Happy Birthday To Me

Has it really been a whole year since I wrote a list of things to do while I'm 28?  It seems that I've come upon the deadline, so I'd better own up to my successes and failures.  Here's how I did:

1. Learn to Ski and/or Snowboard - Check! It was terrifying, but I did it!  (see post here!)  I actually just booked a trip to go skiing again in January, so we'll see if I can learn to enjoy it this time.

2. Apply for and begin Grad School - Check!  Kind of.  I have not begun grad school      yet, but I'm well into the application process.  I have a good feeling that I'll be accepted into the program I'm gunning for, and I should know for sure in the next month or two!  Wish me luck!

3. Read a Harry Potter Book - Fail.  Instead, I've completely geeked out and am on pace to catch up on all 5 books in the Game of Thrones series by the end of this year.  Then I'll anxiously await book 6, which is due out in 2015... ahhh!

      4. Try Rock Climbing - Check! (see post here!)

5. Volunteer - Check!  (see post here!)  

6. Knit Something More Difficult than a Scarf - Fail.  

7. Run a 5K - Fail.  Kind of.  I haven't paid money to run with a large group of people, but I have run the distance of a 5k, and plus some, several times.  I'm actually pretty excited about the New Balance Vibrams I bought a few weeks ago.  They make running feel so much better - I've got the running bug!  I'm working on building up my milage and am eyeing some 10K races for this year!

8. Save $10,000 - Fail.  I've added several thousand to my bank account, but my financial priorities have shifted a little since I've moved to California.  I'm happy with the experiences I've paid for this year and don't feel bad about not reaching this goal.

9. Create a Signature Cocktail - Fail.  I've haphazardly created a few tasty concoctions, but none that I'd like to call my signature.  Still a work in progress.

10. Host a Dinner Party - Check!  Hosting another couple counts, right?  

11. 30 for 30 REMIX! - Fail.  You guys, I've seriously lost my fashion mojo (if I ever had any in the first place) since I started working from home.  I rarely get creative these days.  I'm hoping I'll at least try to have a fashion sense again once I start school and have to be around people.

12. Rock an Awesome Halloween Costume - Fail.  I had an awesome idea, but we didn't do anything for Halloween this year.  Lame.

13. Swim in the Ocean - Check!  I spent lots of quality time in the ocean while we were in Maui.  It was awesome.

14. Organize My Closet - Check!  I guess being forced to sort things out when we moved counts, right?  And it's stayed pretty organized since I haven't added many things to my wardrobe!

15. Visit a Big Cat Sanctuary - Fail.  I'm most upset about this failure. This is happening this year.

16. Go Camping - Fail.  Funny story.  We were hiking around a lake here in Livermore and talking about how awesome it would be to camp there, and literally 30 seconds later we ran into a ginormous snake!  I decided right then and there that camping wasn't going to happen.

17. Go to the Ballet - Fail.  So sad.  I'm not missing out on the San Francisco's Ballet season this year!

18. Have a Picnic - Check!  It wasn't the well thought out, romantic type of picnic I was picturing when I wrote this goal, but I'm totally counting the picnic we had on Little Beach in Maui.

19. Acquire an Original Piece of Art - Fail.  I should probably get the painting I bought at the Decatur Art Festival 4 years ago framed before I start shopping around for something else.

20. Plant an Urban Garden- Fail.

21. Make a New Friend - Check!  While I totally value quality over quantity when it comes to friends, I wrote this goal to challenge myself to foster a new friendship as an adult.  It can be difficult just meeting someone new at this stage of life (out of school, in a relationship), much less taking the time to get to know someone well enough to truly call them a friend.  Then we moved and it became important to make "couple" friends that Adam and I could both enjoy being around.  Thankfully, we've accomplished this goal.  (FYF, Quinns!)

22. Take a dance class - Fail.  

23. Mail Out Holiday Cards - Fail.  Kind of.  I sent out Save the Dates for our wedding at the beginning of December, so that will have to count as our season's greetings this year.

24. Take an International Trip - Check!  (Canada counts, right?  See post here!)

25. Donate Blood - Fail.  

26. Shop a Yard/Estate Sale - Check!  And you know what?  It was kind of depressing.  All I could think about while I was in the presumably dead person's kitchen was how someone might peruse my magnet collection one day and pay $0.25 for a decorative basket I once filled with seasonal decor...  

