dear 2013 // a year in review

January 4, 2014

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Dear 2013,

Even though you’re technically gone, I still wanted to take a moment here to recognize you. To thank you for being such a big, challenging, joy-filled year for me. I am SO THANKFUL for all the adventures this year brought me. When I look through these pictures I get this crazy strong nostalgic feeling. Happy and sad and everything in between. Happy because you brought me so many significant memories, and sad because you’re gone for good.

I opened Dear Friend Shop. I can’t believe I got my act together and really did it, but I did! It proved to be fun, but also overwhelming for me. Since it’s not my full-time job, I haven’t spent as much time with it as I ultimately would have liked to {or more honestly, had the energy to}, but that’s okay because it just means I can work on it more in 2014. I think I’ve started to find my niche, and will use this new year to build on it and bring it alive in my creative work.

I visited Denver, a brand new-to-me city with the very best of my friends. This showed me how much my heart wants to see so much of the rest of this country. I want to see the world, I want to see everything!, but it was this trip that made me realize how much of the US I yearn to see. Oh my goodness, I want to see it all. It also showed me how much I love my friends. How much happiness I feel when I’m with them, and how much it means for me to find the time {and money} to see them. I’m really pretty terrible at keeping in touch {on the phone and email front}, but I am committed to making get-togethers happen, so this I will try for each and every year to come.

I left my old teaching job, and began a new one. This was probably the biggest and most significant change for me in 2013. It came upon out of the blue and challenged me to my core. It was both sad and exciting to leave, and honestly a little hard for me to transition, but I’m really coming into my own now, and I know it will just get better and better with time. I miss my old teaching friends {but can and do still get together with them} and am also starting to make new ones. I look forward to the day second grade feels as natural to me as first grade did– the curriculum part of it I’m still getting the hang of– but the kids are still as fabulously funny as ever. I can hardly wait to see how far they’ve come in June!

I have so many amazing people in my life. The photos above speak volumes to that. Zan, my sister, my parents, my extended family, Zan’s family, my friends. I love them all so much I could cry. How do you measure a year? In mighty, mighty love.

And! I turned 30. I feel… kind of different? Not really different at all? Some days I feel older. But mostly, I feel the same. My eyes have been opened to how lucky I am. How much I have and see and do. How blessed I have been with my experiences and also with my sense of appreciation. I hope I never lose sight of that. I want to be grateful until forever. And long after forever, too.

Oh, life, I can’t help but think– it really is so amazing.

Here’s to the good, here’s to the better, here’s to the best.

Cheers to you, 2013. So long, sweet memories.

17 Comments · Filed Under: life, nostalia ·

the little island that could.

October 14, 2013

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It was a warm day in August when we woke up before the sun. We’d picked out our clothes the night before, charged the cameras, packed the sunblock— It was a warm day in August when we headed out of Chatham chasing the darkness, excitedly looking for the light. In Hyannis we boarded the ferry, all 6 of us. We buzzed out of town on the breeze, soaking in sun rays and breathing in that salty Cape Cod air. Do you know what kind of ride it was? It was bright and breezy, with a little bit of coffee and a good amount of excitement. I love going back to places that I’ve been. Places that were good to me and places that I love.

OH yes, this is surely one of those places— This is Nantucket, the little island that could.

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Scooters were a MUST for our trip, and the reason we were able to do so many things and see so many places, since we didn’t have a car. We started at Brant Point Lighthouse, which is right around the spot where the ferry pulls in and out of the island. Zan always says that if you throw a penny off the side of the boat you’ll be guaranteed another return. Good thing last summer I was all out of pennies— had to throw a quarter in, so I’m all set for awhile!

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After scooting through town for a bit, we headed out to Madaket where we hit up Millie’s Market for some morning snacks on the way to the beach {warm blue water GLORY!}. We watched the beach goers, did a bit of digging for sand crabs, and just straight up took some time to revel in the beauty of it all. G O R G E O U S !

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From there we rode out to Cisco Brewery for lunch and bevys and after that we continued on to the quaint and near picture perfect ‘Sconset, where we spent some time roaming the streets and even running into old friends! You never know who you’ll run into in Nantucket– for me it’s someone different every single year. Who might it be next time? Isn’t that the fun of it? Only time will tell…

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Sankaty Light isn’t far from ‘Sconset, and it was on the way back to town, so we decided to visit for one last tourist hit of the day, and believe me, not one of us was sorry— That lighthouse is the real deal. Also, I always happen to come here in the late afternoon, just as the sun is starting to creep to the west. It’s lovely this time of day, with the sky so vast and beautiful and blue.

