My Christmas present from Nathaniel's mother was a simple box with a homemade book in it saying that she had set up an entire trip to go to Minneapolis, Minnesota to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit!

It was AMAZING

We left on December 26 Wednesday at 8 a.m and we started on our way to Minnesota! The drive really wasnt to bad around 8-9 hours. We stopped a few times for snacks, gas, and restrooms and just enjoyed the scenery on the way up ! We got there in the evening, checked in to the hotel and then ventured out to find food! We found that there was a mall with a target connected near by, so we went and shopped around and ate dinner! We came back sooo tired and ready to sleep!

The 27th Thursday we got up and got around ate breakfast at the hotel and traveled to the Minneapolis Institue Of Arts, where we walked around on just one floor and spent all morning gazing at beautiful art by so many different talented people. The building itself was beautiful the ceilings, the floors, everything Amazing! Then we head to downtown Minneapolis to shop. Boy did i have a hay day taking pictures! All the tall buildings, and lights, people, cars, buses, noise. But it was grand, we shopped and all the buildings that were part of the mall, had little inclosed bridges going over the street..so that was fun to get out of the cold, and get to shop! We then decided to head home before rush hour, we returned to the hotel then out to eat, and we returned to the mall just for something to do. Then we went back to the hotel and sleeped we were sooo tired!

The 28th Friday Was FRIDA DAY!

I was all jittery, i didnt know what to wear, or what to expect. We got up and got around, ate breakfast at the hotel, then traveled to the Minnesota Zoo, it was a really neat, clean and cool zoo. And all the animals looked happy Nathaniel loved the Tigers so we stayed there for a long time! But all the animals were so cute and happy! I will say though thats the first time ive been to the zoo while it was snowing. Our feet got Sooo cold! Then we decided it was time to travel to FRIDA!

We arrived at the Walker Art Center in the afternoon, to find a huge amazing looking building that had a sign that said FRIDA KAHLO EXHIBIT I was already getting jittery about being there close to Frida's works. We got in the parking garage, parked and headed towards the building. We found there was about an 1 hour where i did crossword puzzles and chated with Nathaniel & Sharon, Sharon got this really nifty thing, it was like a mp3 player only it was about Frida and her life, it was really neat. Then we got up to the front of the line, by that time i was getting HUGE Butterflies in my stomach! We got in and there i was standing in front of Frida Kahlo's works of art. It was one of the most amazing moments in my life thus far. It was a once in a lifetime event because her works are everywhere in her home that was converted to a museum, private collections, some colleges. So it was really amazing, I was strolling along right next to the flower of life, and Frida and Diego Rivera, Henry Ford Hospital, Self- Portrait Very Ugly, My Dress Hangs There, Self-Portrait on border of Mexico and United States, A Few Small Nips, My Grandparents My Parents And Me, My Nurse and I, Portrait Of Diego Rivera, The Deceased Dimas, Girl with Death Mask, Self-Portrait- The Frame, Self- Portrait with Monkey, Self-Portrait with Itzcuintli Dog, The Suicide of Dorothy Hale, Two Nudes in the Forest, Self- Portrait with Cropped Hair,Self-Portrait with Necklace of Thorns, The Dream, Me and My Parrots, Portrait of Dona Rosita Morrillo, The Broken Column, Without Hope, Sun and Life, The Love Embrace of Universe and Earth (Mexico) Myself, Diego and Senor Xolotl. Taking in all the people the fans that actually know who she is, know the beauty, its amazing to be around people who love her like i do. Then i saw The Two Frida's and i was just in awe, i didnt even want to get very close, Nathaniel pushed me up there to the front...where i shuffled my feet. And tears came to my eyes. Yes i was that in shock that amazed. Nathaniel could tell i didn't want to leave the Frida's so he stood there with me. We then went through the gallery again with a guide, she told us about the many photos also in the gallery, and that some pictures of Diego (her husband) had her lipstick prints on the back from where she had kissed them!!! It was AMAZING! I'll probably never experience anything like that ever again. Nathaniel said a want to say goodbye to the Fridas? and i said yes, i just about cried having the leave her behind even though i was so tired. But we left and we shopped in the gift shop, took some pictures then returned to the hotel.

The 29th Saturday The day of going home i did not want to go, it was beautiful there. I told Nathaniel if we have to move for his work thats where i want to go. Endless inspiration, endless things to see and do. We stopped at the Mall Of America! It was crazy in there there was the lego land, the hotel and casino, and and theme park. We traveled the whole way home, very tiring! We had some laughs on the way home.

The trip was amazing, i will never forget that special amazing time with Nathaniel and his mother Sharon.