27. Learn CPR - Fail.  But I will definitely learn this year!  I have to, as part of earning a teaching credential.  

28. Play Flag Football - Fail.  Not exactly sure why I added this to the list in the first place.  I have zero desire to play flag football.

It's strange to think that I wrote this list before I knew that Adam and I would be packing up and moving across the country, away from everything and everyone we know, within a matter of weeks.  Had I known, I would have put things like "visit Yosemite,""gamble in Tahoe," "eat sushi in Maui," or even "get engaged" on the list.  

Overall, my 28th year on this planet has been amazing.  I have so much to look forward to as I enter my last year of my 20's: marriage (and honeymoon!), grad school, meeting new people... and who knows what else!  I'm not going to make another laundry list of things to do; I'm just going to do a bunch of cool stuff! 

"Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race." - H.G. Wells

I realized today as I was happily cruising along on my bike that it's been a whole year since I sold my beloved Mini Cooper.  Even though I could technically afford it, I sold my car last September without any immediate plans to replace it so that I could get my finances into better shape.  I didn't know exactly how long I would last without my own set of motorized wheels, but I figured I'd at least try it out for a month to see how it went.  So far it's worked out beautifully, and I have zero regrets!  My debts have shrunk, my savings have grown, and I have rekindled a love for my favorite childhood pastime, riding bikes.     

Going car-less really hasn't been so difficult, thanks to several factors working in my favor.  I'm fortunate to have access to a car when I really need it. Adam freely hands over the keys whenever he's not using his car, and it works out just fine.  As a bonus, it limits my trips to Target, which is just out of comfortable biking distance; this alone has saved me hundreds of dollars, I'm sure!

It also helps that we live in a small, pedestrian and bicycle friendly town.  I'd be too afraid to bike around the streets of Atlanta, but the drivers here are used to cyclist and actually respect our right to be on the road.  Plus, a vast majority of the streets have designated bike lanes.  I could get to most places around here solely on foot (pun intended!), but having a bike makes grocery runs quicker, makes slightly-too-far-to-walk-to places, such as the library, much closer, and it's just so much more FUN to pedal around!     

And, of course, working from home makes the car free lifestyle totally practical.  When I made the transition last year, I was still living in Atlanta and used public transportation to get to work, and that suited me just fine for a couple of months, but I probably would've gotten a vehicle by now if I was still making that commute.

I don't have any plans to buy a car in the immediate future, though I'll need one eventually if my plans for graduate school pan out.  Until then, I'll continue channeling Audrey Hepburn on my bicycle, and take full advantage of the luxury of not owning a car.  

Maui Wowie

Getting engaged wasn't the only thing we did while in Maui!  We also went on a snorkling excursion, biked down a volcano, and ate copious amounts of delicious food.  Here's a breakdown of it all.

We stayed in a condo in Kihei, where we had access to beautiful beaches and plenty of restaurants.  I prefer to rent a condo instead of staying in a hotel because of the option to cook some meals at "home", but that never happened.  It was nice to have a full sized refrigerator to keep our adult beverages cool, though.  We scored a killer deal on VRBO.com for 6 nights - only $590 after taxes and cleaning fees!  The interior of the unit was recently remodeled and the accommodations were more than comfortable, but the complex was definitely showing its age.  It didn't help that I checked in after spending the afternoon at the Grand Wailea resort where our friends were staying.  Man, that place is super nice.  It'll make anything look like a dump!   We focused on the convenient location and enjoyed the money we saved by splurging on some pretty fancy meals.

From my morning walk on the beach across the street from our condo.

I'll spare you the detailed account of every morsel of food I shoveled into my mouth (you're welcome) and just highlight my two favorite dinning experiences.  First, for all of you sushi lovers out there, you MUST make a reservation for Koiso in Kihei the next time you're on the island!  Seriously, if you don't have a reservation, you will not be served and you will have missed out on the freshest fish ever.  It's a tiny little hole in the wall in a shopping center that seats 17 people and doesn't even have a sign.  I got to eat there twice, first with our friends on our first night, and then I had to take Adam there once he arrived.  There's no question that we will go there on our next trip.  I'm salivating just remembering how those scallops melted in my mouth...

