The best

 

We cuddled with Sadie last night. And also ate [Thin Mint!] ice cream. But cuddling was definitely my very favorite part.

Happy Monday

This is how I feel.

I was just beside myself when one of my favorite bloggers asked little me to be her blog of the week [take a look here]. Thank you Gentri ... what a sweet surprise to begin my Monday! And thank you blog friends for your support, you're all absolutely wonderful!!

So crazy.

Running at midnight. Yup, that was husband and my idea of a fabulous date ... sweating and getting rained on. And fabulous it was.

Wanderlust Thursday

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Welcome to Manarola ... a small Italian town nestled within Cinque Terre National Park. One day, I will marvel at its vibrant colors, wander the rocky coastline on the Via dell'Amore, savor the earthy flavors of the local artisan wines, delight in the songs of Santissima Annunziata's bells, and bask in the lingering scent of the Mediterranean. Yes, I promise this dreamy place really does exist. 

Is this real life?

This is my "oh my gosh this little piece of paper makes me so happy!!" face.

The pictures above are the result of [almost] four long years of sleep deprivation, an abundance of caffeinated beverages, endless hours in the library, occasional despair, continuous curiosity as to the appalling price of textbooks, and hundreds [maybe thousands ... no I'm sure it's millions] of hours put into just plain hard work. The countdown begins ... 100 days until GRADUATION!

SO. EXCITED.

Last night.

Husband and I declared last night a date. We played [and occasionally danced to] Frank Sinatra, poured some wine, lit candles, and cooked a fabulous dinner together [thank you to a wonderful blog friend for the recipe!]. Yes, our evening was quite cliche ... and yes, we absolutely loved it.

A warm welcome

Tea has officially replaced coffee in our lives. It's now the drink vital for late night studying, the go-to for an early morning boost, and the perfect compliment to a good conversation. India introduced me to the delight of this drink and slowly husband and I couldn't resist its coziness. Bye bye coffee and hello beautiful red tea kettle, flowers filling my warm drink with flavor, and the lingering taste of local honey. Mmm tea ... I love you.

Wanderlust Thursday

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Imagine a place where chefs prepare meals under the warm sunlight streaming through a greenhouse's glass, guests are invited to dine in the herb garden during the glowing summer months, it's not unusual to find a freshly trimmed [edible] flower as part of your meal ... join me in drooling over Restaurant De Kas. Your meal will often include vegetables harvested by that day's sunrise and meat sourced from nearby [environmentally friendly] farms ... this hidden Amsterdam gem is an oasis for natural eating. Perfect restaurant, I will find myself enjoying a cool glass of lemonade and strolling in your lovely gardens one day [hopefully soon].

Unexpected snowflakes

Our town recently experienced the best of surprises ... a dusting of snow. Husband and I were SO excited for that .00132948 inches of white loveliness. When we woke up the next morning it had all melted away, but just for a little moment ... how magical.

A year in review: 2011

I've spent the past couple of weeks collecting pictures to highlight husband and my past year together [it's taken a little while because our pictures were quite scattered]. It finally has all come together and I'm so excited to share with all of you. So come ... get to know us a little better through our highlights of 2011.

[1]

In January we experienced what the news headlined as Georgia's most severe snowstorm ever during which we built a lot of snowmen [and women], sled down the giant hill behind my dad's house, and made snow angels. Our good friend also surprised us with a wedding video that he put together from a gathering of home videos taken on our special day.

[2]

In February a Subaru Forester became our very own ... which has been a dream of mine. Husband also bought his first suit for a new job.

[3]

In March I got my very own fancy schmancy camera and my very first picture [naturally] was of Sadie. Husband and I traveled to Switzerland to ski the Alps and also toured Paris via moped. We ate a lot of [Nutella] crepes, were lost most of the time, and kissed at the top of the Eiffel Tower ... it was perfect.

[4]

In April Sadie swam in the ocean for the very first time. Husband and I also finished our junior year of college and I left for a leadership program in India the very next day.

[5]

wedding picture via

In May husband and I celebrated our one year anniversary over Skype, the Taj Mahal blew me away, I backpacked the Himalayas for five weeks, and my life was forever changed because I learned how to make chai ... over a camp stove. I also missed husband a lot.

[6]

In June husband and I were reunited after five long weeks away from each other [during which he wrote me love letters ... see here for significance], we went on a date to the Georgia Aquarium, and spent many evenings packing our dinner and dining out on the lake. I also went on a backpacking trip with my brother in Pisgah National Forest.

[7]

wedding pictures via

In July we celebrated this beautiful woman marrying her best friend. He's a brewmaster and his beer was debuted for the very first time at their wedding [it was a hit].

[8]

wedding pictures via

In August another gorgeous friend of mine married her best friend. Husband and I throughly enjoyed the photo booth at their wedding. We also moved into a little apartment within walking distance of our school and started our senior year of college.

[9]

In September we celebrated my dad winning the USA Cycling National Championship in Bend, Oregon and husband and I fell in love with Deschutes National Forest. Later in the month, we also packed a picnic for a bluegrass concert by twilight.

[10]

birthday pictures via

In October I learned how to ride a motorcycle and then husband and I purchased one. Husband turned 22 and I threw him a birthday party complete with his best friends, s'mores, and a bonfire. I also bought my very first suit.

