Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 29, 2024
1. Well, well, well. It’s been a while. Between house projects and needing to update my MacBook I disappeared for quite some time. I don’t have anything exciting to report, but because I feel like checking in we are going to travel back in time to last month.
2. I managed to find the most decadent, delicious, astounding gluten free pie that disappeared just as quickly as I found it. Seriously, what’s with me and finding treats I enjoy (and that don’t make me feel like a bag of bricks) suddenly disappearing? Perhaps next holiday season it will return…
3. My Christmas gift to myself was $3,000 worth of car repairs. I’ve had the same car since 2008, and I hadn’t needed any major work until now. I suppose it was long overdue, I am amazed at the longevity of my beloved. $700 of that bill was for new tires, which I suppose doesn’t count, but the timing of the remaining work racked up the bill. I needed a new alternator and a new radiator.
The only reason I knew there was an issue was because of a funny noise. She now purrs like the day she was manufactured. I hope for many more years with my granny mobile.
4. My car has taken Little and I on many wonderful drives together, including my current favorite core memory. I wrangled my mom, my sister, Duncan, and my child into the car and we went to look at Christmas lights. Little was more enthralled by the car headlights than the actual Christmas lights, but it was a magical hour nonetheless. The gang was all there.
5. When I moved back to the states at the end of 2020 I moved back into my childhood bedroom. My plan was to resettle into the area and then try to find a place to live. Turns out renting an apartment is something I couldn’t justify with the $1400 price tag, so I stayed with my mom and sister. Helping them and being close to family just continued to feel right. My older sister has autism and helping provide care for her is easier when living under the same roof.
At this rate I’m not sure I’ll ever leave.Just kidding. I think.
6. With that said, my childhood bedroom needed some help. I wasn’t planning to stay long, but suddenly three years went by and I was still occupying the space. On December 6th I was laying down looking at the walls and decided I wanted to rip the wallpaper off.
Much to my surprise it came off with ease, and I decided to go get paint.
Three days later my small space had a fresh coat of paint. What a difference this has made, and I am so happy I decided to impetuously give my room a facelift. There is one small area of the wall my lovely mother wanted to keep, a mural she painted fully equipped with drawings from when I was too young to know drawing on the wall was wrong. It’s an atrocious eye sore, but I’ve come to accept it.
I have since painted another room in my moms house, so basically you can now call me Bob Vila.
In the process, you can see the markings on the wallwhere the wallpaper was.
Darker lighting, same corner. I’ve also obtained another medium sided plant and I plan to buy more.
7. I started a run streak in the middle of November with the goal of running everyday until the new year. I completed my goal and ended the streak on Jan 2nd. I ran 56 days in a row, and truth be told I wish I would have kept going. There were only a few days I didn’t feel like running during the streak, but I was always able to manage one mile on those days.
I ended the streak with the idea that I might want to train for a half marathon, but I find myself fearful of the training process. My body handles running shorter distances everyday better than running longer distances every few days. This is something I have come to accept about my Sjögren’s, but I hope to eventually push through the fear of flare ups and just go for it.
I’m now running a few times a week, while I figure out my next goal.
8. While cleaning out my closet recently I found a costume I made when I first started my current job. I was there for a week when I discovered they dressed up for Halloween (something I have come to detest.) I was new and wanted to attempt the tradition and I made myself a snail costume.
It only makes sense that I dress as my biggest fear…ironically I adore Halloween, I just don’t love dressing up at work. The DIY snail found its way into the recycle bin, but not before I snapped one final photo.
9. I think my dream job would be to help willing people declutter their lives/homes. I say willing because if someone isn’t ready to let go of things, the process becomes more difficult. One of the current house projects I am working on is helping my mom declutter her space. 30+ years of belongings need to be sorted through and organized, and nothing brings me more satisfaction that organizing.
This was our plan when I moved back, but it took some time for my mom to be willing to jump on board. Patience has never been my virtue.
10. One of the perks of going through old boxes is finding absolute gems of photographs. I think I found my favorite class photo of me as a child – from the silk blouse, and the red overalls, to the scowl on my face with my hands in my pockets. This feels like an accurate depiction of who I am as a person.
Can we also take a moment to appreciate my Lord Farquadd haircut? My mom gave me this same snip for years.
Probably dreaming about the teriyaki dippers on the lunch menu.
Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on December 11, 2023
It’s the second week of December, and in Washington the rain is heavy, and the clouds are dark. I don’t mind this weather (yet), but I do find myself reminiscing on the brightness of fall. Two months ago my friend Caitlin and I went for one final big hike, and today I am going to share that story. It’s not often I see a hike that is four hours away and wrangle someone into coming with me, but per usual Caitlin is my go to gal – up for any adventure.
Our original plan was to do this hike (driving included) in one day. We would get up before the birds, drive the long haul to the North Cascades, hike 11-12 miles, and drive home. We would be tired, but we could do it, right? This trail is one of, if not THE most popular trail in the North Cascades meaning we had to ensure getting to the trail early, or we risked having to park on the already too tiny gravel road. In order to ensure we had a parking spot we decided to find a cheap Air B&B and drive up the night before.
We found Lolita, a 1979 Airstream for a whopping $70 a night.
Lolita was cozy, but the bed was rock hard and I slept maybe a total of 3 hours that night. We woke up around 0500, and headed straight for the trail head. Thankfully I had enough caffeine and adrenaline to get me going, and I was stoked to only be driving two hours instead of four. We arrived at the trail head around 0700 with just enough time to snag one of the remaining parking spots.