Mama's Fish House was highly recommended to us, and it lived up to the hype.  It was our last meal on the island, an early lunch before we headed to the airport.  It's pricy (we split two appetizers and one entree and it was over $100), but it was a great experience.  Definitely get the ahi poke appetizer if you ever find yourself sitting at one of the tables next to an open window overlooking the beach.  The food was amazing and the location is simply idyllic.  It was a lovely way to say our farewells to the island.

Okay, now let's talk about snorkeling.

We relied on good ol' Yelp to help us decide which of the many Molokini snorkeling charters to book.  The Four Winds II won out with 4.5 stars, and I can attest to their stellar service.  We were greeted with bagels, fruit and coffee and enjoyed a BBQ lunch a few hours later.  There was also unlimited beer and wine (and soda) included in the ticket, and equipment rental, of course.  It was a super fun excursion!  We had to wake up a little early (check-in time at the dock was 7:30 am), but getting to the crater first thing in the morning comes with the benefit of calm, clear water.

Adam dove down to say 'hello' through the glass bottom of the boat.

This was my first time snorkeling and I have to admit that I was a little nervous!  Once I mastered the art of calmly breathing through my mouth, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  There were the typical schools of colorful fish to gawk at, but the most notable discoveries we made were an eel and an octopus!  It was super exciting... maybe you had to be there.

There was the option to "snuba" on our boat.  For an extra 50 bucks, you get an oxygen tank that floats on the surface of the water attached to a long hose.  Here's a picture to help you visualize it:

Photo credit: wikipedia.org

It's marketed as a baby step towards scuba diving and sounded intriguing initially.  We ultimately decided against it stuck with regular snorkeling, which suited this beginner just fine.  It didn't look all that impressive in action.  The snuba hose seemed a bit short considering how many times I saw people running out of line and being jerked back like a dog on a leash.

I definitely recommend The Four Winds II snorkel excursion to Molokini, though, especially for a beginner.  The $80 price tag may seem a little steep, but the service really was phenomenal and the overall experience was great.  The breakfast left something to be desired, but they made up for it with an extremely tasty lunch of pulled pork sandwiches and grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, chips, and of course beer and wine.  We enjoyed a 2 hour round trip cruise to the crater, about 3 hours of water time, and the staff was very helpful with distributing equipment and getting us ready for the water.  The staff also seemed genuinely happy to be there, which does wonders for the vibe on the boat.

Our next excursion required an even earlier start time.  It was pretty absurd, actually, but we somehow got out of bed at 2:30 am to make a 3 o'clock check in at the bike shop.  The idea was to get to the top of Haleakala to watch a beautiful sunrise and then enjoy the morning biking down the volcano.  Unfortunately, we choose a rare morning where it was raining on top of the volcano, which is usually above the clouds.  Not everything about the trip could be perfect, right?  We weren't able to see a thing. No pretty colors, no sun, no crater, nada.  On top of that, it was freezing up there!  Adam was not a happy camper, partially because he isn't a morning person, partially because of the let down of no sunrise.

 

But it got better once we got to the biking portion of the trip.  The shuttle took our group a few miles down from the summit and set us loose.  We decided against a guided tour so we could go at our own pace.  There were a couple of small towns to poke around on the way down, not to mention the gorgeous scenery to be admired.  The drizzle finally died out about 10 minutes into our bike ride and the rest of the day was absolutely gorgeous.

Yep, we were biking down on the shoulder of a two lane road.  Only slightly scary!

I really, really wish I could recommend this excursion!  I'm sure I'd feel differently about the experience if I'd gotten to see a beautiful sunrise, but I didn't, so I'm left feeling that it wasn't worth the money or the early wake up time.  Oh well, you can't win them all!  Funny enough, our tour guide/shuttle driver was asked which excursions he recommends, and he made a point to dissuade any of us from going on the Molokini snorkeling tours... oh, the irony!  The silver lining is that even when everything doesn't go perfectly as planned, we were still in Maui!

We'd planned on tackling the road to Hana on one of the days, but the idea of spending most of a day in the car after the Haleakala experience was not appealing.  We made a compromise and drove up to Lahina for an afternoon for a change of scenery.  I was happy to spend that day playing on the beach!

