It's 25 Degrees Cooler in Alaska Right Now

During my last week of summer, my family and I went on an Alaskan cruise. I found myself frequently closing my eyes, trying to imprint the feeling of 60 degree weather on my face, knowing that I would be returning to 90+ degree heat in Greenville.

The whole time we were there, my family and I kept marveling at the fact that we were still in the same country we were in just days before in Florida.

The glacier we climbed in Skagway. We had those spiky things on our feet and everything, so it was official.

 

Our stops included Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Victoria, BC, and a trip down Tracy Arm Fjord. We hiked a glacier, went whale watching, drank more than a few pints in Canada, and generally gallivanted around the cruise ship.

Glacier we hiked again. We refilled our water bottles from it :)

 Me + brothers in front of Mendenhall glacier. I couldn't get over how pretty the blue ice was, almost too brilliant to be real.

 More brilliant, too-good-to-be-true colors

 Pretty houses by the docks

Wet, foggy days in Ketchikan are still lovely.

 

It was So. Much. Fun. I don't get to spend time with my family nearly enough, so a week with my (not-so) baby brothers and parents was so needed. What a great way to end a whirlwind summer. Cheers, Summer 2014, you were really something; now if you could get out of the way and let Autumn through, we're all a little tired of being sweaty all the time.

xoxo,
E

Summer Happened

Since I'm a teacher, I've had the same basic schedule since I was five years old. My life is broken into semesters and is punctuated by well-timed breaks. All my non-teacher friends always express jealousy at my three months-ish of break, but I've never really known any different. There's something so glorious about having that break time to do pretty much whatever you want, whenever you want. I will take the smaller paycheck teachers get every time to have freedom over my time like that (not that I would say no to a raise, don't get me wrong).

I got some good and much-needed mama time...and Gatsby got some Grammy time :)

The thing about having a three month break from your routine is that...you have a three month break from your routine. Days start to blend into one another in that languid way that only summer days can. At its best, you get to work on and do things just because you want to; at its worst, you forget the last time you washed your hair.

 I made some fun friends while in England and played lots of char-ahds (which is like charades, but British).

My family and I hiked a glacier in Alaska. We ate PBJs and filled our water bottles with glacier water and it was one of my favorite days ever.

All of this is to say I haven't been the best blogger the past few months, but for good reason. I've been busy with all the summer things: traveling, spending time with family and friends, hanging out with my sweet nugget, and eating and drinking lots of great food and drink. In the last four months, I've been to New Orleans, England, Austin, and Seattle/Alaska. What?! Picture dump posts are forthcoming. More than having fun, I've had the opportunity to be with people I love and to think deeply about what I want out of life moving forward. What can I say, too much free time makes me existential. Hopefully, some big news is coming soon!

I drank butterbeer at the Harry Potter studios in England. My (not-so) inner nerd was freaking out the whole time.

School (real school, you know, with kids) starts today, and I'm ready for it. I'm ready to wake up at a normal time, do something productive all day, and see my colleagues and students, who I really enjoy being around. I spent my last real day of summer drinking coffee, sitting on the couch with Gatsby, running a few errands, and having dinner with friends.

My brothers and I in front of Mendenhall glacier in Juneau

Goodbye, Summer 2014...you've been pretty great.

xoxo,
E

Go-To Souvenirs

Hi there! Sorry for the long hiatus...just so happens that I've been in jolly old England for the last three weeks. Just a warning, the next couple posts are probably going to be pretty Anglophilic.

 

Hanging out at Highclere (aka Downton Abbey!)

While I hate unpacking after a trip (everything I own is currently wrinkled and smells like suitcase), I love combing through my purchases and reminiscing on the great times I had. 

 

I bought this painting in Prague from the artist on the same bridge that is in the painting; I still remember walking with my study abroad friends along that bridge at night and staring at the castle in the background.

There is certainly no shortage of cheesy souvenirs out there to tempt us tourists (hello, Queen Elizabeth bobblehead...ok, that one's awesome), so what do you look for when you want to something that makes you smile nostalgically, rather than wonder what you were thinking?

This little print will always remind me of eating scones with clotted cream and wandering around Highclere/Downton Abbey (chatting like a nerd about the various scenes that happened in each room on the show).

I have two go-to's: art and homegoods. To me, the key is finding something that is interesting to look at and that will stand the test of time. Something that sparks conversation is always good, too.

Found these two beauties at a charity shop in the town where I stayed in England. I can't wait to have a friend over for coffee and break these babies out!

Picked this up at a market in the French Quarter on a trip to NOLA with my mom. She has a matching one :)

These are postcards from Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace); as an English major with an obsession with words, I was seriously geeking out the whole time. I can't wait to make a little gallery wall of them!

I'm not the most well-traveled person out there, but I love that looking around my apartment brings up happy memories! What about you? What's your go-to souvenir? If it's royal bobbleheads, I've got a gift shop in Canterbury that you definitely need to hit up :)

xoxo,

E