[11]

Brew Day picture via

In November husband and I attended 3 Vows Brewery's first ever Brew Day [read more here] and I turned 22. We visited Amsterdam for a few days and then my family in Eastern Europe. Since we were abroad for Thanksgiving, [in the spirit of America] we ate our feast at McDonalds and I also started this blog.

[12]

In December husband and I traveled to Jackson Hole and we skied as much as possible while we were there [and did this and this]. I enjoyed ridiculous amounts of hot chocolate and our Christmas was absolutely magical.

2011 brought some hard times [as every year seems to do], but so much more joy, love, and adventure. Thank you for such an absolutely beautiful year 2011 ... we will cherish you forever.

Loving me well.

I woke up not feeling so well this morning and what does husband do? He takes it upon himself to make chicken soup from scratch and ensure that Ginger Ale is constantly at my bedside. That man ... he sure does know how to make a girl feel better.

P.S. Since I'm lacking some energy at the moment, I've moved the post planned for today [that I'm really excited about] to Monday.

Wanderlust Thursday

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The world fascinates me. I'm often dreaming of a new adventure to add to my long list of wanderings [hiking in Patagonia, witnessing Norway's Northern lights, friending a Galapagos Island Sea Lion, basking in the colors of India's Holi festival, surfing the waves crashing onto Easter Island, pondering the Great Pyramid of Giza ... there are so many]. My mind is always full of these kinds of travels and I want to share them ... to dream together. So begins Wanderlust Thursday. 

Mount Roraima. This unbelievable destination is nestled deep in Venezuela's Canaima National Park. There's so much mystique in this mountain's step cliffs and misting waterfalls ... it basically makes exploration mandatory. Just imagine the night sky's intensity being above the clouds like that. Unbelievable.

It's finally here!

Creepy? Maybe a little.

My last semester of college is finally upon me and it started in the best way possible ... with an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. Yes, this episode was presented by my professor as a way to better understand labor unions. It was quite enlightening ... who knew that a cartoon intended for children was a source of such valuable learning? Best last first day ever.

A little surprise

I was absolutely stunned [in the best way possible] to see little me [here] on one of my most favorite blogs. For those of you that haven't stumbled across Gentri's fabulousness, if you're looking to be inspired, laugh a little, or simply bask in the awesomeness of a delightful blogger ... I recommend making your way to her blog as quickly as your internet connection will allow. You won't be sorry that you did.

Wyoming adventures: Yellowstone

After dog sledding the Wyoming backcountry, husband and I both were convinced that this adventure could not be topped [at least not on this trip]. That was until another birthday present came my way ... exploring Yellowstone via snowmobile. After being picked up at 6am, driving through Grand Teton National Park, and being outfitted to weather a lifelong blizzard ... we arrived at THE park.

This one was ours for the day. It carried us over 100 miles, crossed over the Continental Divide 3 times, and even kept my hands AND feet warm with all of its heated accessories. I even learned how to drive it ... so much more fun than driving a car. We "Ohhed" and "Ahhhed" our way through the park and eventually found ourselves at [you guessed it] Old Faithful.

I am wearing a hat filled with images of sushi. I have no shame and I love sushi.

Old Faithful is still well ... faithful. With all my anticipation and excitement over being impressed by this famous geyser, I was a little sad to leave somewhat disappointed. I still liked it, but it just wasn't as wow-worthy and bam! as I was expecting. I say that with the utmost respect, you national symbol you.

These geyser pools reach temperatures of over 200 degrees [fahrenheit]. Talk about a hot spring. It's unfortunate too because the pretty water is basically screaming, "Come swim in me!" [just look at that blue]. Husband and I were also really big fans of the bubbling mud ... one of the strangest things I've ever seen. It's a phenomenon, people.

Every second of this day was my favorite. It ended with us eating cookies that were the size of my face and me falling asleep on husband's shoulder during the ride home. Perfection, my friends. Absolute perfection.

P.S. Dad, you're unbelievable. THANK YOU!

Wyoming adventures: mushing

This actually happened ... husband and I mushed around the Wyoming backcountry for an afternoon. What began as a birthday present, soon had us strapped to a sled and making our way to a hot spring. The day was filled with breathtaking mountain views [my vocabulary that day mostly consisted of, "Wow! Just wow." and "Look at that!!"], husband's beard full of icicles, adorable dogs, subfreezing temperatures, gorgeous waterfalls, and an abundance of powdery snow. We were even served warm brie and apple slices accompanied by hot tea for a snack [apparently we're classy mushers]. My fingers may have almost frozen off [my body is obviously incapable of keeping both my hands and feet warm], but I didn't even care ... we had SO MUCH fun.

P.S. Thank you dad for such a brilliant/thrilling/unique gift. This was such an overwhelmingly memorable day for David and me.

My favorite.

This is [by far] my absolute favorite photo taken on our adventure to Wyoming. It's doing a pretty wonderful job of summing up my paradise/ euphoria/bliss [which is mountains ... especially the snowy kind].

Beautiful photo ... I kind of want to just insert a cozy little cabin [with smoke coming from the chimney] and live in your loveliness forever.

Beauty in an unlikely place.

Beauty can be found in the most unexpected of places. I was recently reminded of this upon a visit I made to a little bottle shop for our brewmaster friend's birthday celebration. As I was wandering the aisles, each bottle's label captured my attention. Every one was so unique and seemed to almost tell a story about its contents [I've come to find that brewing is quite the art form]. I was absolutely fascinated.