Whew, this post has officially gone over the length limit!  There still so much I could share, but I'll end here by saying that it was a trip that I'll always remember.  Good things happen in Maui.  You should go.

Aloha!

Off The Market

Aloha, friends!  I'm still adjusting to reality after an amazing vacation in Maui, and I've got a little piece of jewelry to get used to wearing, as well.  After two wonderful years of building a relationship, Adam asked me to be his wife.  I said "yes"!

Curious about how it all went down?  Well, last Saturday evening, just before sunset, we strolled hoofed it from our friends' resort to a neighboring resort for a dinner reservation.  We planned on snapping a few pics with our fancy camera on the beach before heading to the restaurant, and we got to the perfect spot just in time (thanks to all the hoofing).  We took some pictures of our friends first and then handed off the cameras for our turn.  Then Adam lead me closer to the water near the rocks, told me he loves me (in addition to many other sweet words that I will keep private between us), got down on bended knee and presented me with a ring and a question.  Before I knew it, I had a rock on my finger and we were locked in an embrace.

Turns out that Adam and our friends were in cahoots!  It's pretty amazing how it all worked out.  I should mention that we didn't plan our trips together, yet we ended up on the same flight and with accommodations within 4 miles of each other.  It was awesome to have friends witness and share in our happiness, not to mention all of the pictures and video!   They even came prepared with a bottle of champagne.  Awesome friends, right?  Thanks again, y'all!  (you know who you are - FYF!)

Now that you know the gist of how the proposal happened, I'd like to use this space to answer a few frequently asked questions:

1. Were you surprised?

Yes, actually!  I had a hunch that it might happen on this trip because we were celebrating two years together and I was certainly feeling ready to make this step.  I was pretty sure Adam was on the same page, but we hadn't gone ring shopping or talked specifically about marriage in a while, so I didn't want to get my hopes up.  I honestly had no idea a ring was burning a hole in his pocket that evening until he opened the box.  Even when he was saying all of those sweet words, I still wasn't 100% sure he was actually proposing.  Maybe he just wanted to tell me something nice?  So, yeah, I was very surprised.

2. When are you getting married?!

Sometime in May of 2013.  Maybe April.  I have to admit that I was taken aback by how fast I got this question!  It felt like some people expected me to have our whole wedding planned out within the first 24 hours, but a friend made an excellent point: you never know how much a couple has already thought about their wedding before they get engaged.  I just so happen to have not thought extensively about it until now.   But I get it... you hear someone's getting married and one of the first things you want to know is when the big day will be.  Sorry, I don't have the save the dates printed up, but I can at least divulge a timeframe!

3.  Are you getting married in Atlanta?

No, but the wedding will be on the East coast.  We've decided to stick with tradition and say our vows in the same spot as his parents and his sister and brother-in-law, at the family cabin in Anniston, AL.  The idea of long distance wedding planning is only slightly unnerving because his family already knows how to throw a party at that site (or anywhere, for that matter).  I'll just have to get over my independent streak and graciously accept all of their knowledge and help!

4.  Do you love the ring?

It's perfect!  Not only had I not thought a lot about what my wedding will be like, I'd never fantasized about what kind of ring I'd like to wear for the rest of my life.  I wasn't even sure I wanted a diamond.  For that reason, I always assumed Adam and I would browse together first so he could buy based on what I was drawn to.  He went rogue!  It's simple, it's sparkly, and it looks like it belongs on my hand.    The fact that he did the research and picked out something he thought I'd love means more to me than I anticipated.

5.  Are you excited?

Absolutely.  As I mentioned above, I was never one to dream about my wedding, but now that I've nabbed the perfect man who wants to make this commitment with me, I'm beyond excited to go through this journey.  While it's against my nature to enjoy the spotlight (with the exception of while dancing in a tutu and ballet slippers), the love and attention that has been pouring our way from family and friends isn't intimidating.  It's quite wonderful.  I cannot wait to add a wedding band to my ring finger and then dance the night way with family and friends!

