The Ring of Fire | Solar Eclipse 2023

I slept in until about 10:30 a.m. and woke up to my fiance jiggling me saying “Hey, isn’t there a solar eclipse you wanted to see today?” I jolted awake remembering it started around 11:00 a.m. but I knew we weren’t able to see the whole thing from Florida. I made some coffee, got dressed, and my fiance and I hopped in the car to go run to a few stores for our weekend errands. When we got to Perrine’s Market in Port Orange, I got a call from one of my best friends in Jacksonville, Liz. She said “you have to look at the eclipse, you can see it now!” Luckily the car windows were tinted, so I pulled out my iPhone, pointed it aimlessly at the Sun, and when I checked my phone screen, I realized I just accidentally got some of the best photos of the eclipse!

It was amazing to see a crescent Sun and so clearly too! We didn’t need those fancy glasses and we didn’t need to look directly at it either. The cloud cover came at the best time! It blocked the glare from the Sun just enough to still see it on a digital image. I was so bummed thinking that because it was cloudy, we wouldn’t be able to see much of it… Boy was I wrong!

We also ended up going to the Apple store to check out the new Airpods Max, and well, we ended up walking out with two pairs. Happy early Anniversary!

I got this palm green color and they are just so sleek and beautiful. No more ear buds falling out of my ears at the gym when I am running or working out. As much as I love my Airpods Pro, they always fall out of my ears when I am working out. I am excited to use these over-the-ear headphones now!

So, I love the Fall season. The decor, the food, the outfits. I also love crafting and using coupons. Around this time of year I like to make a huge Michael’s Craft Store trip, and create (and sell) custom pumpkins! They are lightweight, totally customizable, and cute! I made 10 so far this season and am seriously thinking about turning it into a business. Maybe I can even get on QVC one of these days! I can dream…

I went to Port Orange Family Days over the weekend and it was perfect weather for it! I ended up getting these cotton handmade headbands from Lauren of Crafty Little Witch Creations. I got a Jacksonville Jaguars design, a sunflower design, and a pumpkin design!

We also got some Gran Arepa corn cakes. These are my favorite food truck treat.

I love going to the Port Orange City Center to walk when Family Days isn’t in town as well. There is a large lake with a sort of nature trail. Also, there are so many turtles that live in the lake! I found this baby sun bathing on Sunday at the festival, and I think this is the smallest turtle I have ever seen in this lake. They are usually huge! Can you spot it?

I also made my way to Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens. This is another spot in Port Orange that is a must-see if you have a love for nature, plants, and flowers. All you need is some sneakers and a good camera, and you have yourself a beautiful day ahead of you. I used to volunteer here when I was in High School and I loved gardening and tending to the nature trails. It is so peaceful and it gives you a nice break from the hustle and bustle of life.

Is it fall break yet? Ciao for now!

-Christine

This entry was posted in 2023 - 2024 and tagged , , , by Christine. Bookmark the permalink.

About Christine

Majors:Systems Engineering and Business Administration Hometown:Port Orange, Florida Campus Involvement:SSPOC Vice President, SWISE Public Relations Officer, Society of Women Engineers member, SHARK member, First-Generation Student Association member, Environmental Club member, Psi Chi International Honor Society, National Society of Leadership and Success Why I Chose Embry-Riddle: Embry-Riddle has been my dream college since I was in Middle School. I remember attending the Astronomy Open House nights hosted by the ERAU Astronomy Club as a 14 year-old and imagining myself attending the university one day. I remember being so attracted to every major they offered, it was hard to choose one! I knew Embry-Riddle was perfect when my dream college was 10 minutes away from my house and that I already had so many connections there. I took Embry-Riddle courses through my high school and even received a scholarship for the ESPERS program when I was in 11th grade. I finally got to attend Embry-Riddle as a high school student before I even graduated. As a senior, I was offered the Golden Eagle Scholarship and started more research as to what program I would have liked to pursue. I couldn't be happier with my choice to attend ERAU and my education and experiences I have received from the community and university. I am eager to continue my education in January 2023 as I will be starting on my M.S. in Systems Engineering.

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