On April 19th, I turned 30.

I always thought I'd be kind of freaked out by this birthday. If you asked me 5 years ago, I might have pictured an enormous farewell to my 20s (girls trip to Bali, going heli-skiing in Alaska, something like that). And I probably would have imagined being pretty freaked out by the prospect of turning a new decade (thanks in part to my kinship with Rachel Green, who as you know, didn't handle her 30th very well). But, as seems to be the case with just about every big change I've faced, by the time it got here I was ready.

Still, I'm one of those people who does care about birthdays. They mean something to me - a chance to check in, refresh, and reprioritize. And let's face it, maybe I like feeling a little bit special for a minute there (*insert blushy-smiley-face*). So the weekend didn't come without its good share of preliminary stress and troubles. Was it going to be special enough, something I'd remember down the line? Am I where I hoped I'd be at this point in my life? Was it going to be terrible without my family and besties (back in Boston) by my side?

Somehow everything settled in a few days before the big three-oh, when I realized I am where I want to be right now, in every way.  And I was lucky enough to celebrate with a weekend full of my favorite things: Jimmy, friends, the ocean, fire, camping, good beer, road trips, food, games, and music.

Here are some silly photos from one day of that weekend - bocce and bonfire on Ocean Beach.

A Hui Hou Kauai (Until we meet again)

Ah hello. Long time no see. I've been in Never Never Land for a while, taking a looong break from everything (except my partner in crime of course). It was wonderful! But I'm glad to be back, fully refreshed.

We were in Kauai, Hawaii (aka paradise), for two glorious weeks. Since then I've been on a week-long vacation hangover - my brain waking up slowly each day, my fingers feeling too jello-ey to type, my skin aching for warm waves and my tongue having daily cravings for poke and lau lau. Any tips on how to get (mentally) back to real life??

Well a photo share probably won't help matters, but I just can't help it. I might share some of the real camera pics later, we'll see (no promises until my Hawaiian brain wakes up thoroughly), but here are some iPhone captures::

Please, no trashum. 

POKE! 

So much plumeria. 

Polihale beach. 

Waimea Canyon

Kalalau lookout.

Aaaamazing breakfast bowl at Java Kai. 

Exploring Hanapepe. 

I saw all of my favorite sunsets. 

Michelada! 

Our absolute favorite lunch stop (we went 5 times): Hanalei Taro and Juice Co.

I hope you're all able to shut off for a week or two this summer as well - it's oh so good for the soul :). 

Getaway Weekend :: Lost Coast Backpacking

We had an amazing Memorial Day weekend up on the Lost Coast with Steph & Tyler and the pup. We started at Usal Beach (Sinkyone Wilderness Park) and hiked in about 5 miles to the most adorable little campsite in the world (called Dark Gulch).  There was a clear, cold stream running through it, so with the help of our trusty purifier we had endless fresh water. There were separate little areas for tents, fire and sitting (everything having it's place feels so darn homey). We skipped over a "bridge" of rocks to cross back and forth across the stream, hung our food from a tree (though that's not the recommended mode of bear protection!), and cooked over a tiny flame.

We spent our second night camping right on Usal Beach. There's nothing better than waking up in the middle of the night to let the dog do some business, and hearing the dark ocean crashing beside you and seeing the Milky Way in full force above. Our neighbors on the beach invited us to share their (larger) fire, and we discussed the glory of Route 1 and the happy ability Sinkyone offers to pop up camp without much planning or forethought whatsoever. We fell asleep to puppy snuggles and a crackling fire dying down outside the tent. 

Monday was about taking the long way home (per usual), stopping in Mendocino for brunch and our favorite wineries for "dinner", and rolling into the bed with the exhaustion of a thousand lives. Thanks, Lost Coast - each time is better than the last.