Whew!  This is a long post, so thanks for sticking with me if you're still reading!  I suppose that's enough engagement chatter... for now!   I'll be back soon to gab about our other Maui experiences.  Here's one more photo for the road:

Please excuse me for a moment while I use my little corner of the internet to brag about my upcoming vacation... I'M GOING TO MAUI!!!  <dorky happy dance!>  This time tomorrow I'll be on a jet plane heading to paradise to enjoy 6 days of beautiful landscape, warm beaches, fresh seafood, and mai thai's a plenty.  This will be my first time ever to visit a Hawaiian island and my first taste of the beach this summer - I am so freakin' pumped!  I cannot wait to set up camp on the beach with Adam; there will be a pic-nick and a hammock involved.  Today could not go by quickly enough...

I promise to share lots of pictures when I get back, as well as review the excursions we've got lined up, which include the Hana Highway drive, Snubaing, and a sunrise bike ride down Haleakala Volcano.

Until next time...

I Like Food

The topic of food worked its way into conversation with my hair stylist earlier today and I got way too excited while explaining how I adapted a recipe to be paleo.  She'd heard the term "paleo" before and was curious about it.  I did my best to give a general overview, but as soon as I said "no pasta, rice or bread" she shrugging it off as a repackaged Atkins diet.  I'm not even going to attempt to explain the science behind "eating like a caveman" in this post.  I'll leave that task to the likes of Robb Wolf and the plethora of information you can find on Google.  I'm really just here to tell you about a delicious side-dish I made last night, which happens to be paleo.

It all started when I scrolled through my bloglovin' feed and saw a gorgeous gratin dish on Smitten Kitchen, a rice based casserole with layers of zucchini and tomatoes - basically summertime on a plate.  I had to make it!  Only one problem: just the thought of rice makes my stomach bloat, so I had to figure out how I could get all of that flavor without one of the main ingredients.  Sure, I could have just roasted some sliced zucchini and tomatoes and ate them on their own, but I wanted a casserole, dammit!  The solution: shredded cauliflower.

This isn't the first time I've turned to cauliflower to take the place of rice.  Primal jambalaya, (find the recipe via Mark's Daily Apple HERE), which calls for shredded cauliflower instead of rice, has been a go-to meal in our house since I started dabbling in the paleo/primal lifestyle over a year ago.  On more than one occasion, I've steamed shredded cauliflower for a stir-fry or to soak up a savory curry, so I was pretty confident that "cauli-rice" would work just fine in this scenario.  Guess what?  I was right.  I followed the recipe as it is presented on Smitten Kitchen and simply subbed cauliflower for rice - easy peasy.  Look at how beautifully it turned out!

Underneath all those delicious tomatoes and zucchini slices is a creamy cauliflower mixture of onions, herbs, egg and cheese.  Pretty much just a bunch of vegetables baked together, which I served alongside balsamic glazed salmon.  Yum!  It made for a totally satisfying and healthy dinner and the best part was the absence of the rice induced food baby!  Adam devouring 2 heaping servings, so it's officially a part of the rotation.

So, why do you care that I ate my veggies?  I'm sharing this for those of you who are curious about the paleo lifestyle, but cannot imagine life without rice and pasta.  Honestly, I couldn't either until I realized that rice and pasta aren't actually all that great.  They don't taste like anything special on their own, they're simply vehicles for something delicious, like curry or Bolognese sauce.  I've found totally satisfying substitutes for both. (Spaghetti squash, anyone?)  Now, I'm not a devout follower of the paleo lifestyle, so please don't yell at me when you catch me stuffing a donut into my mouth.  I haven't found a satisfying substitute for glazed fried dough yet...  YET.  But I am trying new things and adding more paleo meals to my repertoire.  I'm guessing that sooner or later, every single one of my go-to meals will be paleo approved.

Want to try this recipe out for yourself?  I've copied and pasted the recipe by the culinary genius over at Smitten Kitchen below.  Literally the only change I made was nixing the rice and subbing in a head of cauliflower shredded in a food processor.  I've added directions for prepping the cauliflower in place of rice cooking instructions.

1/3 cup uncooked white rice   1 head of cauliflower, shredded
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Table salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided - *cheese isn't technically paleo, but it could easily be left out if dairy doesn't agree with you.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Break apart the cauliflower florets and rinse.  Place florets into a food processor and pulse until shredded into a rice-like texture.  It does not take much time, maybe 30 seconds to 1 min. of pulsing.  Place in a microwave safe container and zap in the microwave for about 5 minutes to soften (I'm actually not sure if this is necessary, as the 20 minutes baking in the oven may be enough, but I wanted to make sure the cauliflower was tender.)  Set aside.

