First of all, you should do yourself a favor and go listen to the deluxe edition of the new album by The Lumineers, "Cleopatra." I've listened to it three times already today and it's well on its way to being as loved in my Spotify queue as their first.
Now...on to a giant massive links roundup, because my building is currently under extensive construction at work and the Internet has proved a lovely distraction from the constant sound of forklifts and drills lately!
--Colleen tagged me in the comments on this Elite Daily post about travel podcasts, and it's flung me down a rabbit hole in the best way. With London retreating further into my rearview mirror and a family Europe trip getting closer every day (less than 2 months!), I'm fighting wanderlust pretty much every day and particularly loving "The Budget-Minded Traveler." Check it out and let's plan a trip, okay?!
--My puppy fever isn't abating at all as we get closer to warm weather and more and more cute guys walk their cute dogs around the Lakes. That said, I've decided I won't be getting a dog unless it can magically be this one. Chris Cline's Photoshop magic on his giant fluffy dog Juji is pretty much my favorite thing in my Instagram feed these days.
--Mama Jodester tagged my sister and me in this great list of Domaine's 20 Experiences to Have Before 30, and now I'm feeling the need to check off my bucket list like a crazy person. My friends and I have agreed that 27 is the beginning of the "late 20s," and while I think 30 sounds great, I'm planning to hit this list hard. Particular fave? "Pony up to the French wine bar in your city and order a glass of Sancerre and a cheese plate in the native tongue of your bartender." Consider it done.
--One of the hottest topics in the Twin Cities is the new Vikings stadium taking up the old Metrodome's spot in the skyline, and I've gotta say...jury's still out on it in my book. It's really pretty from one side and I think it's heinous from 94. Forbes is profiling it in the next few weeks, and the first article compared it to the old Metrodome, very favorably, I might add. Maybe it will make a Vikings fan out of me yet? We'll see!
--In other Twin Cities news, one of the hottest tables in town is Spoon and Stable...it's my absolute, undisputed favorite place to eat these days. Their wonderboy head chef and owner, Gavin Kaysen, is a Minnesota boy through and through and was recently profiled in the New York Times discussing, among other things, his grandma's pot roast and his fusion of charity and cooking. He's my hero, basically, and I will continue to blush like a little idiot every time we go there and he comes over during his table rounds.
--It's science. My formidable vocabulary is directly linked to the fact that I curse like a drunken sailor. While I'm not sure I could come up with 533 swear words, I'm pretty sure I'd hit the highlights on the list...and I've never tested below the 99th percentile for language fluency or vocabulary comprehension. NEEERD ALERT. Interesting read though!
--I'm officially heading off to London to see if, per this video, Nessie took a vacation to swim the Thames. (Seriously though, it's a whale or something.) Couldn't help but laugh!
Happy Friday, campers!