This Hill is Worth Climbing

Because there are glorious treats at the top!! (and in reality my car does all the climbing of hills...so that makes it easier too). I spent the first day of fall at Apple Hill yesterday walking through the orchards, eating apple donuts, and smiling at all of the little babies with their parents, being reminded of all of the pure and beautiful memories of going to Apple Hill as a family growing up. 

For the past several months I've gone back and forth with worry and excitement at being unemployed. My head is telling me I need to get a job, one that fulfills me and challenges me (and pays me). But my heart and intuition are reminding me to take things slowly, and that I need to savor this wide open space of unknown, because these seasons in life are rare. I'm reminded of one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books, Oh the Places You'll Go. I love this book. I would read it on the regular to the chickens I nannied. But every time we got to the two pages about "the waiting place" I skipped over it. 

To me there is a difference between waiting in stagnation, and waiting in anticipation. Our society tells us that the more we work, the harder we work, the better we are-we make more money, we gain more esteem from colleagues and recognition from the community. But from what I've experienced myself, and seen others go through around me, is that all that produces in burnout. You're not even able to enjoy the "spoils" of your work. So I'm working on leaning in the direction of my heart, and reminding myself to slow down. I'll job search and apply to positions for an hour or so each day, but then spend the other 23 hours of the day filling myself up, exploring Sacramento, reading a good book (currently The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt), yoga and exercise, healthy eating (sans Apple Hill donuts because those are always excusable), basically all of the things that I make excuses to not do while I'm working full time. 

Take it easy

xxo

Exciting News!

Some of my favorite shots from recent travels are now available for digital download on my Etsy shop!! Each JPEG is available to purchase for $10. After you make your purchase, it's sent right to your inbox (hello no shipping and handling fee!). From there you can use it digitally, or print it out and display it however you fancy. I particularly love Artifact Uprising. I've ordered from them several times, whether it be their set of 25 prints, the option to create your own book, or most recently, a larger print of my New York trip. 

So head on over and check out my shop. I'm so excited to share these pictures in medium outside of this blog and Instagram.

xxo

Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island is almost like a parallel universe. It's so close to the city, you can see it just across the water and hear the busy noises of cars and trucks and life in the city. Yet Roosevelt Island is calm and quiet, filled with schools and playgrounds, young families, people convalescing, and just a general slower rhythm to life. I loved it. I practically walked the whole island in one afternoon (in other words, get ready for a whole slew of pictures. And be grateful I whittled it down from over 100 to about 35). 

xxo

Hanging out in Hampden

My morning started out with coffee and crab cake cornbread eggs benedict from Dooby's. WOW. I've never really liked crab in my younger years. Our family has a tradition of eating crab for dinner Christmas Eve. And as they sit around the table cracking crab, dipping it in butter, and thoroughly enjoying themselves, I would eat chicken strips and rice (my dad's specialty-"white dinners"). But I'd heard a lot about crab dishes and oysters in Baltimore being amazing, so I tried it and was blown away. 

I spent my second day in Baltimore in a neighborhood called Hampden, which I read about from Design Sponge.  I loved this area. It's full of antique shops, boutiques, amazing restaurants with fresh and local foods. I spent most of my day there wandering and exploring. 

I read about this show called Trohv on the Design Sponge guide. It was toted as a place to get paper products, and if I am anything it's a sucker for stationary and stamps and washi tape and ALL THE THINGS. Let me tell you...I was NOT disappointed. I swear this shop was never ending. Rooms off to the side, stairs leading to a basement with even more goodies. I found a mug there for my older brother, who has a birthday coming up, that's just perfect as he is a huge history buff. I also got a notepad for myself to write down all of my to-do's and grocery lists and notes. I love grabbing little things like this to remember my trips and specific experiences. 

I ate lunch at a fabulous place called The Food Market. I got these amazing tacos with a little side salad in a dish. 

Finished off my afternoon in Hampden at Artifact Coffee.

xxo

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A Quick Jaunt to Baltimore

My first day in Baltimore could be summed up by two words: hot and sweaty. Oh boy am I not used to such humidity. I literally felt myself melting into a puddle as the day wore on. I left New York around 6:45am on Amtrak. The ride wasn't too long. Only about 2 1/2 hours. And the Airbnb I stayed at was within walking distance of Baltimore's Penn Station, which was super convenient (and cost efficient). The neighborhood I stayed in is called Mount Vernon. Lots of statues and historical buildings. I mostly followed the guidance of The Every Girl and my Airbnb host for what to see and how to get there. 

From Mount Vernon I made my way to Fells Point and Federal Hill. Both neighborhoods are on the water of the inner harbor. I used Lyft to get there as the public transit in Baltimore didn't seem as easy to navigate as it is in Manhattan. I'd never used Lyft before, always Uber in the past. But my girlfriend I'm staying with in New York sent me a link to sign up that gave me five $10 ride credits, which totally sold me. The whole time I was in Baltimore I only ever paid the driver a tip because the cost of the ride was covered by my credits! (I still don't know how I feel about the option to tip though...to me that's part of the ease and convenience of Uber, not having to worry about tipping...). But if you're new to Lyft too, use this link or this code: KELLY238516 to get free ride credits too! 

Through the recommendation of my Airbnb host Amy I made my way over to the American Visionary Art Museum. I loved it! So many different mediums of art. 

From the museum I made my way back (by way of water taxi) to Fells Point to check out the bar where supposedly Edgar Allen Poe was seen for the last time before mysteriously dying a couple hours later. To me, it mostly just reminded me of Old Sacramento and the saloons/taverns there. But it was still a fun experience and a much needed cold beer on such a hot day. 

I finished off the evening sharing a bottle of wine with my host Amy and great conversation for like two hours before heading out for a later dinner. Through The Every Girl post I linked above, I decided on Sugarvale. It was so amazing. My drink was a spin on an old fashion, but even better. The ambiance was intimate and charming, and the burger that I got...holy cow (literally, see what I did there?). Especially the brioche bun it was on. I had very serious thoughts about going back my second night there to get it again...

xxo

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