mountain streams

Three weekends in a row have been spent in the mountains, a place my heart feels most at home.  Chirping birds and cool morning air greets us when we wake.  The smell of pine trees and dirt accompany us on our bike rides and trail runs or even on our trips to the market.  The local barista asks what we are up to with our day and is truly interested (and not at all surprised by our ambitious response).  The stars come out at dusk and sparkle in the black night sky all night long.  The next day, it all repeats.

I know that you are aware of how I feel about city life, with its traffic and lack of trees;   so it probably comes as no surprise to you that the mountains are so special to me.

How did I fall so deeply in love with the mountains?  I wasn't raised in them, per se, but they were always there (5 are visible from my parents' house, when they are "out," anyway).  In fact, my hometown was named for one of those nearby mountains, visible from nearly everywhere in town. 

My family tends to be more water-people, than mountain, though.  Each Wednesday, my parents raced their sailboat on the Columbia River, while my sister and I cheered from our grandparents' river-front deck.  We ventured across the bar and into Canada on "The Pixie" (a small wooden yacht/ fishing vessel my grandpa helped build) and learned to row a small aluminum dingy while out fishing and watching for bears in the sloughs.  Summers were spent picnicking on Sand Island and being pulled around the river in inner-tubes.  Being on the water was a way of life for us.

 

But really, mountains and rivers are not very different at all, especially when you consider the mountain rivers, streams, and lakes available to play among.   They both provide that sense of happiness and freedom, sweet aromas and sounds of nature, and a chance to truly play. 

However, my outdoor activities have evolved from inner-tubing to hiking, sailing to kayaking, fishing to, well, fishing (but now it is with a fly rod in a mountain stream as opposed to a trolling the river in an aluminum boat!)

With any luck, I will be back in the mountains again this weekend. 

wedding mexication

My sweetie and I recently returned from celebrating two friends as they joined their lives (for better or for worse!) among the jungles and white sand beaches of Tulum, Mexico.  More than a wedding, more than a vacation,  it became known as the "Wedding Mexication."

A beautiful bride, handsome groom, heartfelt speeches and palpable love, it was surely a special wedding.  But add to it barefoot guests, mariachi serenading, bottomless margaritas, and flan as the wedding cake, it had a uniquely Mexican touch.

While the weekend was primarily about our friends, we extended the "weekend" to Tuesday, allowing a fair amount of time to create our own version of Mexication.  Beach vacations aren't typical for us, but we quickly found we could be tempted to change our ways!

We lounged on the beach with books and layers of sunscreen, far longer than I imagined two active people could.  The lounging was often interrupted by the draw of the turquoise surf to cool down and attempt body surfing (his skills FAR exceed mine!).  Renting bicycles, we were able to find our way to the Mayan ruins of Tulum and stumble upon public playas along the road.  But what we did best as vacationers, was find delectable food and drink.

It was pretty hard to go wrong, though.  Fresh pressed juices, hours-old seafood, and refreshing ceviche were all ubiquitous.  Even though we were indulging in vacation foods, most meals still felt light and relatively healthy.  The casual open-air dining added extra ambiance to the meals and made it feel truly vacation-y; it isn't often that we are able to dine comfortably out-of-doors in SF (especially after the sun has gone down!).  The tropical cocktails didn't hurt, either!

Our favorites:
Mateo's - "World Famous" fish tacos with freshly made tortillas.  A welcome lunch, alongside a cold Mexican beer, for hot and hungry bicyclists. 
Casa Banana - Here, we enjoyed fish and shrimp skewers in a break between rainstorms.
La Luna y Estrella - Ocean views and an over-hanging jungle canopy accompanied our delicious breakfast of huevos rancheros.
El Tabano - Upscale Mexican cuisine - we enjoyed tamarind meatballs and mole shrimp while watching the cooks in the open kitchen. 
Casa Violeta - Beach-side dining with seafood pizza and inspired ceviche. 
La Zebra - Order the 'Lina's feast' for a taco bar that gets an personal and delicious upgrade.
Hartwood - Fresh fish and meats prepared in the wood-fired oven alongside creative cocktails.   Their octopus and ribs were some of the best I've had.

act like a two-year-old

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend my birthday weekend with my family, which includes my nearly-two-year-old niece.

Perhaps I am feeling extra reflective as I celebrate growing another year older, but I feel there is a lot I can learn from her: She is so very happy; walking about, simply smiling to herself.  Celebrating in accomplishments big and small.  Incredibly curious and observant of all around her.  Taking pleasure in sitting to read.  Finding so much to be incredibly entertaining.  Laughing just to laugh.  Learning so many new things, every day.  Knowing when she is hungry and when she is not - and not eating things that aren't delicious just because they are on her plate (and in fact, not even wanting the "yuckies" on her plate!). 

She inspires me.  I think we could all benefit from "acting like a two-year-old" once in awhile.

Now if you will please excuse me, I'm off to find a puddle to splash in.

valentine's day love

I've never really cared much for Valentine's day.

I really like the concept of expressing your appreciation and love for those important to you, I just feel like it should be done more frequently than the one day a year, surrounded by pink and red hearts, prix fixe dinners, and velveted boxes of chocolates.  To me, the Valentine's day with which we are most familiar is a bit contrived and very heavily marketed.

That said, I still like to make a nod to the spirit of Valentine's day.  Some years, I have sent "valentines" to my friends and family, sharing with them some of the things I love (like the smell of freshly ground coffee, or the sound of rain on the rooftops), asking them to consider what they love around them.  Other years, I send a simple text to those important to me, simply wishing them a happy day.

This year, my sweetheart and I headed to a place that has a very special place in both of our hearts. There, we spent time with family and friends, played in the mountains, and simply enjoyed being together.  The fact that this fell on Valentine's day is purely coincidence.