Big Sur (in Black and White)

Sometimes we just need a little getaway. Usually for us it happens around the same time fall starts. Summers tend to be a little wild over here. It's a beautiful chaos, but it's full fledged wedding mode until Thanksgiving. Which is great, but can be draining. Sometimes I need a weekend to escape with my boy and remember what it feels like to drive with the windows down and the radio on high. A few weekends ago we escaped on a rare Saturday off to Big Sur. The drive there was brutal but the late night camping above the clouds proved to be worth it.

Sunshine, surfing, and sandy beaches where we were the only two souls in sight. Weekend road trip for the win.

A Quick Trip to Thailand

At the end of the summer, after Colton returned from Afghanistan and my wedding season was coming to an end, we made a wildly impulsive decision to flee the country and head to Thailand. I think from the time I purchased our tickets to the moment we hopped on the plane, a little over a week passed. But a last minute adventure to a place we’ve never been is exactly the type of thing we live for. I had one room booked for the night we flew into Bangkok, but other than this we had no plans, no place to live, and no idea how to speak one word of Thai. Fortunately for us Thailand is both an especially hospitable country and one that’s remarkably easy to navigate. Leaving the two of us, and only the tiny carry-on backpack we brought along, happy as clams in the Indian Ocean.

…are there clams in the Indian Ocean?

Here’s a little peek into our travels. Our first stop, Bangkok, was equal parts craziness and city living. Which meant I loved every minute of it…

Deciding, at the airport, where we should head next. The south, and the ocean breeze, won our vote.

If you’ve been to Thailand, you’ll know that Buddhist temples are no rarity. One could easily spend a year visiting only the temples in Bangkok alone. Since Colton and I are amateur sight-seers at best, we knew we wouldn’t have the endurance to explore temple after temple after temple. We chose Doi Suthep as our one temple experience on the recommendation of Colton’s cousin + aunt. And I’m so glad we did! It was the perfect combination of culture and history and lots of gold sparkles, all wrapped up in a perfect little rainforest package. Just my style!

Friends, it’s only because I love you that I’m sharing the following picture of Colton and I. It’s the type of picture that someone might steal from my sock drawer in an attempt to blackmail me into baking them Christmas cookies. So I’m preventing any such potential opportunity by sharing it with the world myself. It’s ridiculous, I know this. And every time I look at it I laugh harder than the last. I’m filthy, and resemble something close to what would happen if a construction worker had a scandalous night with a Jane Fonda workout video circa 1980. But it’s all okay because my husband was forced into a zip lining harness four sizes too small. This, in turn, created the illusion that he’s wearing a boys size 6 short. Which, in the end, all revealed the incredible tan line he earned in Afghanistan while running in extra short, dark green, running shorts. It’s a beautiful thing.

And that, Internet friends, is how the Cross’s make a Christmas card.

I made Colton take a picture of me crossing this bridge. It was extra dangerous and I almost died three times while maneuvering it. I wanted him to have a photo of me from our last adventure together, just in case I didn’t make it.