Amsterdam

Well, things have really changed, globally, since this trip. Going through photos and souvenirs from old trips are making me feel a little better about all the adventures I'm missing out on because of this pandemic. But ultimately, I'm so thankful for my health and safety right now! So anyway, here are some photos from last year's trip to Amsterdam, that I never shared... 

Amsterdam. There is something special about this city. The pace is different. The people are happy. Life moves faster and slower at the same time. It's exponentially faster to walk or bike somewhere than it is to drive. Some cities have a personality and Amsterdam and I just clicked immediately.

London and the Flower Show

Wow... so it's 2020 now. Not sure how that happened but here we are. I would love to do a better job of sharing my adventures this year and so I think I'll start by sharing some of the trips I didn't get to sharing last year!

So last May I took a girl's trip with my mom, my aunt, and my cousin and we had the most amazing time! We went to London and Amsterdam and I took so many pictures that I haven't even made it through all of them yet... and that was LAST YEAR. So I'm going to try to do better and I'm starting now, by sharing our trip to London!

For me, London was a lot like New York, only much much older... I love a good city, don't get me wrong, but sometimes it's hard not to feel like a tourist because there are SO many historic and iconic things you want to see. (I acknowledge that I literally am a tourist but I usually try to avoid the obvious tourist-trap attractions, if I can).  So this is me playing tourist in London, Big Bus Tour and all! It was a blast and I can't imagine sharing the experience with anyone else than these wild ladies! 

The Scottish Highlands

Hello my friends!!

Keaton and I ventured to the UK this May for our EIGHTH (!!!!) anniversary and we spent most of our time in Scotland. It was everything I hoped it would be. It was green, the weather was amazing, and the sheep had babies- so everything was perfect!

We ended up flying into Glasgow, renting a car (it's own adventure) and driving, straight to the Isle of Skye. Skye was absolute magic. Don't go to Scotland without seeing this incredible place.

While we spent most of our time on Skye, we also spent a little time in Inverness where we did do a little Nessy hunting... ;)

As always, I'll share some of my favorite spots at the end!

Joshua Tree

Our best friends, Justin and Rachel, are what I'd call "desert people", meaning they love the desert. I never really understood this because I'm more of a "water" person and the whole thing about the desert is that there isn't any water. Like, would you go the beach if there wasn't an ocean right there? No. But still they insisted that we needed to take a trip to the desert so I could experience it and then I'd get it.

Well I'm here to publicly announce that the desert is, in fact, quite magical and that I fell in love with the high desert of southern California. 

We stayed in Joshua Tree, just a little ways outside of the National Park. Every morning I would wake up early to watch the sun rise and every evening I watched it set and there was something therapeutic and circadian about that. You don't get that in the piedmont of the southeast, really. The desert sun is a thing all on its own, just like the prairie and the tropics have their own unique sun. I liked that. 

I always thought of the desert as desolate and therefore less interesting but I found that it's impossible not to be in awe of the organisms that have adapted to such a harsh environment. Desert species are resilient and bold. The ravens are charismatic and the cholla cactus leave behind woody skeletons that look like artwork. 

The desert biota have a deeper appreciation for water than I ever could and can thrive with even the smallest inputs. We were fortunate to arrive just after a meager snowfall, so the wildflowers were bursting from the ground and the Joshua Trees were filled with creamy white flowers (something that only occurs when water conditions are just right). Palm trees and song birds flourish in the small oases that are scattered sparsely across the landscape and you can actually trace the watershed through the unique patterns that have shaped the topography of the Mojave. 

I don't typically write this much but I was just really taken by this place. I'll include a list of my favorite spots at the end and if you haven't made your way to this corner of the globe yet, I hope you'll consider it!

Palm Springs

Hello beautiful friends!

Keaton, Justin, Rachel, and I have an unofficial annual tradition to take a trip together and this year we headed to Joshua Tree, CA. I'm going to share more about Joshua Tree soon BUT today I wanted to share a little from our days in Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is just...wow. We only got a taste and I'm already planning a trip to go back (later this year!!!) and really explore the city.

Pools, fruity drinks, midcentury modern everything- what's not to love!?

We pretty much followed all of the A Beautiful Mess recommendations since we had a limited amount of time and,  y'all, we were not disappointed. I could try to write my own Palm Springs travel guide but it'd really just be a poor version of theirs...lol so I'll spare you that!

We did end up getting into town at the end of Modernism Week so we made it to the yard sale, stopped by the West Elm house, and took advantage of the free museum admission

*thumbs up-high five*

Nor Cal Dreamin'

When my all time BFF wanted to celebrate her dirty 30 in Cali, I obviously jumped at the chance to spend as much time in California as humanly possible because I love it there. So Keaton and I spent a couple of days bumping around highway 1 until we met the gang for a little wine country time.

We usually end up in So Cal so it was nice to visit the northern part of the state. I read some Henry Miller and Steinbeck to prep for the trip and I gotta say, I get why the bay area is so sought after. It's a magical place... Mountains, steep coastlines, mystical fog that comes in every evening; what more could you want?

I think we did as much as anyone can do in 7 days and I'm already starting my list of things I want to see next time.

Prepare for some major Phoverload (photo-overload)

BIG SUR

Vacationland

For me, Maine is only "Vacationland" in the summer...

I don't like the snow and I don't like the cold (the south is choice for this reason...) but I do love my mom! So this summer I actually made it up to Maine TWICE to see her. Time with family + time on the coast is basically my all time combo. 

We spent some time in Sedgwick, Brunswick (all the wicks, I guess), and even drove out to Bailey's island to explore a little. The real bonus is that I can usually find flights to Boston (only 3 hours from my mom) for less than $100 round trip! #PTL

I even got to help my mom shoot a wedding while I was up there!