Truckee Day 1

I'm running on three hours of sleep (maybe), and successfully accomplished an 8 hour drive up to Truckee (with Fitzgerald in tow - his first ever road trip!). It is so gorgeous up here!  I've been before but it's been about 6 years.  I'm so excited to relax among the snow and the trees and celebrate a white Christmas.  This is also the most time my family has had together in several years.  My family has all sorts of plans but the only thing on my agenda is reading and board games.  Oh and sleep - lots and lots of sleep.

Goodbye, 2015

2015 was quite the year for me:

I had my heart broken.  I grew in my faith.  I finished paying off my student loans (!).  I was put under more pressure at work than I've ever experienced and branded a new company.

I learned to be gentle with myself.  I finally reached a point where I am able to let go of the things I cannot control, instead of pouring energy into them.  I've adjusted my attitude and perspective so that my first thought is to approach someone with understanding instead of taking everything personally.

I've dealt with rejection and deep sadness.  I've formed and strengthened friendships with many beautiful souls.  I've lost count of the amount of times I've laughed so hard that my stomach hurt.  I cuddled with Fitzgerald hundreds of times.

I visited Scotland. Vegas. Big Bear. Palm Desert.  Healdsburg.

I attended my first (country) music festival.  I went to my first opera.  I moved and started living on my own again.  I took pictures and more pictures and more pictures after that (and sold more in my online store than I ever have).  I went to museums and more concerts than I can count at tiny venues, beaches, shopping centers, arenas, schools and more.  I spent countless sunrises at the beach.  I replaced my record player and upgraded my bedroom furniture.

I ate dozens of oysters.  Attended a t.v. awards show.  Drank a million cups of tea and coffee and wine.  Hosted a bar crawl.  Attended multiple podcast recordings (and listened to hundreds of hours of podcasts).  Mailed lots of snail mail.  Attended church retreats.  Prayed the rosary dozens of times. Attended Adoration.  Read lots of books.  I finally opened a retirement account and a second savings account.

I started to appreciate the pieces of me that make me who I am.  I've loved fiercely.  I went to the gym more than I ever have.  I spent time with family.  I went to Disneyland again and again as well as baseball games, basketball games, and hockey games.  I took public transportation in LA for the first time.

I feel so blessed to have such a good life and to be surrounded by so many amazing, lovely people.

Bring it on, 2016.

Morning Marine Layer

I will never not love spending my Sunday morning watching the sun rise along the coast.  I headed up PCH, stopping at Piedra Beach, Zuma, and a stretch of beach a couple miles north of the Malibu pier.  The ocean was dotted with surfers, waiting for the perfect wave and the only sound I could hear are the waves crashing.  Dark and moody driving soundtrack provided by Sleeping at Last.

Also Piedra Beach is slightly terrifying, as I had to climb across a stretch of the earth only a few inches across with my camera in tow and all I could imagine was accidentally hurling my body down the cliff and dying. Normal thought, yes?

Fight Club

Watching a movie in a cemetery, loaded up on Trader Joe's snacks = perfect way to end the summer in LA.  The sun is setting so fast already (which is why these photos are so incredibly grainy), so it's nice to get in as many sunsets as possible before Autumn takes over.