Yosemite

Eric and I recently spent our second anniversary on the west coast.

Being the well-balanced travel partners that we are, we stayed in both the city of San Francisco and the wide open spaces of Yosemite. It was the perfect kind of vacation, where each day brought a new and unexpected adventure and we were truly sad to say goodbye.   

This week, I'd love to share pictures and tips from our trip. 

We'll start with the breathtaking Yosemite (I may, or may not, have had a slight panic attack driving into the valley). Rock walls shoot up thousands of feet from the ground, wild life intermingle with visitors and the scenery is absolutely stunning. 

A brief summary: we slept in a canvas tent in Curry Village, rode bikes around the valley, explored Camp 4 and Yosemite Falls, hiked 4.8 miles up (at an elevation of 3200 ft) to Glacier Point and basically jogged all the way down for pizza, which became the staple meal of our stay. Anything with a smell was stored in the bear box outside our tent. My knees and hips have never hurt so bad and I have never slept so good.

We stayed in Yosemite Valley for two nights and crammed as much activity as possible into the one full day we were there. A hike up Glacier Point is a must for anyone wanting multiple viewpoints of the park including Half Dome and El Capitan.

I can't help but adore a husband who pushes me beyond my limits and encourages me to find beauty in the simplest things.

Have you visited Yosemite? Do tell... 

*San Francisco guide coming soon!

Kneepad Tights

I already pine away for a wonderfully plain sweater with elbow patches and now, after browsing ASOS, I hope to also add a pair of painfully cute kneepad tights to my winter wardrobe. 

I'm curious: would you wear these tights? 

Have a lovely day!

Pick Up the Phone

Today I am suited up with a scarf, boots and printed tights. It's quite cold outside and a strong case could be made that the end of the year is drawing near.

How pleased I was, then, to come across this article while defrosting in my office. 

The article documents what we already know: people simply don't call each other anymore. It's quite funny (and relatable) to read about typical reactions to the phone ringing. At first, a sense of dread that the person on other line is the bearer of bad news, only to be followed by an altogether different sense of dread that they merely want to talk, interrupting important time that could be spent doing other things. 

Funny. Relatable. But sad, too.   

Which brings me to the point of why reading this article on a cold October day makes me happy. As you may recall, I started out 2011 with a list of goals, written in a small notebook that successfully made the rounds of purses as the seasons changed. As the months passed, I shared a few of my goals here and took time to evaluate my progress. This article, however, forced me to take a hard look at one goal I've let slip by unnoticed. Digging into the pocket of my latest purse (a red saddle bag, in case you needed to visualize it), I grabbed the notebook and reluctantly flipped through the pages until I found it. 

Goal number 6: Learn to be a better friend. Take risks. Pick up the phone. 

Ouch. 

Let me explain. It's not that I don't want to be a better friend. I most certainly do. But insecurities and laziness often get the best of me. This particular goal was written with purposeful intention. It's long been my desire to be the kind of woman who not only remembers birthdays and has cute parties at Christmastime, but also relates during hardships and rejoices during victories. Who is vulnerable enough to be herself and and relies on God to be better than herself for the sake of others. 

Who picks up the phone for crying out loud! 

I'll spare you the details of my insecurities and laziness to simply say this: I've got a lot of work to do. I'm so grateful to have the remainder of this year to focus on being a better friend. 

How are your 2011 goals coming along? Can you relate to this one in particular? I'd love to hear!

(yes, it's been a while. let's just skip the reasons why and dive back in, shall we?)