Snow in September?

Last week I woke up to a text message from Matt (I was still in Seattle, he in Nashville) that said "My parent's deck this morning" - followed by this crazy picture:

It was September 11th. SEPTEMBER!!!!!!!!! 

Crazy talk. Especially to those of us who grew up with nothing by fantasies of snow dusted Christmas trees (aka people from Florida) and who have no concept of cold weather before Christmas decorations are out.

Honest, this is what I thought seasons were until my 20's (otherwise known as "the first time I could see my breath in May")

Winter: December-January

Spring: February-March

Summer: April, May, June, July, August, September

Fall: October-November

Yes, I realize this is foolish. But give me a break - I had nothing to go off of except what type of decorations were in windows. 

Now that I've learned the seasons (they still seem off to me, but I realize I'm jaded), It's still 3 weeks until it's officially fall, but it snowed in South Dakota. I thought that only happened in true arctic tundras like the top of Canada or Russia. But I'm incredibly fascinated by this: I grew up in a perpetual summer, and it was annoying at times (frizzy hair, sweating in "winter"), but would I want the other side of the coin? I don't think my tropical soul could handle it. As much as I love the changing seasons, I don't think I could do the other extreme. I braved two winters in London, but it's not nearly as cold as you think. And really, it barely ever snows there.

Which got me to thinking, where are some beautiful, temperate places where the leaves change but I will never have to shovel snow in the "Summer"?

Seattle

I just spent another 10 days here, and I just fall more and more in love every time. I felt like the PNW was getting little kisses of fall - crisp, sunny 65 degree days. You could wear a jacket without being hot or a dress without being cold. In my opinion, that's about the best weather you could possibly ask for. Every time I've visited, it hasn't been too cold. Oh yeah - and it has only rained once! That rain lie is total propaganda.

Southern California

I've been to LA a few times, and it always seems to be brisk & sunny (just like my last week in Seattle!). I've been in the Summer & the Winter, and both seasons seem to be mild and enjoyable to me. I don't think they get the perks of fall leaves or spring blooms, but I bet that could be remedied within a few hours drive. Road trip, anyone?

So is it just the West Coast? Is there some magical place I've never been to or heard of?

Do you living a real life "Frozen" (minus the musical snow man)? How do you handle it? I'd love your tips.

xo

Travel vs. College

Yesterday, an article titled 6 Lessons Travel Teaches You That College Never Will was floating around the web. Several of my friends shared it on numerous social networks, and I read it as soon as I saw the title. As a travel addict, I of course loved & agreed with every single word. I agree that college is forced on so many that aren't interested, and travel is barely offered as an option to most. I'm a huge advocate for traveling, and have never understood why a 'Gap Year' was such a faux pas in the United States (when it's so common in the rest of the world). My semester in London changed my life FOREVER, in ways I struggle to put into words when asked about it. This article didn't only make sense to me, it explained a part of my soul in a way.

However, the more I thought about it throughout the day, I realized that there are definitely two sides to this story. Two sides I've experienced personally and simultaneously: travel & college.

I attended college in the traditional sense; I started the Fall following my high school graduation, I completed it in four years, lived in a dorm (for a time), had a full coarse load, participated in campus events, ate terrible food from the cafeteria, joined clubs & organizations, was completely broke most of the time, pulled all nighters and made life long friends. I also learned about true community, hard work, and a lot about being an adult. I wouldn't trade my four years for anything.

I spent a semester abroad in London, and during that time, I traveled to 10 different countries throughout Europe and Africa. I returned to London the following year to live & work in the city. I've continued to travel the United States & visit Europe. I'm constantly searching for the next adventure and love everything this big beautiful world has to offer. I truly get sad thinking about how many wonderful places there are in the world, and that' I'll never have enough time to see them all. The best four years of my life were extended to five, when I was able to have all these incredible experiences. I can't imagine my life without this time... both as a tourist and a resident of a different corner of the earth.

There are so many things that a college experience teaches you that travel can't. I could say that farming teaches you things you'd never learn as an investment banker, and vice versa. But is that the point? Not everyone needs to know how to milk a cow or play the stock market. We all have passions, gifts and strengths that can be developed in many different ways.

The truth is, it's not travel vs. college. You can have BOTH. You can have neither. I think both sides are worth exploring, and both can offer amazing experiences, unique to themselves. All experiences & paths in life are different and can be equally incredible and beautiful.

There's no magic formula. Everyone is different. Learn about yourself and decide what's important, interesting, and turns you into the person you want to be (both personally & professionally). Don't go to college if you truly don't think you want to. You have to decide what you want and make it happen, whatever that that might be.

