That road trip and other thoughts

Reflecting on;

Just how different things are going to be for a while.
a Short while or a long time, both scare me equally.

The past week's road trip through the Olympic peninsula...
The long drives,
and long conversations,
big evergreen trees,
the gift of beach side campsite in high season,
washed up logs and dead crabs,
watching the moon set over the ocean for the first time in my life,
that thunderstorm,
wondering how everybody got to the other good campsite before us,
the 'check engine light',
how much we ended up talking about twilight,
tsunami escape route signs,
the scariest bunny encounter ever,
camp food,
West Coast sunsets,
how to be present,

Trying to cultivate the kind of life that doesn't live for one adventure to the next, planning road trips and counting off days to the next travel date. This is hard, and I'm not sure I'm getting it just right, but I want to. Don't let me miss the wonder of even ordinary days.

For now these iphone vscocam photos, I'll share some more soon.

Seattle whirl

I spent this passing weekend being seduced by Seattle with it's clear blue skies, craft distilleries, sunsets, Ikea, skyscrapers and cosmopolitaness. 
 
Let me share a few iphone snaps, just in case you guys had any concerns, based on the past few posts, that I've turned into a nature bare foot fairy... I love you nature, I do, but  I also love you big city and want you to adopt me. 

Touring Batch 206

With me, the lovely Amanda,

I haven't had a Tiger since the Vietnam days, tasted like adventure and being scared sh*tless to me.

My welcome home bouquet from a husband happy to have me back.

the weekend according to iphone

I'm still planning on sharing some more Yellowstone with you, in the mean time this quick post on how we're spending our weekends lately.

 New shorts on a budget. Making Banh Mi for lunch. We have a new to us car. (Why don't I have my WA drivers license, argh)

 Manito Park

 I'll never get over how pretty the Palouse is, sorry for calling you ugly back in December 2011, I feel bad about that. Also, new to us car is taking us places

Sundowners and a 'catch the sunset' kind of  up hill hike.

Exploring Mt. Spokane and all it's snow-less glory.

Celebrating at Manito Tap house with Amanda. Yay Artisan Spirit Magazine, Summer!

today in black and white

Topic for today is: 'a typical day'

So I'll share today with you, not the most exciting of days, sorry.


Here are some snaps of a typical day. When the typical day involves working from home.


Second cup of coffee, toast with peanut butter



Today I had a lot of 'work from home' stuff going on. Getting ready, doing make up (brushing teeth) helps me get my mind around that now I'm 'ready to work'... No more moping around in my fluffy gown.



In the interest of proving that we can keep stuff alive I water the plants. Bring on puppies and babies I say!

Laundry day

Mid morning, first pot of tea, I start starring at this screen. I have this research job now, but more on that in later posts.

The dryer in our building is from the middle ages, so tossing damp clothes on bed, turning fan is what everybody does in these situations right?

My view, my distraction, my 'look at something in a distance break from staring at said screen'. In other news, how awesome are trees post winter!?

Working from home means that you take breaks to wash dishes. This needs to be addressed...

Left over Middle Eastern wraps for lunch.

Later in the afternoon and the need to continue working from the couch becomes a nessicity. One, because it's closer to my laptop cable, two my desk chair sucks and I have really bad posture.



It's a second pot of tea kind of day around here.

Not everyday looks like this, but me, having a new identity crisis between 'house wife' and 'employee' it's something along these lines.

two bloggers go on a hike...

What was I babbling on about in the last post? I forget... Oh something about what to do with this blog.  I got over thinking about it so deeply, so I'll just go on doing what I'm doing.

I get sentimental every now and then when I scroll through my Vietnam blog Lan In Nam (I know, how clever is that title!) and even though it's a little cheesy here and there my biggest regret is that I didn't blog more. More of the everyday details, shorter posts, more quickies. Alas. 

I also thought about the aspects I enjoy from my favorite blogs(see here to the side), and it's beautiful photography,  a little window into their lives (in a non creepy way), or something that inspires me. What I feel most inspired to do is to keep on keeping on with Lanlettie.

So that's what I'll do.

Speaking of little updates,

My Spokane blogger/instagram friend Amanda invited me for a little mid week hike last week, and what's a blogger supposed to do other than to post about it?

She, of course posted about it too.  She takes more pictures than I do, and they are stunning!! For the first time I understood what Ben must go through living with me and my constant snapping. (snapping of photos that is...)

 

 Can you believe we met on Instagram?  I love that! ...and they say social media is the end of human contact as we know it. ha! what do they know?

 These, I'll have you know, are my new hiking boots.  I feel so NorthWest right now. May they see many many happy trails and breathtaking views and maybe a wolf or a bear... I'll settle for moose.

If these photos seem a little familiar it's because I popped by here just a few weeks ago with Ben, remember? I told you all about it.