Hikes & Thoughts

I've been feeling a little out of my element - feeling like my boot stompin' self does better near a city. I have been missing the energy of a fast paced life and I've been missing having a Target closer than 1hr away. Luckily, a few hikes and a game of Cards Against Humanity with new friends helped change my mind. I'm beginning to think that spending a year a little off the grid might be just what I need.

I wanted to share some photos from my hikes last week. You can see how the seasons are a little confused here. One hike was so reminiscent of wintertime, whereas the second hike was right on cue with fall. Personally, I'm digging the fall colors. I still have yet to satisfy my pumpkin flavored everything craving, so I'm glad I have a little more fall left!

We have arrived!

Well, we made it! We have arrived in Telluride :) The first day we were here it was gorgeous fall weather (as you can see in the first few pictures). Then, unexpectedly, the cold flew in and the next day it snowed like it was Christmas morning - huge snowflakes and all! We ended up getting about 3 inches in town. I enjoyed my first Telluride snow by eating pumpkin oatmeal in bed, taking a gondola ride to Mountain Village, and applying for jobs - isn't that what everyone does on the first day of snow?! All jokes aside, it is currently hard to find jobs since most places in town are closed down until Thanksgiving, which is when the season picks back up. But, Luke and I are trying our best and going out every morning to apply at different places! So wish us luck :) Otherwise, we're exploring Telluride and setting up the apartment! 

View from our apartment!

Lake Michigan Sunrise

After only four hours of sleep, I woke up Friday morning at 5:15am and felt wide awake. Instead of forcing myself back to sleep, I embraced my sleeplessness and decided to go to the beach to watch the sunrise. It was a quiet and gentle kind of sunrise that welcomed me to the new day and to my last weekend in Chicagoland. So thank you Lake Michigan for treating me to one fantastic last sunrise. I also found some of the best beach glass pieces washed up on shore. It seems that early morning is the best time to comb the beach.

Well, I'm moving!

In a little less than two weeks I'm moving out to Colorado - Telluride to be exact! I am so very excited and scared at the same time. It was a struggle to get to this point - the point where I finally feel ready to live completely on my own. For a while I kept telling myself, In a few months I will be ready to move. Yet, after a few months passed, I was still no where close to ready. In the days following the peak of my moving out crisis, I came across a quote and something finally clicked. The quote reads, "If we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting for the rest of or lives." Once I read that I finally realized I will never be truly ready to leave. It was then that I finally decided to just go for it and take the big jump. Coincidentally, around that moment the idea of moving to Telluride kind of fell into my lap. I took it as a sign and now that's that! To Telluride we go!!

Allow me to answer some FAQ's about the big move to Telluride:

1) Yes! Luke is coming with me!

2) No, neither of us have a job.

3) Yes. I am a little concerned about that, but I believe we will find jobs.

4) Yup! We do have an apartment and we have one other roommate.

5) I know! The skiing will be amazing! No, I have never skied before and yes I'm ready to learn!

6) Yes. I'm leaving the best job in the world and I'm going to miss my Free People team like crazy!!

Well, I think that about covers it! :) Wish me luck on this new adventure!

image source: two pictures from pinterest that I collaged

Weekend Trip: Kettle Moraine

Well, as you can see in the video, mine and Luke's weekend started off on a bad foot. I typed Kettle Moraine into my iPhone thinking it would lead us to our destination. Turns out there are two Kettle Moraine's - South and North - and they are about 2 hours away from each other. We wanted North and I took us South. I mean really it was Siri that took us South, right?! Luckily the Southern area still had campsites, so we booked one and got back on track! We spent the weekend reading, fishing, and mountain biking. It was my first time mountain biking and although it was a bit of a challenge it was really rewarding! I ended up doing the easy trail twice and the moderate trail once. I may have walked a few hills on the moderate trail, but we can keep that a secret ;)

Bloody Mary Fest

Nobody I know loves bloody marys more than this girl...

So, when I found out that Highwood was having a Bloody Mary Fest, Colleen was the first person I texted! The fest took place on a cool and overcast Sunday which, in my opinion, is the perfect kind of day for a good bloody! There were tons of different vendors (food, beer, and bloody marys), live music, and they even managed to provide some big screen TV's to stream the Chicago Bears game. Since Colleen is a hardcore fan, she tried pretty much every bloody mary there was to offer - including one that came with a sandwich slider! I only grabbed one bloody mary and, luckily, it was Colleen's top pick! It was made by Stu's who makes "the perfect bloody mary mix!" We ordered their Chicago style bloody, which included sport peppers, a sliver of their homemade sour pickle, and a tomato. It was fantastic! Also, did you know that there is a drink called a bloody maria?! Instead of vodka you use tequila! Very cool :)

Royals

 Click here to listen to Royals by Lorde

Need a good song to start your weekend off? Well this is it! The song Royals by Lorde will make you feel like a badass - and who doesn't want that feeling every now and then? This song, part of her EP The Love Club, is just a little teaser until her full album drops in September. Did I mention that this New Zealand native is only 16!? This chick is totally going places. Enjoy!

photo credit: here