30 Places Before 30

It is no surprise that I love to travel. Growing up in a military family gave me opportunities to see parts of the country that most people dream of going to. Travel is also one of the things that immediately connected P and I and that we continue to share a love of. So in honor of turning 30 this month, I thought I would share a list of 30 places I've visited before turning 30!


1. Phoenix, AZ - we have actually been twice to visit our friend Tony and for his wedding.

2. Denver, CO - this is one place that I have been that P has not. I first went to Colorado to visit a close high school friend when her family moved there and was back last summer for a work conference.

3. San Diego, CA - another place I've been a couple of times. First time P and I went together, then for my bestie's bachelorette weekend, and just this past June for a work conference. I feel like each time I've gone I discover something new.

4. Los Angeles, CA - during our San Diego trip, P and I road-tripped up to LA to meet up with his cousin and got an awesome tour of the WB lot. We came out again for a friends wedding a few years ago and got to spend time in Santa Monica with our buddy Matt.

5. San Francisco, CA - you may remember that P spent an extended period of time in San Fran last year for a trial and then I joined him for a mini-vacation. Fortunately for me, he is most likely headed back there in December for another trial which means I get to go back!

6. Maui, Hawaii - we both went here for the first this past June and absolutely loved it. All return trips to Hawaii will include extended time in Maui.

7. Oahu, Hawaii - I was fortunate enough to live here for a year in high school and then P and I spent a few days here this past June.

8. San Antonio, TX - during college I attended a conference in San Antonio for a week. It was a lot of fun but I remember not being able to do as much since I wasn't 21 yet.

9. Orlando, FL - I have been several times for fun and work. Obviously most trips have involved a visit (or two) to Disney and Universal Studios.

10. Harpers Ferry, WV - P and I took a day trip here one fall and absolutely loved it. It's a quaint town with good hiking trails nearby.

11. New York, NY - I've been a couple of times now and each time it grows on me a little more.

12. Boston, MA - Boston has and always will be an all time favorite. I went for a conference in college and loved spending time with P there. I'm sure we'll be back!

13. Philadelphia, PA - the City of Brotherly Love has such a special place in my heart. It is truly where P and I fell in love. We haven't been back recently but I sure hope we do!

14. Cleveland, OH - all of my visits to Cleveland have been with P since he grew up outside of there. It surprisingly offers lots to do. At the the very least I recommend checking out the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and West End Market.

15. Ann Arbor, MI - we road tripped here once in college for a Penn State vs Michigan football game. I wish the game had a better outcome, but we had a fun day!

16. Quebec, Canada - speaking of road trips, P and I took a week long road trip that included stops in Canada. Quebec is just as charming as everyone says and really is a piece of Europe in North
America.

17. Montreal, Canada - Montreal was part of the road trip to Canada and such a fun city. While I found it to be more urban than Quebec, it had a beautiful area for walking/biking along the water.

18. Paris, France - need I say more? I have been a francophile since my first French class in 7th grade and feel so so so lucky to have visited Paris three times. The first time I went was in 2008 with P and I just remember being in awe of it. The second visit was in 2010 with my MBA program. That was a completely different experience since it was for school and gave me a different perspective. Then of course the most recent visit was last November where we had the most gorgeous pictures taken.

19. Munich, Germany - Munich is a favorite city of both of ours. We stopped there during our 2008 Europe trip and P studied here for a month during law school. I got to visit him for a few days in Munich that summer after my grad school program ended in Paris.

20. Dublin, Ireland - last November we had a overnight layover in Dublin and did not even get to scratch the service of all that the city has to offer. Going back to Dublin and Ireland is high on our travel list.

21. London, England -  on a whim in 2009, I hopped over the pond to spend a long, whirlwind weekend with my best friend Aubrey. She was working in Manchester for 6 weeks so I flew there to meet her and then we drove to London. It is by far one of our favorite memories together.

22. Prague, Czech Republic - we visited Prague during our recent trip last fall. It is a charming city and I would love to go back.

23. Budapest, Hungary - this was our first stop on our trip. We both loved the architecture of the city and regret not going to the Turkish baths!

24. Salzburg, Austria - we visited Salzburg in 2008 and I remember being surprised by how much I loved it (although I tend to love most European cities). One of the highlights there was the Sound of Music tour we did.

25. Vienna, Austria - this was hands down my favorite stop on our last trip. I could have spent a whole week in Vienna soaking in its culture, drinking wine, and eating delicious food.

26. Bruges, Belgium - we decided we wanted to go to Bruges after seeing the Colin Ferrel moving In Bruges and it did not disappoint. It is a town with lots of character and is reminiscent of a medieval fairy-tale.