While rice cooks, coat two large (or, if you have the same pitifully small oven as I do, three smaller) baking sheets each with a tablespoon of a of olive oil (a bit less for smaller pans). Spread zucchini and tomato slices on the baking sheets in as close to a single layer as you can. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Roast tomatoes for 10 minutes and zucchini for 20. Flip zucchini halfway through; it’s not worth the messy effort for the tomatoes. Leave oven on.

Heat large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, heat oil, then add onions, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan. Cover and reduce heat to low, cooking onions until limp and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Combine onion mixture, cauliflower rice, eggs, thyme, half of your grated cheese and a half-tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl. Add a good amount of freshly ground black pepper. Use the remaining half-tablespoon of olive oil to coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Spread half of rice mixture in bottom of dish. Arrange half of roasted zucchini on top. Spread remaining rice mixture over it and please don’t worry about being neat about this; dinner will be “rustic” tonight! Arrange remaining zucchini on top, then tomato slices. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese and bake until set and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Each oven varies, but I find mine does the very best browning when the dish is on a rack near the top of the oven.

It required a bit of work, but it was certainly worth the effort.  Oh, and I've taken a break while writing this post to eat leftovers from last night - still delicious!

Want to learn more about paleo and/or find some recipes to try?  I read the following blogs just about every single day for inspiration: 

Mark's Daily Apple

Everyday Paleo

Health-Bent

PaleOMG

28 Update: Volunteering

I am so excited to mark off another item on my "28 things to do while I'm 28" list, especially the one that this post is all about: volunteering!  This is actually the goal that spurred the rest of the list into existence.  See, I was feeling a bit in a rut in certain areas of my life as my birthday approached last year.  What better way to reinvigorate myself than to be exposed to new situations, different people, and contribute to society in a meaningful way through volunteering?  Of course, when I wrote the list I had no idea I'd be packing up to move across the country just two months later!  That dreaded feeling of being in a rut went a way once we landed in California, but the desire to volunteer my time for a cause I am passionate about remained.

The first place I looked for volunteer opportunities was at the Livermore Library.  Dork alert: I absolutely love libraries!  I used to work at a public library and know that volunteers are always welcome, and sure enough there were plenty of opportunities to choose from.  Everything from children's story time and arts and crafts classes to the READ Project, an adult literacy program.

Another goal on my 28 list is to apply to a graduate program to get a masters in teaching.  I figured the best way to know for sure whether or not I'm cut out to be a teacher would be to try my hand at teaching something to someone.  The READ project fit the bill.

I contacted the coordinator and learned that the next 8 hour training session was the upcoming Saturday.  Fantastic!  Except I was registered to do the San Francisco Color Run that day which I was really looking forward to, had already shelled out $45 for AND would have satisfied another one of my 28 goals, to run a 5k.  The next training session wouldn't be until October so I had to seriously weigh my options: make the trek into the city for fun exercise and colored powder, or get started with this volunteer project while I was super fired up about it.  I also had to consider the benefit of this volunteer work on the aforementioned grad school applications, not to mention the experience that could help determine if grad school is a good decision for me.

I ultimately decided to forego the race (maybe next year!) and attended the training so I could be matched with a student sooner rather than later.  I crossed my fingers and hoped that the 8 hour training session would be worth giving up a Saturday morning and afternoon.  Sure enough it was!  I was a part of a group of about 20 new volunteers to learn about the many resources available at the gorgeous Livermore library for the literacy program, which is very well organized with an attentive coordinator.  I left the training pumped to be matched with a student and get the literacy party started!

Fast forward three weeks and I am still giddy about this opportunity.  I was matched with a 31 year old  woman originally from Mexico who already speaks conversational English pretty well and surprised me with her initial reading assessment (it was higher than I expected).  Her goals are to be able to help her 7 and 11 year old sons with their school work, be able to participate in parent-teacher meetings in a valuable way, get a better job and possibly attend culinary school.  Very respectable goals, if you ask me!  We've met 3 times so far and I can already tell you that she's one smart cookie.  I'm so excited to see her progress over the next 6 months and beyond!

