fingers in the glass to see how full they were. It was amazing. Then, the food. Remember, I had no idea what I was being served. I had to smell, feel, and taste to figure it out. The whole time, I was guessing what I was eating, but never was I sure. It was all delicious. Steph enjoyed her meal as well. While we were eating, there was entertainment. It was all in German, but it was still enjoyable to hear the sound of the mans voice and the laughter around us. Apparently, he was doing a naughty interpretive reading! We could tell by the way people were laughing around us. Mind you, we couldn't see anyone or anything, we could only hear. There were also such wonderful, calming, relaxing smells around us. All of our senses were stimulated to make up for the lack of vision. So, what an amazing way to spend a Thanksgiving Dinner! We truely witnessed first hand that we have a lot to be thankful for. Our vision is so valuable and something we all too often take for granted. It was awesome to spend an evening experiencing what it's like to walk in another's shoes. Oh and the menu I had, I'm sure you are wondering. Well, it wasn't your traditional Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, with sweet potato pie for dessert. It was more like a lobster bisque for a starter, beef, crocodile, and rabbit with root vegetables that I've never tasted before for a main course, and a whole peach, fuzz and all, in a sorbet for dessert. The textures and aromas were excellent. It all tasted really good too, even the crocodile! So I was so anxious to share with Jamey my "unusual" Thanksgiving meal of crocodile and rabbit. He countered my meal and topped me with his Thanksgiving meal of Kangaroo in Latvia (which he also enjoyed). It is so much fun when people ask us what we ate for Thanksgiving in Europe and we get to tell them: Rabbit, Crocodile and Kangaroo. The expressions are priceless! ~Jac

Valentine's Day, 2006

It was my first Valentine's day in Europe. Now, I've had great Valentine's Days in the past, but this one takes the cake. Jamey sent me an email invite for an evening out on Valentine's Day. We both got all dressed up and away we went, I had no idea where we were going. We ended up at this amzing restaurant in Copenhagen that is an old Monastery. We walk in and are greeted by the host, who takes our coats for us and leads us into the lounge for our welcome sparkling wine. The lounge was so amazing. It was decorated like an old study/library, with red leather sofas, surrounded by bookshelves filled with books that were published in the 1800's! We sat there and enjoyed our bubbly while we listened to tunes by old blue eyes (Frank Sinatra) playing in the background. Jamey pulled a book off the shelf to have a look, and it just so happened to be Shakespere! So it was pretty amazing to have my date for Valentines day sit beside me on the red leather sofa, read Shakespere poetry to me from a book published in the 1800's, while listening to Sinatra and sipping champagne. I was litterally living out a fantasy! We were later seated in a room that was lit only by candlelight. Our dinner was preordered so we didn't have to worry about choosing our menu for the evening. We just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company. The food was as amazing as the atmosphere. It was probably the best Valentine's Day yet! ~Jac

Going back to England!

OH YEAH! I am so excited, Jamey and I are moving back to England! Copenhagen has been great, but I just really loved England. I believe I will be able to get a job there, and I am going to go back to school in the Fall. We will be busy the next few weeks packing and getting ready for the move. Moving is no fun, but it will be great once it's all said and done. The weather here in Copenhagen is nice today. Sunny and almost above freezing! ~Jac