As we walked off the plane, I raised my right hand up and muttered under my breath: I solemnly swear to never ask you to book us a red-eye flight ever again. Bryce probably gave me an eye roll. I don't know, I was too tired to notice. We flew from Seattle to New Orleans… Continue reading No more red-eyes
Tokyo Disneyland: Making memories, matching sweatshirts and confusing fellow Disney go-ers as cast members
One year Two years later and I'm finally here to recap my Tokyo Disneyland visit from October 2022. Thank you for your patience. (That's just life as a working mom with a toddler, amirite?) As you may recall, there was a lot of excitement and anticipation leading up to this Disney outing for me. This… Continue reading Tokyo Disneyland: Making memories, matching sweatshirts and confusing fellow Disney go-ers as cast members
HI life to the French Riviera to Switzerland to Seattle fall
"I'm sad summer is over," I said to Bryce. "But, didn't you have a good summer?" he replied. Yes, I had a fantastic summer. We packed so much into our Seattle summer. Hiking, camping, paddle boarding, baseball games, fun with friends, showing out-of-town visitors the sites, the list goes on and on. And, we also… Continue reading HI life to the French Riviera to Switzerland to Seattle fall
Camping Year 3: Minimal sleep, lots of mosquitoes and becoming a junior ranger
I had a blog post draft saved on our Camano Island camping trip last summer. Well, let me rephrase this: I had a blog post title saved. I never got around to writing it. This time, I will get further than just a blog camping post title. We camped one night at Seaquest State Park… Continue reading Camping Year 3: Minimal sleep, lots of mosquitoes and becoming a junior ranger
13-hour Paris layover: lots of walking, trying to stay awake and attempting to not get too upset at Charles de Gaulle Airport
When my friend, Mo, and I were planning our trip last fall to Abu Dhabi in February to visit our friend, Allie, we were a bit unsure of how we'd transport ourselves to the capital of the United Arab Emirates. There were pros and cons to all the options. Then we came across one route… Continue reading 13-hour Paris layover: lots of walking, trying to stay awake and attempting to not get too upset at Charles de Gaulle Airport
Vancouver Marathon 2024: A perfect set-up for a great half marathon
“I had a good half marathon,” I replied to the friends and coworkers — and neighbors and anyone else who knew I was running the Vancouver Marathon — when they asked how my race went. The thing is, while this was my slowest marathon (with a time of 4:32, and yes, that means four hours… Continue reading Vancouver Marathon 2024: A perfect set-up for a great half marathon
No snow? No problem. Learning to cross-country ski, anyway.
We knew that when we bought our toddler cross-country skis a year ago, they would not be getting weekly usage right away. Heck, last year it was all about not being afraid of the skis! As a one-and-a-half year old, the first time she saw her little skis in the house, she was scared of… Continue reading No snow? No problem. Learning to cross-country ski, anyway.
Haceta Head Lighthouse aka teaching my toddler how to use a flashlight
Who likes night hiking? It isn't for everyone. I am "meh" about it. I don't hate it but I don't love it. I always worry I am going to trip over a rock or crevice on the trail that I didn't see in the dark. But, to get a good sunset or sunrise hike, you… Continue reading Haceta Head Lighthouse aka teaching my toddler how to use a flashlight
Whoa, look at that wave! Look at that spray!
Sometimes the best family traditions are the ones you didn't officially plan to make happen. For me, that's going to Florence annually during the winter. That's Florence, Oregon. (Although, I have been to Florence, Italy once during the winter, too!) I'm a sucker for keeping the tree up waaay past its expiration date because I… Continue reading Whoa, look at that wave! Look at that spray!
Always stopping for cheese — and now ice cream
Another winter, another stop at the Tillamook Creamery. This is our fourth consecutive post-Christmas road trip down to Florence, Oregon. And we always make sure to stop at Tillamook for cheese. If you're a longtime reader (Hi, Andrew!), I'm sure you are familiar with these cheese stops. Like, this one from 2021, that yes, I… Continue reading Always stopping for cheese — and now ice cream
otter travel more 