Don't let money discourage you from travel or college. If they are important to you, find a way to make them happen. They aren't enemies, I think they go hand in hand quite well.

I know plenty of college graduates that are struggling financially and in their career. College does not guarantee you a job, it just provides you with extra knowledge and experience. In the same thought, I know plenty of people who have traveled and are still intolerant, closed minded, and devoid of culture.

Stamps in your passport & a framed degree have this in common: they are only proof of the experience. It's truly up to you to learn about life, culture, community, yourself, others, how to contribute to society, how to love, budget, make hard decisions and who you are going to be.

Like I said, I loved this article and everything it highlighted! I just happen to think life is more à la carte than prix fixe, don't you?

Did you go to college? Travel? Neither? Both? 

Wanderlust Wednesday: Seattle, WA

Happy New Year to all! Now that you're one week in, do you still have a resolution? :)

I didn't really make any this year, but in the back of my mind I want to
- continually make  healthier choices
- travel more
- save more money
- finish fixing up this HOUSE

Hopefully I keep up with the first one... and the other three seem to happen easier for me ;)

Now to channel my second hope for my year, I've got a trip to Seattle happening this weekend. Long story short, but the original reasons for the trip are no longer existent, but my ticket was non refundable.... so Seattle, here I come!

This will be my second trip ever to Seattle, and I get to go again in April to assist Sharyn in getting MARRIED, and i'm so glad I can go twice in a short period of time! Because I freaking love it there.

Some places I'd highly recommend:

Using AirBNB.com - We stayed here and it was the best decision. It was about 7 blocks from Pikes Market and right by a major bus line. Not to mention we had a 2br condo for half the price of a 200 sq foot hotel room! Holler.

Portage Bay Cafe - Delicious brunch. They even have a 'toppings bar' full of fresh berries and other treats if you order french toast or pancakes.

Chocolati - Cute little coffee shop/chocolate shop in the Wallingford area.

Bauhaus Books and Coffee - Near downtown Seattle, good coffee, but awesome vibe. Has a wall full of books. I loved it.

Skillet Diner - Definitely not your mamas diner. The atmosphere was perfect and the food was divine. In the Ballard area.

Ferry to Bainbridge Island - it's really inexpensive and a nice 30 minute trip. Bainbridge Island is this cute small town with a bunch of wonderful shops and restaurants. We ate here and had ice cream here. Going there was one of my favorite nights of our trip!

Hiking Poo Poo Point - Besides it's funny name, Poo Poo Point is one of the best views i've ever seen - you can clearly see Mt. Reiner and it's beautiful. It's located in Issaquah, about 30 minutes from Seattle. The trail is moderate (a few steep points for this Florida girl, but nothing you can't handle!) Probably about a 3 hour round trip hike. On our way out, we stopped at the Issaquah Brewhouse, which is a Rogue brewery, which was a lot of fun. And well deserved after our hike!


This time, I know a few things we'll be doing:

Snowboarding at Crystal Mountain - Now let's review... I'm not very good. But it's fun! And I got my very own snowboard for Christmas from my wonderful husband :)

apparently she's a good one. i'll let ya know. via Forum

Dinner at Radiator Whisky for Traci's Birthday - this place looks AMAZING. Grilled Goat Cheese and Tomato Jam sandwich is looking like the winner... plus one of their signature cocktails, please.

Planning Sharyn's Bachlorette weekend in Victoria, BC! This i'm super excited about, because I've had BC on my list for a while now. From what I hear, it's amazing. So i'm pumped.

Drinking more coffee than I could imagine - which is fine with me, because I LOVE IT! I'd like to try here, here, and here (looks like fun!).

Have you been to Seattle? Any tips to offer? Also taking any tips from experienced visitors to Victoria, BC! xo

Perfecting the Multi-Way Flight

I'm always looking for the best travel deal. In the last year, my new favorite way to maximize time, locations and save money is to check into multi-way flights. It's especially helpful if you're flying into one airport and flying out of another.

This is easily done on Expedia or your travel search of choice, then you purchase through the airline listed.

Here's an example. I picked random dates and random cities, but just wanted to show the possibilities.

Let's pretend you need to go to New York and Chicago on back to back weekends.

$336, not that bad. And I didn't change any dates to see if there was a more affordable option, perhaps staying an extra day in one or the other. This has you staying in Chicago until you need to go to New York.

Now, if you booked this same trip on two different flights, you're looking at over $100 price increase per person.

Now like I said, this might be a strange example. But let's say you're flying into one airport and out of another. i.e., Flying into Seattle and taking the train to Portland. Or seeing all of your family over one holiday weekend! Let's try another. 

