Only happy when it rains

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Amelia M.

2014 is slipping away and with it so many of my good blogging intentions. I’m going to do my best to do a fast and furious 2014 recap this week and next to bring in the new year. I thought I’d kick it off by showing you the time I got to revisit this cabin. Rainy days are some of my favorite days and this was no exception.

I know rain is a melancholy creature, but I love it anyways. I feel about rain the way Lorelai Gilmore feels about snow. It is the sign of something magical. A catalyst for the cathartic. Whether it is gently lapping at my window or pouring down everywhere, dramatically back lit by lightning and thunder, rain and I tend to get along [Unless of course I am trying to have frizz free hair, but we’ll save that rant for another time].

Many people count down the days to snow, but don’t seem to give rain its due. Rain is there in all the important moments and teaches us so much. Rain helped us understand Lloyd Dobler’s heartbreak [She gave him a PEN guys, His heart for a PEN!]. It told us to love our governesses and not rely solely on the affection of boyfriends who could turn into enemy soldiers at any moment. Rain taught us that kissing upside down is infinitely cooler. It is where Aly and Noah bankrolled NIcholas Spark’s retirement. Where true heroism in the form of Jeff Glodblum bravely distracted a T-Rex so those dumb screaming kids could get away. Where Holly was reunited with Cat. Where 2005 Darcy stole our hearts while alienating Elizabeth. Rain is magical. Let’s leave it at that.

[On a slightly more obscure note, Roswell fans will also note that rain is where Michael finally opened up to Maria despite his terrible childhood and general my-life-is-hard-because-I-am-a-teenage-alien issues.]

Of course, a good rainy day also needs a good playlist of course. Here is one of mine.

The rain I encountered on this day was just a drizzle. A little touch that made everything seem extra lush and gorgeous. After I was done exploring, I spent the rest of my time curled up in blankets, reading, and writing. Something I plan to keep doing as the rain disappears and the snow starts in earnest.

Currently: Wishing you a Happy New Year! Have fun and be safe!

Treat yo self

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Amelia M.

I am peacefully lost in the sound of relaxing music, nestled in warm blankets, happy to be unwinding and not thinking about anything when a small, nervous voice breaks my cozy atmosphere:

“I think you’re breaking out in hives.”

These are words you never want to hear, but are especially bad coming from your masseuse.

A masseuse who has just rubbed a now suspect oil over your entire body.

But let’s rewind a little bit. As you may have guessed massages and freak allergic reactions are not a part of my daily routine. No, this began when two friends and I piled into the car after work on a Friday afternoon and headed out on a girls getaway [a treat yo self trip if you will] to Telluride, Colorado.

We were prepared with a full tank of gas, snacks, music, hotel reservations, plans, and directions. This was not our first trip. We felt we knew what we were doing.

Until we missed our turn off, putting us off course by an hour or two. In the middle of the night. On an unfamiliar road.

The next morning we also discovered almost all the places we’d written down to eat at or visit… closed for off season.

We typed new destinations into the phone gps, only to have it take us to an old location on the wrong side of town.

Then we went to our planned hike … to find the road unaccessible for our little car. So, it became a longer, steeper hike.

Sometimes mountains are intimidating.

Which became a slower hike, after I fell and sprained my ankle.

The same swollen ankle that soon became in danger of hives.

On paper it looks like a serious of unfortunate events. In reality it was anything but.

Those two unplanned driving hours were filled with great conversation, the kind of talk and laughter that only happens when you are stuck in a car for hours upon hours. When we did arrive to our hotel in the late am, the front desk guy was beyond nice, our room inviting, and our beds soft.

The seating area in our room. It’s hard to tell, but there was a lovely fireplace for us to sit by.

This was the view from the hotel balcony. There is a little river running just under these trees.

The next morning our wandering lead us to some wonderful food including this cinnamon roll from Maggie’s Bakery and Cafe. While we ate funny signs and a little cookie jar collection [only some for sale] kept us entertained.

Another guy at the hotel gave us new off season friendly recommendations and all our misdirection gave us ample time to absorb the town and discover street art and unusual graffiti, all while filming a mock horror film [it was the week before halloween so we were trying to get in the spirit of things!].

I very much loved this plastic street art.

Brainwashing.

I’ll save you the squint. It says “Save the World, Ban the Press [Predt?], Free the Hugs, Keep the Peace.”

“Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.” This may have to be my new mantra actually. So relevant to life lately.

Our extended hike? The bark was worse than the bite, if you will. The hardest part was not knowing how long the road was, but the view at the end was worth it.

Bridal Veil Falls, Telluride [Not Utah]

This is me trying to figure out the new macro lense I got for my iphone. haha.

A little rock moss for you. up close and personal thanks to more macro lense experiments.

Rocks and water at the base of the falls.

One last one of the falls. I think our original hike plan would have taken us to the top of the falls? Regardless we were happy with where we ended up.

My ankle, though swollen and bruised, did not stop me from enjoying a steam room,a hot tub under the stars, and scary movies and pizza in our hotel room.

Garlic knots and pizza from Brown Dog Pizza. Forgive the blur and trust it was delicious. They even gave us diet coke to go [so best friends for life?]. Also, there was in fact, a dog, only he was tied up outside the place waiting for someone.

Oh, and that massage? Those mystery hives? Still a little bit of a mystery [we’re blaming the sesame seed components], but easily remedied with a quick shower and a switch of treatments [that nervous voice was also a bit dramatic; no medical intervention was necessary].

This is me playing with my new iphone color filter thing. It looks like a multi-color slide you put in front of your lense. Basically I’ve been really into photojojo lately. I bought their starter kit for iphonography and it’s been really fun.

More of the falls.

That tiny town in the distance is Telluride! There were a few more hikes and stops on this trip, so I’ll have to do a part 2.

All surprises and minor calamities aside, it would be ungrateful and completely missing the mark to say our trip was anything but a wonderful adventure. The best laid plans never did make the best stories and I am appreciative to be in a window of life where I can have the total luxury of purely-for-fun vacations, see the gorgeous scenery of the country I live in, and enjoy the company of great friends.

Currently: getting ready for the little sister’s big day!! I can’t believe the wedding is almost here.

Happy Camper

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Amelia M.

Once, at a single and mingle type event, where I had spent quite some effort trying not to let conversation lapse into awkward silence, this happened:

Guy: [Last ditch effort at finding common interest] I really like camping. Do you like camping?

Me: [Remembers sitting around a campfire eating a s’more once] Yeah!

Guy: Oh great! Where are your favorite camping spots?

Me: [Thinks further] You know what, I don’t really like camping.

[Awkward silence ensues anyway. Some things cannot be helped.]

The point being: I don’t have much experience in camping, but the older I get [and the more I live in Utah] the more I’m learning to enjoy the great outdoors. The gorgeous mountain views continue to draw me in, even though when I announce my good, outdoorsy intentions, family members send me photos likes this:

In fact, felt I would be neglectful not to share some of my wonderful camping and nature adventures this year. In particular I went on a wonderful camp out with my Church group.

It did not hurt that our camp out included access to the Thomas’s cabin [Thank you!!] and that we played several rounds of Heads Up [I cannot get enough of this game]. But before that I did partake of all the natural beauty around me. I promise.

I was particularly enchanted by these lovelies and the view behind them [There is something about that layer of mist].

To be honest, for this camping experience I did not technically sleep on the ground or in a tent. I did, however, sleep on the deck of the cabin, out under the stars. Which, trust me, shows significant personal growth. The next morning I also went out on a hike before we packed it in and headed back to the city.