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Oh, what a day. What a day, WHAT A DAY.

We walked the town as the sun sank down, eating good food and thinking back on our day together. That warm day in August, I’ll never forget, was absolutely one the best of the year. That warm day in August we left Nantucket embracing the darkness, remembering the beauty of the light. We boarded the ferry and buzzed out of town on the breeze, soaking in the stars and breathing in the memories. Oh how I love going back to places that I’ve been. Places that were good to me and places that I love.

This is Nantucket, the “Grey Lady of the Sea”. This is the little island that could. ♥

12 Comments · Filed Under: friends, life, nostalia, summer ·

two days in lake placid…

September 15, 2013

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While I was home in August for a week, my mom, sister, and I decided to take a last minute girls trip up to Lake Placid, New York. Some family in Syracuse had been talking about taking the trip up for a summer lacrosse tournament (lacrosse is VERY BIG in our family— my sister and I are the only ones who never played!), and the mention of the Adirondacks suddenly got us nostalgic for it. We used to spend summers up in Lake Placid, back in our figure skating days. Did you know I used to be a figure skater? For real, I was! Spins and jumps and costumes and all. OH, the good old days.

This town is one of the prettiest places around. So much to see and do! Here are some photos from our two days in Lake Placid and Keene…

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Seriously beautiful, right? Every time I visit I love it even more…

The lucky part for us is that a few of our cousins live in Lake Placid currently (I have a lot of cousins, in case you’re wondering! 15 first cousins on my dad’s side alone!), and my Aunt Holly lives in a town a few miles down the road called Keene. She owns the most gorgeous house looking over the mountains AND has additional land with cabins for guests. Really, the most amazing thing! We had such a nice time staying with  her–she’s a fabulous cook (she co-owns a few restaurants in town with my cousin Phoebe) and we enjoyed drinks and dinner with some of her close friends the night we stayed over. The perfect getaway.

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Below are a list of some of my favorite things to see and do in Lake Placid should you ever plan a trip! {Also, I got your email, Lauren! THIS IS FOR YOU!}

To eat:

Big Mountain Deli and Creperie
Simply Gourmet

{the above places are run by my aunt and cousin—
both are amazing, and not just because they’re my family!}

Liquids and Solids
Steak and Seafood

To stay:

Golden Arrow {affordable, right in town, on the water!}
Schultes Family Lodge {cabins!}
Mirror Lake Inn {fancy!}

To play:

Walk Main Street {lots of shops and the creperie is here!}
Visit the Olympic Rinks {Miracle on ICE!}
Walk around Mirror Lake
Take a bobsled ride
Go on a gondola to the top of Little Whiteface

And SO MUCH MORE here.

14 Comments · Filed Under: family, life, nostalia, summer, travel ·

holding onto summer.

September 14, 2013

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Today is a near perfect end of summer/beginning of fall day. It’s sunny, and warm, but with just enough chill that jeans are in the “to wear” pile. I like that. All summer long I can’t even imagine the thought of putting on jeans— too hot, too uncomfortable. Hot and uncomfortable is kind of my favorite, though, so I like that, too. I like the idea of walking around in short shorts and a loose tank, sweat dripping from the creases of my arms and legs. There’s something glorious about it, even if a bit uncomfortable.

Jeans are also my favorite. And a coolish breeze on a warmish day.

So I’m in flux. Stuck between my goodbye to summer and my hello to fall. And right now, I’m okay with it. It’s a good place to be, I’ve realized.

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These photos have little to do with this post, except for the fact that they are my tie to summer, my tie to home. I was lucky enough to spend a whole 10 days in New York this August. 10 DAYS of blue skies and puffy white clouds over shining waters. I’ll be posting more photos of my time on vacation over the next few days– they’ve been sitting on my computer for awhile and it’s about high time I share them. Also, I think in a way I’m holding onto summer through them— I’m living in the fall but keep peaking back. A fine way to ease into the season, I say. A fine way indeed.

8 Comments · Filed Under: family, life, nostalia, summer ·
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