There will doubtless be more posts regarding this volunteer experience to come, so stay tuned!  Have you done any volunteering lately?  I'd love to hear about it - leave a comment!

A Happy Place: Yosemite

I'm terrified of snakes.  I have no idea how to pitch a tent and I couldn't start a fire without plenty of matches at my disposal, yet I am my happiest self when I'm playing in the great outdoors.  Case in point, the constant smile that was plastered across my face as I explored Yosemite for the first time last month!

Adam and I spent three nights at the Charlotte Hotel in Groveland, CA, an adorable little town about an hour from Yosemite valley, with Adam's parents while they were out west for a visit.  Our days were occupied with hiking, rafting and taking in the gorgeous snow-melt waterfalls and our evenings unwinding with wine, great food and live music in Groveland. Take a peek at a few of the photos I took over the three day trip.

Vernal Falls

Happily hiking Heather!

There hasn't been much of a fashion component to this blog lately, so I'm going to officially rule that this counts as an outfit post.  I found this very stylish Northface skort on sale at REI.  Yep, you read that right; it's a skort, meaning there are shorts built into the skirt!  It is incredibly comfortable for hiking, believe it or not.  The halter top was also an REI find and feels almost like swim suit material.  Here's a view of the back, kinda:

And here are my hiking shoes:

And back to the waterfalls:

Dark and stormy!

The iconic Half Dome

The closest thing we came to rapids during our lazy float down the Merced River.

View from Glacier Point

Enjoying a meditative moment overlooking Yosemite valley.

Just a deer hanging out on the side of the road.  No big deal.

Base of a Sequoia tree

I should have more pictures of the mighty Sequoias, but I was a tad bit hung over and car sick by the time we reached the Mariposa grove on our way out of the park and decided against the hour long tram tour.  Next time!

Well, that's all for now.  Hopefully I can get back out there soon and tackle some more challenging hikes, maybe even Half Dome!

The World's Fastest Rodeo

Livermore hosted its 94th annual rodeo earlier this month and I can now use the phrase, "this isn't my first rodeo" with authority.  It was everything I expected and more: cowboy hats and boots, belt buckles, lassos, corn dogs, beer, and 'yee haws!' galore.  Not a bad way to spend a beautiful summer afternoon in the valley, especially with a small town parade and pre-rodeo wine tasting to get things started.  A good blogger would have photos from the parade, the wine-tasting and my rodeo outfit, but we all know that I'm not a good blogger.  But I did snap a few pics of the rodeo itself!

Festival food + People watching opportunities!

I was rooting for the horses!

America!

I can't believe I actually got this shot.  You'll notice the timer over there on the right side reads 8.00, and the cowboy is still on the horse.  Well, 8 seconds is the goal and I think this is one of the only riders to last that long.

Two against one little calf doesn't seem fair!  I was rooting for the little guy; many of them eluded the ropers!

Poor cow!

The Livermore Rodeo touts itself as the "world's fastest rodeo" because they get 'er done without an intermission or much fluff.  We only attended the first day, and it took about 3 hours to get through all of the events, which included bareback riding, tie-down roping, team roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling,  barrel racing, and bull riding.  Oh, and I can't forget the "wild milking" contest, which I believe is unique to the Livermore rodeo.  It took me a while to figure out what was happening, but basically a team of two lasso and subdue a cow while the other guy attempts to milk the wild cow, hopefully producing at least a drop of milk in a bottle.  So strange!

Any rodeos coming to your town?  Will you attend?

Summer Tease

 Dress: Target, Necklace: Urban Outfitters, Clutch: The Limited (eons ago), Sandals: Target

My favorite summer necklace for 3 years and counting.

Happy Heather!

We finally got to experience what 90 degrees feels like here in Livermore, CA over the weekend.  It's quite bearable compared to 90 degrees in Atlanta (no humidity!), and it cools off to the most pleasant 67 degrees when the sun goes down.  At least that was the case this past Friday when Adam and I met up with some friends for dinner, fro-yo and people watching in downtown. Good times!

I've gotta say that it was a bit surprising to see 90 degrees in the forecast after several weeks of temps hoovering in the 60's, but it seems to have been just a tease.  Monday ushered in more seasonable temps in the 70's.  Basically, perfection.