My husband's family lives in North Dakota and vacations in Montana, a 9 hour drive away. My family lives in Florida, and usually stays in Florida ;) But for fun, let's say we were doing Disney with my family. We'd want to fly into the vacation destinations, but then drive back with our parents for a day or two at home. 

If we fly to North Dakota, we would have to drive nearly 20 hours round trip to fit Montana in. Alternatively, we fly into one and out of the other. Same with Disney, 3 hours from my parent's house. Let's see them separate. 

Ouch. Over $900 per person, plus 1 million hours in the car. Let's see the multi-way:

The multi way in this case saves you time and money. $100 per person, and cuts your driving time in half. 

This is similar to a trip we recently took. We went to Mexico to celebrate our anniversary, but wanted to meet up with Matt's family to go snowboarding, and then drive back to his hometown for a few days with extended family. 

Since Ixtapa is remote, flights are usually around $600/person. Bismarck and Bozeman, remote in their own ways (i.e., only like two airlines fly there), are also very expensive. Typically in the $400-500 range. Needless to say, we budget for flights around here! Unfortunately, $1,000/person for Thanksgiving was not in the cards. We were able to find a multi-way ticket for just a bit more than the price of going to one of the places. So we booked it! And packed everything in a carry on. More on that later!

Give it a try. If you search your destinations and aren't seeing much savings, switch your days +/- 1 and see what happens. When we did our Mexico/Arctic Tundra tour, the magic combo of days was amazingly affordable - but move it one day in either direction, we would have paid over $2,000 per person. So check out your options!

The multi-way ticket can make your next trip go smoothly. You cut down on fly time, save money, and travel more than you paid for! 

Have you ever used a multi-way ticket? Good results?

xo

Five on Friday - Link Up

I thought it would be fun to get involved with some other bloggers.... so here it goes!


1 - Upcoming 'Friendsgiving' Celebration

eInvites via PaperlessPost!

We are hosting a dinner for everyone in our Village (read: our church's word for 'small group') two days before actual thanksgiving, since most of us won't be here! I am beyond excited as this is my first time hosting a Thanksgiving type celebration, and my hosting brain is on overload. I bought cloth napkins, i'm crafting, i'm dreaming up signature cocktails, and reading as many magazines as i can to find perfect recipes. Here, here, and here are where i'm getting some of my ideas!

2 - Bath & Body Works Seasonal Candles

Some people are all about Christmas music.... I'm personally all about the candles. If you ever are at my house, chances are I'm burning at least one. But holiday season cables are the BEST! I've been enjoying Bergamot Estates and Leaves for Fall.... they're so cozy without being overwhelming (I'm not into sweet candles, so the apple pies and pumpkin doughnuts are NOT my personal style!), but just this week as the temperatures went FREEZING around here, I had to bust out a Fresh Balsam candle at my desk. It makes me so happy! I also have a coupon for $10 off $30 purchase.... which I intend to use during a 2 for $22 sale and get myself 4 candles for $30! EXCITED! Any new scents I should try?

3 - Upcoming Trip

Capella Ixtapa, in Ixtapa, Mexico

Big Sky, Montana

In just under two weeks, i'll be leaving for about 13 days to celebrate my first anniversary in Mexico, Thanksgiving/Christmas with Matt's family in Bismarck, ND, and take our annual snowboarding trip to Big Sky, Montana!! Thanks to a little something called the Multi-Way ticket, we were able to do all three of these trips by hopping from place to place instead of making three separate trips - for the price of just ONE of these trips. BNA -->ZIH, ZIH-->BZN, BZN-->BIS, BIS-->BNA. Yeah. We'll be on a lot of freaking planes.... and going from 90 degrees down to 9 degrees. Also, i'm convinced i'll only take a carry on. So wish me luck ;) But I can't wait to get in all sorts of quality time! QT with just Matt, QT with family, and QT with awesome friends. Stay tuned for updates on these travels.

4 - Steve the Kitten :)

This little guy is 100% personality and he makes me *SO HAPPY*. Yes, I am a cat lady, and i'm pretty excited about it. I wanted a kitten my entire life and Matt got him for me as a birthday present this year. The gift that actually keeps on giving.... because every day he snuggles up next to me and purrs like crazy... and it's all i ever wanted. I love my little Stevie kitty! He's sitting on my lap as I'm writing this... what a little love. Also, disclaimer: I did not name him Steve. The deal was if I got a cat, Matt was allowed to pick the name... and the name would definitely be Steve. So here we are, with our Steve. But i think it fits him pretty well ;)

5 - New Routine

Now that it's cold outside, it's even HARDER to get out of bed, especially with nowhere to go at a specific time most mornings.... so i decided I needed a routine. I get up and walk about two blocks to 8th & Roast, a coffee shop right by my house. Despite the cold, the walk there warms me up, and i get to enjoy a nice cup of coffee when I get there. Sometimes I bring a magazine or a journal, sometimes I've just been sitting and relaxing. It's become an extremely enjoyable part of my day.

