summer day, yosemite

Around 7pm on Friday, Daniel and I drove through the gates at Yosemite National Park. 

It was a first for me- I'd never been to Yosemite and practically squealed with excitement when we first saw El Capitan. We got in later than expected (terrible traffic going through Tracy) so on our first night, we propped ourselves up in front of our tent cabin and drank wine with our friends Monica and Jesse in the twilight until it was time for bed.

As we knew we'd only really have one full day at the park, we decided to split our Saturday: half the day spent hiking, the other half spent on the river.

We woke up around 6:45, breakfasted on peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and headed out for a half-day hike up to the falls. I had worried that the trails would be packed but since we left on the early side, there weren't many people on the trail with us on our way up.

Vernal Falls are the first falls you reach as you head up towards Half Dome. The hike becomes progressively steep and there are 700 massive granite steps cut into the mountain. I had insisted on carrying our day pack and was therefore very excited when we finally reached the top.

We stopped at the Emerald Pool to drink some water and eat slices of dried mango before moving on to Nevada Falls.

The mist over the falls was lovely and we saw rainbow after rainbow. On certain faces, the granite looked like a gray drop-cloth smattered with white paint. I found myself frustrated by the fact that it was impossible to capture the scale of the mountains and the falls with my camera. Then I thought about it and realized that was part of what was special about actually being there.

After we got back, we dropped off our things, ate a little lunch (I made us sandwiches because I refused to go to the food court in Curry Village. Pizza while camping is just wrong) and changed into swimsuits before heading down to the Merced River. The temperature was well in the 90s. We walked through fields of flowers to get to the water.

I fell asleep flat on my back on a towel on the pebbly beach. Daniel went fly fishing. In the evening, we met up with friends and went for a drink at the Ahwahnee. You know it's been a good trip when before it's even over, you're already planning your next trip back. 

relaxed

This is a picture I took yesterday on my iPhone while waiting for my lunch at Blue Barn. It pretty much sums up the weekend. Things have been busy- aren't they always? We all seem to love talking about how busy! we are- but I've also found myself feeling profoundly relaxed these days. A glass of rose over lunch always helps.

weekend in bolinas & point reyes

Over the weekend, Daniel threw his surfboard in the car and we headed out to Bolinas. 

Bolinas is a tiny town a little ways north of San Francisco. Daniel told me that when he was growing up, locals would rip down the street signs in order to make it more difficult for tourists to find it. He learned to surf in Bolinas in a teenager and was hoping to spend some time out on the water while I sat out on the beach.

The surf turned out to be sub-par and the weather was too damp and chilly to permit any lounging on the beach so after a short stroll, we piled back into the car and headed out to find better conditions.

Inland, the weather was sunny and hot. We drove through Point Reyes Station and decided that lunch was in order. The Station House Cafe has a back patio that's particularly lovely on sunny days, so we stopped in for fish tacos and restorative libations. 

After lunch, we drove to Drakes Cove. Again, the surf was disappointing and the beach gray and foggy. But as it turned out, the Marine Mammal Center was releasing some harbor and elephant seals back into the wild.

We stood with the crowd and watched the seals wiggle speedily down the beach. The harbor seals in particular were fascinating to behold- their bodies were like immense gray sausages, bouncing up and down as they made their way towards the water.

cleansed

I eat everything. Well, almost. I've never been able to stand ketchup or barbecue sauce and American cheese makes me want to heave. I avoid cold soups and spinach salads. But in general, I love food and spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about/eating it. 

And yet. Every once in a while I find myself in need of a reset. Food habits- a nightly glass of wine, a sweet after dinner- occasionally need to be shaken up. When I feel this way, I have found that it helps to do a cleanse.

I'll backpedal a bit here. The term "cleanse" means different things to different people. I remember reading something about celebrities who cleanse by eating nothing but honey, cayenne pepper and lemon juice for days on end- an idea that leaves me feeling angry just thinking about it. For me,  a cleans is more about recalibrating the way I eat than overhauling my entire diet. I eat more vegetables, more fruit. I eschew pasta and bread in favor of quinoa and brown rice. I cut out coffee and booze and dessert. I drink more water, more green tea. It's basic stuff, really, but after a few days, I find myself feeling better- a little sharper, a little more energetic. It's a great reminder to be mindful about the food I eat.  

I always go back to wine and coffee, cheese and ice cream- life without such things would hardly be worth living, in my opinion. But all the same, a little break helps me remember to keep everything in balance.

happy mother's day

A few photos from this weekend. My mom visited and we had a ball.

Love you Mama!

weekend in phoenix

This weekend, I'm off to Phoenix to celebrate a friend's graduation from medical school. It's my first time in Arizona and I'm busy packing bathing suits and sandals and trying to figure out how to fit a giant floppy hat into my tiny suitcase. I've never been much of a sunbather, but I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to a few days by the pool with some of my dearest friends from college. Hope everyone has a lovely, sunny weekend!

may day

I wish I could say it was hard to believe it was already May, but in truth it feels more like July- the weather has been in the 80s all week. Is it summer yet? I'm certainly ready for it. For now, back to the library.