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! 

Do We Still Call It The Big Apple

My mom and I took our first official girl's trip. It was my first time every visiting "The Big Apple" and I had a list that was wayyyy too unrealistic for our 4 days in the city.

We did pretty well with the help of our dear friend and native, Marcy, who took us to some places I never would have found on my own! LOVE YOU MARCY!

I had such an amazing time! We had the best italian food i've ever eaten, I had lox and bagel for the first time, we went to the Bronx Zoo (!!!), we did Sunday brunch, we wandered around the park, pretended we lived in SOHO, ate cronuts and macaroons, I even hailed a NYC cab by myself!

I can't wait to go back! I knocked a lot off of my list but put probably just as many things on it so... Isn't that how it goes! lol

Beach Bums

In only two weeks Keaton and I went coast to coast!! Gulf coast to Atlantic coast that is...

We got the chance to hang out with friends in Tampa and then we hit Myrtle Beach because I was presenting at a conference.

I think sunshine is a drug because I'm addicted to it.

Barcelona

The final installment of photos from our trip to Spain. It always really feels like it's over once I've finished editing the photos.

That's the awesome thing about photographing your adventures, you get to re-live that moment whenever you want and really extend the vacation (which, let's be honest, we all want vacation to last as long as possible!).

Anyway, Barcelona was sort of cold and rainy while we were there and it was still magical! If you're planning a visit, I suggest avoiding most of the commercialized tourist traps (La Rambla for example, what a nightmare...) and stick to the historic sites.

The old stuff is where it's at!

Girona

I've actually been avoiding this post because I know I'm not articulate enough to describe how much I loved this city... but here we go!

Girona was sort of a random pick for us. We had already booked our trip to Barcelona but I wanted to explore a little more of Catalonia and Girona just looked like it was in a good spot to see other things. We ended up spending most of our time in the city instead of exploring elsewhere because it was seriously so cute!

This place has it all! You're near the mountains, you're near the coast, and the city itself is historic, colorful, and absolutely walkable!

If you're a big Game of Thrones nut you'll also dig this place because a lot of the show was filmed in Girona. It's got that awesome medieval "Westeros" vibe to it.

Honestly, no matter what you like I promise you'll love Girona.

Cadaques

Cadaques is where the artist Dali lived. Unfortunately, because of the time of year, most of the museums (and really everything except a few restaurants) were closed.

This was still my favorite day of the trip though...

Who would have thought that visiting a beach town in February would be one of my favorite days on the trip! It was freezing and windy but there's something about driving around the Mediterranean that makes you feel like you're in a movie.

While everyone had lunch I took some time to wander the side streets of Cadaques. That's honestly my favorite part of being in a new city. There are so many little scenes you'd never see if you stuck to the main roads. The little details (like random squid street art!) you find are so fun!

We drove north along the coast and hit France just as the sun set. Then we turned around and drove back to Girona. It was simple and perfect.

It's a day I'll always remember and those are the experiences you hope to have when you travel.

Montserrat

As you may know,  we recently took a trip with our friends Justin and Rachel to Catalonia (see video here)! While I'm making my way through our Spain photos I figured I'd take a whole post to share one of my favorite spots from the trip, Montserrat!

Once we decided to visit Catalonia, Montserrat was the first big stop I added to my "must see" list and once you see it, you'll understand why. 

Montserrat roughly translates to "serrated mountains". The jagged sedimentary peaks draw your eye from the minute they enter into view. It's unlike any mountain range I've ever seen. The drive up the mountain is worth the trip, alone!

Nestled at the top of the mountain is the sweetest 10th century Benedictine Abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey. You could hike all day and grab a bite at one of the local cafeterias or spend hours milling about the Abbey and museums. If you're planning a visit, the climbing is also supposed to be EPIC! 

It's a truly breathtaking place and I'm so thankful to have gotten to experience it! 

Shadecation 2018: Catalonia

This month we took a trip to Spain with our dear friends Justin and Rachel.

As I'm going through the squillion photos I took I thought it'd be fun to throw together some of the little videos I (and Keaton) took on the trip.

We spent most of our time in Barcelona and Girona but did a little day trip to Cadaques.

I'd challenge you to show me a better way to spend your birthday ;)

Tulum

Keaton and I just got back from a 9 day vacation in Tulum, Mexico.

I've wanted to go to Tulum for a while now because it always looks so dreamy and boho and just super relaxing.

It did not disappoint!

The food was incredible, the beaches are breathtaking, the jungle is wild, and you can bike to everything. This is maybe the most perfect vacation spot... We stayed at two different Airbnbs while we were there, one in the jungle and one in the pueblo.

The beach is obviously amazing but we were surprised by how much time we spent in the cenotes. Throughout the yucatan there is a large underground river system and as sink holes or pits have formed, it's exposed the groundwater, creating these beautiful swimming holes! Such an awesome way to cool off and an awesome spot to see birds (and bats)!

Many delicious cocktails were had, many tacos were consumed; what more could you ask for?!

[ At the end of this post I'll include a list of "Must See/Eat" in case you're looking to take a trip to the Yucatan ]

26 or Bust

Well, I've done it.

I've survived 26 trips around our sun.

I feel pretty good about 26. It's a good adult age, you know? Like your later 20's...on the backside of the two-o's.

So to celebrate being a real adult I packed up some good friends and headed to Panama City Beach...like any good adult would.

PCB!!!! 

;)

Going Home

We traveled home for Christmas like we do every year. It's about a 13 hour drive to Dallas (where my family is) and then another 3 hours to Oklahoma. It's a haul but it's worth it for so many reasons!

One of the highlights is getting to drive out to the Wildlife Refuge.

I love going to the Wildlife Refuge when we're home, even in the winter. People think of the prairie as being sort of barren but even in the winter it's so alive. The neon green lichens stand out even more than they do in the summer or spring. And I always forget how much easier it is to spot birds on the prairie. In Georgia we have tall thick forests (which I love) that make it difficult to find the source of a bird call.

I just love it. I'll always love it. Those little mountains are why I fell in love with nature and they'll always be home.

Flo Rida

It's no secret here that I am mildly obsessed with being at the ocean.

Exhibit A:

I recently had some training I had to attend in Gainesville, Fl (wildland firefighter training to be exact!). Gainesville is about an hour from Cedar Key, Florida so just about every day after I spent all day in class we would pack up and head for the beach! We would only have about 2 hours of daylight but it was 100% worth it.

Ocean sunsets are completely unrivaled (although a Great Plains sunset comes closest). 

So...here are too many photos of ocean sunsets... 

The City of Love

Y'all. Let's talk about Paris.

To be honest, I was expecting to be disappointed by Paris, which I realize sounds really stupid but let me explain.

Everyone talks about Paris like it's the most magical thing in the world, like a heaven on Earth, the greatest city in the world, etc, etc. So I was thinking "there's no way Paris can actually live up to the hype".

Welp. I was wrong. It's all that and more.

I really didn't take a lot of pictures while we were in Paris. I think it's because I was too busy being in total awe of literally every thing. We stayed in the 6th arrondissement and could walk to basically everything! I will definitely be seeing Paris again, it's just a matter of when. :)

The French Riviera

Our anniversary trip to Europe was a really big deal! I had been saving for the trip basically since we got married so I wanted to taste as much as I could! The first stop on our trip was the French Riviera. We flew into Nice and spent the night, then we took a train south to Marseille, where we stayed for 4 days.

The focus of this trip was to stay around the Mediterranean! Neither of us had ever been to Europe but the beach bum in me wanted to stay near the water.

Here are a select few (I took A LOT of pictures) of the photos from that leg of the trip!