every girl dreams about going on a dreamy vacation with her dreamy boyfriend. i was blessed with the opportunity to do just that. my first stop was in germany which was a castle-filled wondrous sight complete with gluhwein, pretzels and beers at every corner. 

it snowed upon our arrival making it the perfect weekend to take a day trip to feldberg, germany and go snowboarding in the black forest. in fact it snowed so much that there were parts of the mountain that had snow up to my waistline. any more snow and i could have easily disappeared into my personal snow-pocalypse. 

this ski trip was a little different from my last. i didn’t have as much trouble staying on my feet going down the mountain this go around. this was partially because i could barely make it up the mountain. germany ski lifts were little round discs that are to be placed between your legs as you ride up the mountain. it was much more difficult than it sounds. i was terrible at using this lift. i fell time after time and judging by the laughter and pity claps of encouragement, my crash and burns provided much entertainment for all the germans waiting in line. you’re welcome germany.

 snow day aftermath 🙂



after spending 2 days wine tasting and falling up mountains in germany, 4 of us crammed suitcases, snacks (can’t forget the snacks) and ourselves into a tiny little puegeot to head to paris. if you have never seen a puegeot, a smart car could give this little thing a run for its money. but our fearless puegeot was quite the powerhouse. (puege power!)

paris has been on my wanderlust travel list for as long as i can remember and it did not disappoint. i can honestly say i fell in love with the city of love. the architecture in paris is like no other. everything is simply breathtaking. everything, from the notre dame to the starbucks you can find on every other corner. seriously. walking into the coffee shop felt like walking into a famous library with less books and more coffee.

girls who squish in the back of a puegot together, sing t-swift together



there was so much to see in paris. it’s impossible to see it all in a mere two days. however, we knocked off quite a bit. we started with the notre dame and some banana nutella crepes, then followed that up with the hop on hop off big bus tour. the tour included the eiffel tower, arc de triomphe, the louvre, grand palais, la madeline, the louis vuitton flagship store and so much more. it’s a great way to see the city in a short amount of time.

once we finished riding around and catching a glimpse of all the paris landmarks, we hopped off (see what i did there) and gazed up in awe at the eiffel tower. it was amazing. it was a surreal experience. the love in the parisian water, which you have to pay for everywhere you go, got to me. with that being said, please excuse my pda-filled pictures below.

parisian sights and rudolph noses


ah, paris!
okay, i gave a fair warning
the amazing crew


after our eiffel tower photo-op we ventured to the palais of versailles. the gardens were breathtaking and endless. the wait for the palace tour inside isn’t terrible, but it is a wait and left us with about 45 minutes to walk around. everything inside was beautiful. simply beautiful with such intricate detail in everything. i could have spent hours just gazing up at the beauty that surrounded me, but the palace was closing soon and the crowd inside was, well… crowded. i’m usually good with crowds. this however took the word “crowd” to a whole new level. i was literally drowning in a sea of people and sea sickness was quickly kicking in. i wasn’t even walking anymore. there was no need. the crowd was moving me all on its own. this was definitely one of those height disadvantage moments, but i was in the palace of versailles. i can’t complain.

something about paris…
overlooking the gardens of versailles

inside the palace of versailles

palace of versailles


after leaving the palace of versailles, we climbed up 18 flights of stairs to the top of the arc de triomphe. for a while it seemed like a spiral of never-ending stairs. quick side note, a never-ending spiral staircase is definitely a nightmare of mine. not going to lie- i had to take a breather a time or two. it was a fear i had no choice but to overcome.

from the top, we admired the eiffel tower lighting up the incredible city of paris. paris is a stunning city. the view from the top of the arc de triomphe is incredible. you can see the whole city! it took a while, but we finally tore ourselves away from the views and headed back down. 18 flights of stairs down. but the view was worth each and every step.
18 flights later, note to self: wear comfy shoes


before calling it a night our amazing tour guides sneakily led us into a pizzeria which happened to be the secret entrance to a romantic little speakeasy. we sipped on one of their speciality cocktails and took in all the adventures from the day. again, it was surreal. the entire day felt like a dream. after having such memorable experiences i was excited and very much looking forward to rest up and get ready for round 2 the next day.


we love because he first loved us.

