Wanderlust

Cabin Hollow, Utah

Najavo Lake, Utah

Zion National Park, Utah

Zion National Park, Utah

Grand Canyon, Arizona

This past September my brother Liam embarked on a solo cross country roadtrip. For two months he camped on beaches, up dodgy roads and in open fields and once hiked a pan, bacon and eggs up a mountain for what must have been a most spectacular and rewarding breakfast! His travels brought him from Vancouver, BC down the west coast to LA then onto Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana  Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania before settling in New York for a grand total of 8500 miles and 54 days.

Liam faithfully documented his travels and shared them via his envy inducing instagram. This is just a small scattering of my favourite photos he took with a camera borrowed from Landon's mum. I'm urging him to make a blog on which he can share the full collection of his travel photos and will hopefully have that to share with you soon.

Today it is a frigid -9 celsius (which is nothing compared the -25 in my hometown Ottawa) and our Super only just turned on our solo radiator so looking at these pictures is currently serving as an escape from my chilled surroundings! Me and my icicle toes are eager to move into the next season and the adventure it brings.

Little Colorado Canyon, Arizona

Kanaab, Utah

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Garfield, Utah

Garfield, Utah

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Across the Sea

Finally a moment to sit down and recount my ten days of travel abroad (was gone for a month but only spent ten days in England, the rest were darting around the west coast). Have composed two versions of the story, one long and one short and sweet! (I've placed the long one after the cut with some photos from the trip, unfortunately just of the instagram variety.)

The Short Version:

It was a magnificent, perfectly dreamy, better than imagined trip.

within sight of my heaven

It's so beautiful here that I'd like to stay forever (something I never thought I'd say about the Ottawa region)! Every tiny task is made a million times better because of my surroundings - even doing the dishes and sweeping the floor is cheerful and fun. The cottage is three floors and on a hill with 30 (what!) windows on the third floor so it feels not unlike sitting up in a tree-fort. Best of all though is my little kitty friend who follows me everywhere and wakes me up by sitting on me and kneading my belly (aiding digestion?) I woke up the other day with a tiny paw sized bruise near my ribs thanks to her enthusiasm.

Landon's been on regular boat outings and is becoming quite the proficient kayaker. I made a rather pathetic attempt at my own outing but instead fell into the water while stepping into the kayak. Floating around on a water cushion suits me and my lack of balance a little better I think.

I realized in a quick review of my blog that you must think us rather solo characters, floating through life with just each other as company. I should remedy this one day and actually share with you some pictures and stories of the wonderful people who make our lives bright and exciting!

Click here for your musical mix! :D

(ps. Thank you for all your literary recommendations! I've not had a chance to get to the library but was incredibly pleased to find that my dad had brought his own collection up to the cottage! I have already made my way through Wuthering Heights and am presently reading Lady Chatterley's Lover with Women in Love lined up after! I will definitely be putting your list to good use when I'm home though and would recommend taking a look at the comments yourself should you be in need of reading inspiration.)

would rather gather

My sour face is terribly misleading as I have been in pure heaven these past twelve days! We were up at my Dad's newly acquired riverside cottage outside of my hometown Ottawa (hello to new friend Sarah up there! It was super meeting you and your male companion at Blues Fest). It was absolutely breathtaking and I was loathe to leave it so soon.  Being home is nice and as always I'm excited to get back to routine and business though will miss terribly hopping out to collect flowers for indoors, playing excessive amounts of boardgames (also watching excessive amounts of True Blood) and my dad's girlfriend's delicious cooking (you can find her scrumptious vegan recipes here).

Many thanks for all the kind comments on my last post! I did not have much opportunity to troll the internets while away but I promise that I am ever so slowly but surely poking around all of your blogs and playing catch-up.

Hawaii Part Two: Water

(and one cheesy vacation picture for good measure)

We stayed in Kaua'i (nicknamed The Garden Isle) for seven days and O'ahu for two at the end of our trip. Kaua'i was, without a doubt, the most beautiful place I've visited. We spent the first day learning about the island and exploring a few spots before settling down on the beach and watching the sun set and chickens scramble all around us (most glorious, am now wishing we had room for chickens in our small brooklyn abode). The second day we were up before the sun and off to tour around the island exploring canyons and waterfalls and ending our day with delicious fish and tropical drinks. The third day we went on a kayak trip down the river and to a spot where we hiked to the "secret falls" and later to our very own swimming hole with a rope swing (I was awful with the rope swing and repeatedly lost my top). The fourth day we drove to the north side of the island, visited a beach (where we found George Clooney making his latest movie magic), poked around in a cave and finished our day at a family Luau where Landon and Liam learned how to wiggle their bottoms. The fifth day we went to the beautiful botanical gardens and spent hours roaming the grounds admiring the pretty foliage. The sixth day we took a boat up the coast to the Na Pali Coast (incredible) I spent the majority of the trip ralphing overboard but was able to contain my fluids long enough to peer at the fishies below while snorkeling. The seventh day we took a helicopter tour of the island (anything I could say about that would be insufficient in detailing the outrageous beauty that surrounded us). It was a perfect trip!

Hawaii Part One: Land

Hello friends, just a quick update of one of many posts I imagine I'll be making on our trip west to a most beautiful part of the world! I don't have much time as bed is beckoning but tomorrow I hope to make a second post of water related pictures with tales of our travels.

Before I off, however, I must tell you that I am presently in KITTEN HEAVEN! Yes, friends, I have two eight week old brother kitties sleeping on my lap as I type this. My mum adopted these two boys to comfort the household as we grieve the loss of a most beloved member (my grandparents, mum, brother and sister all live together in a home built by my great-grandpa here in beautiful West Vancouver). I'm not sure how I'll be able to part with these two when it comes time to travel south again (as if I am not already pining for the company of my west-coast family enough!). This blog will no doubt be swimming in kitten pictures by the end of our stay here (one of them keeps popping up for kisses on the nose)!

you suit me well

(all photos thanks to this wonderful set on flickr!)

Landon and I are set to embark on our first tropical vacation in a week from today and I find that I am rather unprepared for our beachy destination (particularly in the swimwear department)! I have a few sweet vintage suits but they are too serious and dark for this particular outing and so I turn to you, internet buddies, where do you find your party-time swim attire? (Our destination is that glorious island of Jurassic Park.) Ideally one of those suits pictured above (especially the bear suit with the big bow and matching hat) would miraculously appear in my luggage (my fingers are not crossed). Any hints as to where I can find a suit in the city or some super online shop? Many thanks in advance! (and then there is the issue of summer footwear... ru-roh)