Oh hey, old home! We spent about a week soaking up Oakland – more visits with friends and family – more reminders of happiness and life. For the four years we lived here, M and I would try to walk around Lake Merritt every chance we got. Sometimes during the sunniest, hottest part of the…
California
Point Reyes
January might not be the ideal time for a trip to Point Reyes, but it is one of our favorite places on earth and we have enjoyed visiting as much as possible over the last few years. Hehe holding my belly and smiling – gotta fake it til you make it, right? But actually though……
Los Angeles
Upon arriving back in LA, we snacked a bit on the beach while the sun set. And after checking in to the cutest place (The Ellison Suites), we headed back out to explore Venice Beach and make our way to Cafe Gratitude for dinner. We ended up in LA two times and instead of giving…
Joshua Tree
After spending time with family in Michigan and Kentucky over the winter holidays, we flew to Southern California to soak up some sun and visit with family and friends. We planned this trip with the theme of: make Julia want to live again. Was it an immediate cure? No, but it did help. I was…
Catalina Island
In all our years of living in Northern California, we never really ventured south past Big Sur. And because I desperately needed Vitamin D and wanted islands and mountains (and the tickets were cheaper), we planned a trip to Catalina Island. Exploring Catalina Island is not easy if you are not there as a backpacker/camper….
California to Wisconsin
At the end of June (2017), Matt’s mom drove out from Michigan to California to help us move across the country. In the days leading up to the move, we spent as much time with friends and family as possible, and many came over to help us fit all of our material possessions into her…
Monterey Bay Aquarium
1. Suppose I were to begin by saying that I had fallen in love with a color. Suppose I were to speak this as though it were a confession; suppose I shredded my napkin as we spoke. It began slowly. An appreciation, an affinity. Then one day, it became more serious. Then (looking into an…
Russian River Cabin
i am your friend. a soul for you soul. a place for your life. home. know this. sun or water. here or away. we are a lighthouse. we leave. and we stay. —nayyirah waheed
Goat Rock Beach
“I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible; to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk…
Getting Lost at Armstrong Redwoods
“The question then is how to get lost. Never to get lost is not to live, not to know how to get lost brings you to destruction, and somewhere in the terra incognita in between lies a life of discovery.” – Rebecca Solnit This friendship. This group of four. More than most of my friendships,…
Bolinas Ridge Trail at Point Reyes
if you are softer than before they came. you have been loved. – nayyirah waheed With our move across the country coming up, we are trying to make the most of every day. Point Reyes has been one of our favorite places to return to over the years. Back in March we headed out to…
Napa Valley Birthday Celebration
“Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes; for those who love with heart and soul there is no separation.” – Rumi By far the hardest part about moving is leaving our friends. Leslye left us to travel and rock climb around the world (seriously, she is the coolest). But the weekend before she…