27. Brussels, Belgium - during that 2008 trip, we had one night in Brussels. I remember trying beers, eating waffles, and visiting the Mannequin Pis statue.

28. Montego Bay, Jamaica - this is where we honeymooned! It was our first time going to an all-inclusive resort and we absolutely loved it. After all of the wedding planning it was nice to just relax all week.

29. Charleston, SC - I ended up going to Charleston twice in 2014. Once for a friends wedding and then a few months later for a bachelorette party. It is a quentessential southern city with lots of charm, hospitality, and delicious food.

30. Millinocket, Maine - I visited Maine during a summer vacation in high school with my mom and younger sister. Family friends of ours had a cabin on a lake where we vacationed for almost two weeks. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I would love to go back to Maine, especially in the fall.


Here's to another 30 years of traveling!

Five on Friday

Happy Friday! Here are five things that are on my radar today....


//1// NFL football is officially back! I am feeling pretty good about my Fantasy Football team and strongly disagree with Yahoo's grade of a C+. Looking forward to watching more teams play on Sunday!


//2// Speaking of football, I'm really hoping my Nittany Lions will have a much better game tomorrow against Buffalo. Last Saturday they lost to Temple (first time since 1940s) and looked pitiful. The coaches actually buried the game tapes on the practice field and refused to let the team watch them is was so bad.


//3// Tomorrow we are going to a craft beer festival with friends called Snalleygaster. Most people are really excited about the beer but I'm looking forward to the food trucks!


//4// I have been burning my favorite Yankee Candle Spiced Pumpkin candle all week and love how it makes our apartment smell. Even though it's still 85+ degrees outside, it smells like fall inside.


//5// And finally, let us never forget the men and women who lost their lives 14 years ago on September 11, 2001 and thank those that have bravely answered the call to protect our country. We will never forget.



Hope you have a great weekend!

Five on Friday

Happy Friday! Here are five things I'm loving.....


//1// Football is back! Bring on Saturdays and Sundays filled with cheering on our favorite teams, drinking beer, and eating yummy snacks. Tomorrow we will be cheering for our Penn State Nittany Lions and on Monday we will draft our fantasy football teams.

Especially when it comes to my fantasy team!

//2// My adorable twin nieces. We are heading to Richmond tomorrow for the day to spend time with P's family and to snuggle these cuties.

Natalie and Keira

//3// Birthdays! We have a few birthday celebrations this month for friends and family. Starting this weekend with my younger sister's birthday and rounding out the month with my (gulp) 30th birthday.

This is how I feel about all of the September birthdays :)

//4// Speaking of my birthday, in 3 weeks we are flying up to Martha's Vineyard for a long weekend. I told P that I wanted to celebrate my birthday quietly with a mini getaway. We debated about going to a tropical environment but since I love the fall so much, my father-in-law suggested we go somewhere north. I think Martha's Vineyard will encompass everything we are looking for.

I am so looking forward to spending 5 days here!

//5// And because it's September....give me all the pumpkins and fall décor! I am planning to put out my fall decorations this weekend and start lighting the pumpkin scented candles. It's my favorite time of year!

I sent this picture to my mom and sisters last weekend when I was pulling out all of my fall decor in anticipation of September 1st!

Hope you have a fun and relaxing long weekend!

Cabin Weekend

This past weekend P, Calvin, and I escaped DC and spent a weekend in Luray, Virginia. We rented a cabin along the Shenandoah River and were able to truly disconnect (hello no cell phone service or wifi). We arrived early Friday evening and explored our new home away from home before we went into town. We discovered a great brew house that had a Chipotle-style restaurant upstairs and a bar with lots of local Virginia beers on tap in the basement - two of our favorites! We enjoyed some beers and played a few round of pool before heading back to the cabin.

Exploring the area around our cabin

Awesome little deck overlooking the river. The perfect spot for reading and sipping wine.

Some of the local beers we tried out. I loved the Peachicot!

We ended the evening with board games and more beer back at the cabin.

Saturday we went on a 7 mile kayaking adventure. We had originally planned to do a shorter trip but because the waters were low in that part of the river, it was suggested we changed routes. Once we got through the crowded areas of the river filled with tubing groups and boy scouts in canoes, we had a peaceful ride down the river. We stopped for BBQ for lunch before heading back to the cabin to get cleaned up and relax. That night we grilled burgers and smores and went to bed early.

View from the front of the kayak.

View of the back with my favorite kayaking partner.

Relaxing with a good book and wine post-kayaking.