Happy Friday!
xo

Link up here if you'd like to join!

Gifts Ideas for Him

I'm sure I can't be the only one around here who has a husband I find difficult to shop for.

First of all, he's extremely practical (unless it comes to cars and motorcycles!).
He's picky.
And if he wanted it, he probably bought it for himself already!

Not to mention.... our anniversary, his birthday, and Christmas are all within a microscopic six-week window.

What's a girl to do?

I've been scouring the internet trying to find some ideas of what to get my hard-to-gift guy, and this is what i've come up with.

The Gift of Drink

Whisky Stones - $20

buy here

These little stones keep your whisky cool without watering it down. An excellent invention.

-OR-

IPA Beer Making Kit - $45

buy here

Williams-Sonoma knew what they were doing - now tempting your guy in for a cooking class won't be so hard if he knows they sell Beer Making Kits! Perfect for a guy who loves to do it himself or try new things, who also likes beer. Win-win.

The Gift of Travel Accessories

Patagonia Fuego Backpack - $89

buy here

This 32L backpack is great for hiking, a weekend trip, or a good carry on. The size is great for the price, as a lot of more technical backpacks are north of $150. This is a steal.

-OR-

Everlane's Reverse Denim Weekender Bag - $95

buy here

This bag is beautifully crafted, and is the perfect carry on size for a weekend tote. The best part about this bag (in my opinion) is that you can steal it from time to time and use as your own weekend tote! I'm particularly fond of the reverse denim, it looks so sleek and unisex.

The Gift of Technology 

iPod Nano Watch Set - $24 (Would make sense if he already has a Nano)

buy here

This is one of the most practical gifts for guys! Perfect for a traveler or a runner. The wrist band attaches perfectly to your iPod Nano and appears to be a normal watch... until you're ready to listen to music! There are many varieties of color and style. This leather one sticks out to me because it can easily go from guys night, to an important meeting, to date night with you. Matt particularly is a watch fanatic, so this invention might save me!

-OR-

Roku Streaming Device - $49

buy here

Roku is a great little device for those of us that have Nexflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime but don't have an XBOX to stream them through our TV. Roku changes all that. Simply hook up to your TV and choose your 'channels', and you're good to go! A common misconception is that you pay for a Roku subscription, and that isn't true. You only pay for the services you want (Hulu, Netflix, etc). Bonus, you can rent movies on Amazon (from a computer) and then view them from your TV as well. Goodbye expensive iTunes rentals and sifting through awful Redbox options! Who need cable, after all?

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Beer of the Month Club - $24/month

buy here

New craft beers get delivered every month. He will of course love you forever, and probably start checking the mail daily.

-OR-

Birchbox for Men - $20/month

buy here

I personally LOVE getting my Birchbox every month (confession: i'm a beauty product addict!), all of the samples are so fun. And they lead me to new products i've been missing out on! The boy-box is similar, but they actually get less product and more 'stuff'. Friends have received sunglasses, journals, wallets and more. It's a steal at $20 a month.

Do you have a hard to shop for spouse or boyfriend? I'm open to any ideas!

xo

Wanderlust Wednesday: London in the Fall

Hands down - my favorite season + place go hand in hand, with the winning combo of London in the Fall. It is SO pretty, and SO festive, and it stays fall weather for MONTHS! Part of my love for it could come from living there for two falls.... and visiting a handful of other Fall's. I'm addicted! I can't help it.

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

Kings Rd, Chelsea, SW3

Southbank.

St James Park

Regent's Park

Regent's Park

Me and the Thames, a few Fall's ago. 

So true. Especially in chilly temps!

Hyde Park

Chelsea, down by the Thames

Kensington Gardens

I swear there is something about it that makes the light look like sunset all the time. Perfect amount of coziness. PLUS, around this time of year (beginning of November), all of the different areas of town start to decorate and light the streets up with Christmas decor. It's the best!

Regent Street, W1

St Christopher's, W1

South Kengsington, SW2

Sloane Square, Chelsea, SW3

Sloane Square, Chelsea, SW3

Covent Garden, W4

Not to mention all of the Christmas markets, Guy Fawkes day and all of the shops decorating their windows to be festive! If you have the chance, November is the best time to visit London.... it's pure magic. I'm always extra nostalgic for London in the fall months.... it's just not the same anywhere else.

Have you been to London in the fall? Or London in general? Do you love it as much as i do? :)

xo