1 john 4:19

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snowboarding. it was my first time snowboarding and as much as i try, i will never forget it. i grew up in warm weather. when i vacationed, it was to warm weather. snow was not something i was used to and i was pumped to experience it and snowboard for the first time. i asked friends who frequent the slopes for opinions on skiing vs snowboarding. everyone advised i ski first. so what did i do? snowboard. in fact.. looking back on it i may have done just the opposite of all the advice i got.

lessons they said, take lessons. i should have listened. i was easily swayed out of taking lessons and even more easily swayed to hop inside of a gondola to the top of a mountain before even learning how to strap by boots into a snowboard. ok, it’s not what was i thinking, it’s more like i wasn’t thinking. 

i was all smiles before i knew what i was getting myself into




as we started ascending up a snow covered mountain my eyes continued to widen with every inch closer we got. once the gondola doors opened, a part of me decided to protest and was not going to leave that gondola. the other part of me got up and got out while making a terrible attempt to play it cool. unfortunately the fear followed me out. this was only the beginning.

it was cold, there was more snow than i had ever seen before, i had layer after layer on and i had moon boots attached to my feet which were inconveniently attached to a board. i had no idea what i was doing. the group i was with all knew how to snowboard and had been many times, so they took off down the mountain. i was given a pointer or two and made attempt #1 to stand. it ended shortly after with a face plant in the snow, followed by many more falls, trips and crash landings.

i was bad. real bad. the worst part was i had no idea how to get better. no tricks, no skills and no knowledge. what could have been a 15 minute ride down the mountain took me over an hour. that’s over an hour of falling over and over again into snow, by myself. i don’t use this word lightly, but i was very near misery. when i was about half way down with a banged up and bruised body, i decided i was going to just slide down. my bum was covered in snow already so why not. and so i did. that’s how i got down my first mountain. i slid down it like a slide. i had no shame.


once down, i met up with the group to have a quick bite to eat. they all had been down multiple times already and were having a ball. then there was me. make up running all over my face from my numerous face plants and struggling to walk from the soreness of all my not-so-graceful falls. at this point i was determined. after a quick refuel, i had to try again.

my second attempt wasn’t any better. i road up the gondola with the group and they all decided to go down a blue. that wasn’t happening for me so there i was again, on my own, still not knowing what i was doing. it was dark already by this time and it was snowing. snow storm kind of snow. as everyone i was with disappeared down one side of the mountain i debated going down at all. i could not see a thing. nothing. knowing there was only one way to get down that mountain, i took a deep breath and went for it. 

there wasn’t a soul in sight. the mountain was completely empty and i was more scared than i have ever been. then, out of nowhere i saw two people sitting on the mountain. words can’t describe my excitement with any justice. my heart over filled with joy. i was not alone after all. i approached the two skiers asking if the mountain was closed which seemed logical to me. but really i just wanted a buddy incase i fell off the mountain into a snowy abyss. if no one knew what happened, no one would know to come looking for me. i needed a witness. it was still snowing heavily and was incredibly dark, it easily could have happened. unfortunately, the encounter did not go how i had planned.

the two sitting in the snow just looked at me. no words, no emotions. just two pairs of wide-eyed stares. so i repeated myself, this time asking if everything was okay. again, no words. just blank stares. the only noise i heard was the roar of the wind blowing snow left and right. i was living in a real life horror story. i decided my fate stood a better chance going down the mountain than it did hanging around the top with the two mutes. i felt like i needed a witness around for my witnesses. so down i went. i was on an extreme adrenaline rush powered by none other than fear.

going down the mountain this time didn’t take near as long. not because i was on my feet more, but because i wanted to get off that mountain as fast as i could. none of my group was at the bottom of the mountain when i got there. they had all made it down already and gone for a second, perhaps even a third run. but i stayed put and waited. that horror film of a ride was a close to my first day snowboarding.

celebrating survival


day #2 started with a lesson from my boyfriend on the bunny slopes. why didn’t i do this the first day? it was still blizzarding out, but i had some idea of what i was doing this go around and it made a world of a difference. my misery instantly turned into a thirst for more. it’s amazing how much more enjoyable snowboarding is when you’re on your feet and not your butt. by days end i was already planning my next snowboarding trip.

the snowboarding crew


before my near death experience on the slopes, i got to explore the charming city of denver a bit. i cheered on the nuggets through two last minute wins and then enjoyed the scenic views of red rocks amphitheater. it was a sight to see sans any performances, i could only imagine how much the venue comes to life at night. well worth the trip to check it out! thanks for a memorable time, denver.

red rocks

go nuggs!

we keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

walt disney

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17-mile drive * point lobos * big sur

my girlfriends and i all anxiously awaited the weekend of november 21st, the weekend one of our dear friends was to marry her best friend (cliche… ya ya.) not only were we all thrilled for her to start this new chapter of life, but thrilled to be a part of it in the beautiful city of carmel, california.

after about a dozen flight changes, i boarded a plane to san francisco where i met up with two other wedding go-ers and we immediately drove towards carmel in a hottstuff rental from maryland, which we conveniently named mary. on the way to carmel we made a quick detour along the 17-mile drive. the sights were beautiful, but somehow we went from mile 5 to mile 17 in the blink of an eye. i couldn’t tell ya what happened to the miles in between those stops, but with my directional skills or rather lack of, i can’t say i’m the least bit surprised. 


the drive was filled with curves, twists and beautiful oceanic views. it goes through the famous carmel valley golf course which i hear is quite the hotspot for golfers. we stopped many times along the way to enjoy the view and snap a picture to commemorate it. it was well worth the ten dollar entry fee.

shameless selfie pole action


after our 17 turned 6 mile drive we headed to our cute little airbnb atop a mountain fully equipped with a perfect view, greenhouse and hot tub, to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. the views, the food and the friendship were incredible. it was a beautiful evening spent honoring an even more beautiful bride and groom.



– point lobos –

the wedding was set for mid-afternoon the next day. to take full advantage of our surroundings, i chipperly (seriously.. i’m overly chipper in the mornings) woke everyone up at 7am sharp (really it’s only 9am texas time.. not too shabby) to go for a run at point lobos.  it was raining outside, but our parade paraded on. proud of you, friends!! we drove about 30 minutes from where we were staying to point lobos, paid another ten dollar entry fee, parked and began the hike.

rain or not, this was my favorite way to start the day. the views were amazing and the rocks were a blast to climb on. there were many times we stopped our jog just to admire the beauty around us… and take a breather. my favorite part was watching and listening to the waves crash on the rocks. quite easily the best spot for a nap. unfortunately napping was not on the days’ agenda.

let it rain let it rain let it rain

from reading reviews and asking around, point lobos visitors boasted about the abundance of sea otters and wildlife.  perhaps it was the rain, but the only wildlife we were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of were a number birds and a little bunny rabbit hopping along. thanks for coming out to say hi sea otters…

after our little rain adventure, we all showered up and went into the town of carmel for a wine tasting and a little shopping. the locals are wonderful and friendly and ready to give recommendations at any given moment. it was a quick little trip before we headed back to get wedding-ready.

our pre dance party… girls just want to have f-u-n


the reception took place at carmel valley ranch and it was a breathtaking venue. a girl couldn’t ask for anymore. the rain that drenched us earlier in the day cleared up just in time for the lovely bride and groom to say their i do’s. after a beautiful ceremony we had a scrumptious dinner and danced the night away with the help of an open bar..

how stunning did this beauty look?!



the next morning came quickly and i was back up at 7am sharp, this time with big sur on the mind! i was only able to rally one other to join me, but one was all i needed. being a last minute kind of person, we hopped in the car and googled “big sur”. gps claimed big sur to be an hour and half away. kelsey and i both looked at each other and said “we’re not driving that far”. instead we decided to drive along highway 1 to take in the views. we stopped every 15 minutes or so to take pictures and get out of the car to look around. somewhere along the drive and all the “let’s go just a little furthers” we made it to big sur and i am so thankful we did. big sur is one of the most remarkable sights i have ever seen. the water is a gorgeous aqua blue and the waves thrashing against the rocks give such a sense of serenity. it truly is a sight to see.

we caught the sunrise


unfortunately our “quick” drive down highway 1 turned into a long adventure, so we hopped back in the car and drove (the speed limit of course) back to carmel to meet up with the sleeping beauties.

we enjoyed a big group brunch and some more carmel city adventures with perfect fall weather. it’s no secret that california has some amazing sights, but some things you just have to see for yourself. 

my girls
have leaves, will play






destination weddings are a blast. you are with a large group of friends in a lovely city… take advantage of it. sure there are going to be wedding festivities, but why can’t you treat it like a vacation? waking up early to see and experience the city was completely worth it. after all, you can catch up on sleep at home.

until next time

a huge thank you and congrats to the lovely davenports! so blessed to be a part of your special day.


be brave enough to live life creatively. the creative place where no  one else has ever been.

alan alda


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