Sunday morning we were up and out of the cabin by our 11 am check out time and headed to Shenandoah National Park. We chose to hike the Rose River Falls Trail loop which was about 4 miles long. It was a beautiful hike and we even saw a deer family! Calvin did such a great job on the hike even with the steeper inclines and large rocks to climb. After the hike we made our way back to DC.

It was a nice little getaway and I hope we can do it again in the future!

Currently

Eating.....nothing but I am drinking an iced skim chat tea from Starbucks

Wearing.....black pants, blue printed blouse, and black wedges.

Reading.....Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. I have been hooked on her books since reading The Husband's Secret last year. I think this book is the last one of hers that I haven't read.

Wanting.....cooler weather. It looks like we are in for another around 90+ degree temperatures.

Hearing.....the Gilmore Guys podcasts. If you are a fan of Gilmore Girls or have been looking for a new podcast, I highly recommend these guys. Hearing their take on the show and its girly drama is hilarious.

Watching.....Project Runway. I have been watching this show for years and my friend Jenny & I always send weekly recap emails to each other and talk about our favorite designers. It's an oldie but goodie.

Thinking.....about what to pack for our trip to Luray, Virginia next weekend! We booked a dog-friendly cabin for the weekend and are looking forward to hikes, kayaking, and grilling out.

Laughing....at myself and the clumsy Monday I had. I burnt my finger (for the hundredth time) on my curling wand, broke a wine glass, and spilled lunch down the front of my dress.

Thankful.....for my family. I'm lucky to have amazing, supportive parents & in-laws, sisters (through blood and marriage) who I call friends, and a husband who loves me no matter what. 




What are you currently up to?

Confessional Friday

In the spirit of remembering and honoring Leslie this week, I thought I would do a Confessional Friday post as this was a weekly post that she hosted for many years.


Here are my confessions for the week.....


//1// I confess that I've been a terrible blogger which is not really a confession since it is obvious by the fact that prior to this week my last post was in April. In thinking about Leslie this week and the number of people she touched through her blog and the fact that her blog will be a beautiful source for her daughters one day, I am recommitting myself to the blog. Even if it's just a weekly post to document what's going on in our lives, I think there is value and importance in documenting our life.


//2/ I confess that I have lots of fun things I should have been sharing over the past few months, including a work trip to San Diego, vacation in Hawaii, and the arrival of our twin nieces. It's been a very exciting and fun spring and summer for us.


//3// I confess that I am starting to dream about fall and the cooler temperatures. I am so over these 90+ degree days and the humidity. I am a sweater and boots kind of girl and live for the cooler, crisper weather.


//4// I confess that I am turning 30 (gulp) in less than two months. While I'm not nervous about it, I can't help but be reflective about the first thirty years of my life and what's ahead. Per my request for a quiet weekend away to celebrate, P has started planning a long weekend on Martha's Vineyard at the end of September. I have never been and am excited to spend a couple days exploring the island on bikes, eating delicious seafood, and quietly turning 30. Hopefully with cooler weather too!


//5// I confess that even though we are not planning to buy a house until next spring, after watching a few episodes of House Hunters and House Hunters Renovation, I jump onto Zillow and Redfin and look at houses. I am anxious to have more space and a place that we can make our own.




Happy Friday!

#beblessedlovelies

One of the very first blogs I ever read was A Blonde Ambition by Leslie Sisti. I could not tell you how I stumbled upon her blog but it immediately became a favorite and for the past four years I enjoyed reading her advice on fashion, food, and life.

Even though I have been blogging since 2011 (not very consistently, I may add), I haven't been a frequent commenter on other blogs or entered into contests hosted by other bloggers. But in November 2011 I entered P's grandmother's pie recipe into a little contest Leslie was hosting for Thanksgiving and ended up winning a pretty pair of earrings. Every time I wear those earrings I am reminded about the connections the blogging community provides across the country and world.

Earlier this year Leslie shared with her readers that she was experiencing difficulties with a known congenital heart defect shortly after giving birth to her second daughter and spent several months in the hospital. She was released from the hospital this spring and seemed to be on an upswing. Unfortunately a few weeks ago she had some serious setbacks that were sending her to Cleveland Clinic (one of the best heart hospitals in the world) to explore surgical options and asking her readers for prayers. It broke my heart yesterday to learn that Leslie passed away on Monday. She was only 30 years old and left behind a devoted husband, two adorable daughters, and countless blog readers she has touched throughout the years.

Today I felt compelled to join other bloggers who will be remembering her today with #beblessedlovelies (as that's how Leslie always signed off her blog) and #rememberingleslie.

A fund has been set up for her daughters college education at http://www.gofundme.com/d53bgd5p8s