sitting on the dock of the bay (day two & three)

Yesterday, I was thinking about how this blog slipped away from me and I never shared the rest of the photos from our family trip to Monterey last summer. It's 2014 now and these are really late, but better late than never, right? Here are a few of my favorites. I took so many photos at the beaches in Monterey and Carmel. I'm never not mesmerized by the ocean. I loved visiting the little lighthouse near our hotel, too. The inside was just as charming as the outside!

I'll be posting a quick happy new year post later with some thoughts about the last year and my hopes for this one.

sitting on the dock of the bay (day one)

I just got back from a far-too-short long weekend spent in Monterey with my family! Despite being on vacation from school for over two months, it was so nice to escape the heat wave that has settled in Sacramento for the past couple of weeks. It was so much fun and so exhausting, as vacations often are.  We brought our labrador retrievers with us and despite that our youngest had a rough time adjusting to a new environment, they had a blast in the dog-friendly town. We stayed in a little cottage called the Sea Breeze Inn and Cottages (in the town of Pacific Grove) and spent a few days walking the beach, exploring Fisherman's Wharf and Carmel, and eating the most delicious food.

The photos in this post are all from Saturday afternoon when arrived after our long drive. Over the next couple of days, I will be sharing a few handfuls of the hundreds of photos that I took over the weekend. We all have a habit of forgetting to bring cameras with us on vacation and this time one of us actually remembered to bring it. Sadly, we kept forgetting it in the room, so these are all courtesy of my iPhone 4S camera and then filtered through the VSCO Cam app. One day, I will share more than cell phone photos, I pinky promise.

I hope you are all keeping cool this summer!

THE HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS

Yesterday, I celebrated my twentieth birthday surrounded by my beautiful family. It was one of those birthdays that to some might seem uneventful, but for me, it was a mix of fun and mellow -- and that's just how I like my birthdays. I have never enjoyed being the center of attention at a big party, so a day spent at home with a few of the people I love was wonderful. I only wish I could have seen a few of my closest friends, too, but I'm looking forward to celebrating with them this weekend.

I started the day with a trip to Starbucks and the Palladio with my mom and then relaxed at home for most of the afternoon before heading to my favorite burger restaurant for dinner. I opened gifts when we got home: a couple of pretty necklaces from my mom, a new cup and Starbucks gift cards from my brother, and some green from my dad. The day ended with delicious cupcakes from Whole Foods before burying myself under my blankets and watching a movie. It was the calm day I needed before the semester begins next week.

My birthday is always a day of reflection for me. Like New Year's Eve, I can't help thinking about the past year and wondering how the next one might play out. This past year has been nothing short of amazing. I grew so much more than I ever expected to do in the span of just one year. I met and formed close friendships with some truly wonderful people. I learned to drive (finally) and got my first car. I chose a major (also, finally). I got my first job and began working in a student leadership position. Nineteen was really good to me. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next year will bring.