We went camping and I can't find a good blog title for it...

Oh camping/outdoor/fresh air/long summer days! I thought you'd never get here, and here you are. (Sort of, today is cold, but generally you're here)

This last weekend was a 'trial run'. We only spent the Saturday camping and it helped us remember:

- that sleeping on the ground is in fact, still hard.
- to pack: tongs, paper towels, more cookies
- that yes! We still love it!
- we can't believe we get to live this close to this kind of awesomeness. I love you Northwest America.

Friday ...

... is quote day! Also, these lilacs.

“I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.”- St. Augustine.

I've been trying to do these small things daily:

Drink more water.
Do at least 5 burpees every day.
Write one page filled with words of some kind.
Rely less on my iphone as a distraction in public... Looking up.
Watch at least one YouTube tutorial on how to improve my photoshop and camera skills.
Be outside (this one is the easiest)

What you doing this weekend? We have high optimistic hopes of finding a camping spot despite it being a long weekend. Prepare for a summer of this blog being flooded by our tight camping adventures. Maybe some outfit posts and DIYs too, since I'm working on becoming an actual useful blogger. #dreams

Last fun fact: Spokane is the Lilac city. 

Dressing up is always a good idea.

This is Sarah, my friend that has the great talent to convince those around her to dress up for fun.

All friends should be like this.

This is us in early 2010 living in Hanoi dressing up.

And also us over this past weekend dressing up.

I bought my blue dress here:

and my creamy SHORT! lacy dress at Forever New in Jo'burg about two years ago.

Just a quick 'back in Nam' (with sparkles) story for you this cheery Wednesday. xoxo

All recent photos were sent to my Sarah, so aren't my own. 

Friday is quote day!

...the great affair is to move, yes!

How I recovered from Post-awesome-holiday-depression in 10 easy steps:

(Or: The last 56 South African photos I'll share with you, probably.)

1.  I realized I needed to give it some time. This severe PAHD condition isn’t something that you just wish away overnight. Trust me; it takes a good 4-6 weeks.

2.  I looked through my thousands of photos, and then for a while I didn’t, and now I can even have them as my screen saver and appreciate their awesomeness. 

3.  In my cleverness I timed my return to be the start of spring.  This list would not work had I come back to the start of a long and dark winter. 

4.  Ate the South African chocolates that I brought for friends, happened to have in my suitcase.

5.  Drank South African wine.

6.  Shared here about the amazing trips we got to do. Yeah, why do I blog? Free therapy!  Remember me telling you about our Kruger National Park trip or our cultural day trip experience?

7.  Made daily ‘thankful for’ lists in my head and heart.

8.  Started planning summer adventures. Oh yes! This one helps a lot!

9.  Started looking for a house to buy, like grownups or something.

10. MUSHY ALERT! Loved on my handsome husband who’s the reason why I’m here in the first place, remembering that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

99% of these photos were taken with my iphone and edited with the VSCO app. 

Friday is Quote day!

Tourist in my own town

Basotho Cultural Village, Free State.

So not exactly my own town. Considering my town now is Spokane (where I often pretend to be a tourist anyway) and that my old town used to be Jo'burg, about a 2 and a half hour drive from the cultural village. So really, the title is a lie. 

I've visited the Golden Gate Highland Park many times before, drove past the Basotho Cultural Village a few times and always thought "Hmmm looks interesting, I should totally go there" and then never did. That was until I left the country. So on my first visit back I wanted to do everything I could possibly think of, everything that I always thought would be 'just around the corner for me'.

What you need to know about the Cultural village is that it's not an actual village. It's built with the intent of showing how the Bashoto people used to live over the last 400 years to the present. It's educational, and it's also a lot of fun. I can recommend you stop by the next time you're in the area.  You'll learn so much, drink traditional beer with the chief, play dress up with the first wife, listen to traditional jam sessions and get decor inspiration for sure. You should go.

Cost: R 75 per person. (About 7USD)
Included: A personal tour guide, with traditional foods and drinks to try and a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate park.

 

"The Free State landscape gladdens my heart, no matter what my mood. When I am here I feel that nothing can shut me in, that my thoughts can roam as far as the horizons.”

 -Nelson Mandela wrote in his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.

Spring and yay

We've had some beautiful days here in Spokane this week. Like run around bare foot, try new ice cream, wear your favorite dress, pick dandelions and hum happy tunes kind of beautiful days. I'll probably talk about the weather here a lot more, like I have in the past. Good weather is such a big deal to me. Yesterday was the warmest day we've had in 222 days! 222 days! Warmer than in Jo'burg for the first time in months, yes yes yes! Give me the summer, bring back the sun! 

This weekend I'll be attending a Wedding industry conference the whole day Saturday and then Sunday we run Bloomsday! It's a 12km road race attended by over 50 000 runners and walkers if I'm not mistaken. It's a big deal, and you're basically shunned from Spokane if you don't do it... Well not really, but I need all the motivation I can get.

Have a wonderful weekend xoxo