The lot was filling up fast, but thankfully for the majority of our hike we didn’t run into too many people.
This hike is popular because there are two main options: hike the Cascade Pass Trail which is a moderate 7 mile round trip hike to a beautiful overlook, or continue on to the Sahale Arm which is an additional 5 miles round trip (plus about 2000 feet more elevation.) I would say half of the people who come to this trail stop at the Cascade Pass. The views to Cascade Pass are beautiful on their own, but I cannot imagine coming all this way and not continuing on to the Sahale Arm.
Caitlin and I specifically saved this hike for the first week of October because it is well known for having amazing fall colors. We could not have gone on a better day, the temperature was perfect, the sun was bright, and the colors were intense. If we had waited just one more week we would have been hit with snow.
We arrived at Cascade Pass just under two hours after we started. This is when the wind started to pick up, and it only got stronger the higher we got. I was continually taking my jacket off and putting my jacket on in an attempt to combat the heat from climbing and the chill from the wind. We took our time to stop and savor the views along the way, all the while playing leap from with one woman who was wearing the same jacket as me, but in a different color.
We savored the view of the above lake both on the way up and on the way down. This lake would be our focal point for the majority of the second half of the hike. At one point I even saw myself rolling down the hill, falling into the lake. More on that later. Overall I felt great on this hike, physically I had energy, and mentally I was stoked. We were having fun and the landscape could not have been more beautiful.
Until…
I eventually reached a point where each step felt like I had bricks tied to the bottom of my feet. My lungs felt like someone was sitting on them, and the air around me felt tight. I often struggle accepting when things are physically challenging for me, so I was getting frustrated by the fact that Caitlin seemed unfazed while I was having a hard time.
Turns out we were nearing 7000 feet of elevation, explaining why I was struggling with air.
Ultimately it shouldn’t matter, but I was comforted by this justification for my breathing. As we continued on we weren’t sure of where the end was. We just kept putting one foot in front of the other, fighting the wind, and admiring the brave souls who camped overnight. I cannot imagine sleeping with that kind of wind all night. We finally came to the end of the obvious trail, and met the portion of trail that was predominately boulders. This was a “choose your own path” type of trail, and when a pair of men passed us to the right, we chose to follow them.
Mistakes were made.
While Caitlin billy goated her way after them, I began crawling as the “trail” became tighter and the rocks became smaller and more slippery. We were on an edge that made every single hair on my body stand up as I shook with each crawl. I am a dramatic child when it comes to trail edges, and I was starting to struggle. Caitlin sensed my struggle, and was also convinced we took the wrong side. She didn’t have to tell me twice about finding an alternative route, but before we turned around she snapped the above photo of me while I was trying to find my footing.
I almost look like I know what I am doing. Thankfully I did not in fact roll down the hill into the lake.
We found a far better path, but my adrenaline was still high. We were both exhausted and unsure if we wanted to continue the final 0.3 miles to the “summit.” We had made it to the main view point, we were moving slow with the altitude and fatigue, and I was a bit shook by the trail edge. We sat at our chosen end spot for 20 minutes, eating snacks, before deciding we were too damn close to stop there. We were going to stop at the proper summit even if it took us an hour.
Turns out it only took us an additional 10 minutes or so. This is a reminder that our brains often tell us something is harder than it really is.
The final push brought us over a ridge that allowed us to see what most people come here for – the Sahale Glacier. We couldn’t see the glacier from our original stopping point, and while I had no desire to walk onto the glacier, seeing it was worth the extra trudge. We clocked in around 12 miles with 4000 feet of elevation when we made it back down, and the entire hike took us around 8 hours. This was by far the best hike I have done in a while, and I am so jazzed Caitlin and I made it happen.
Windy elation after coming back down from the circled location.
The drive out was just as much of an adventure as the drive in because people had parked on both sides of a tiny road. We knew this was happening ahead of time thanks to multiple trail reports, all the more reason we wanted to arrive early. I cannot justify parking like an asshole, and it was sketchy trying to squeeze between two cars. It felt like driving on a back road somewhere in the UK.
Our four hour drive home turned into five or six thanks to Seattle traffic, but Caitlin and I were riding the high of our hike the entire drive back. It doesn’t take much to make me a happy camper. A quick overnight trip for a beautiful hike is almost all it takes to reset my factory settings when I am feeling off. This was my first hike in the North Cascades, and I can assure you it will not be my last.
Q: Anyone else reminiscing on fall? It’s my favorite season, but I do try to savor each season for what it brings.
Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on November 15, 2023
1. I have one last hike I want to share from the beginning of October, but it’s been so long since I’ve popped on here that I think an Early Morning Confessions post is in order. Somehow it’s already mid November, and almost time to scarf down pounds of turkey. It’s also almost time to be thankful Duncan is nearly one year older. Confession: I’m older than my sweet, young, boyfriend.
Any guesses on how much of a gap we have?
2. Speaking of the almost birthday boy, we managed our annual trip to a pumpkin patch just before Halloween. The pumpkin pickings were slim at this patch, and it looked as if a tornado had ripped through the farm leaving rotted gourds in its wake. We managed to find two small rejects that we turned into starry eyed puke faces.
3. One of my coworkers is constantly recommending off the cuff movies to me. I have watched most of the ones he has suggested, some I have ruminated on after watching, but none more than the one I watched most recently. I wanted to watch Midsommar since first hearing about it, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into with that movie.
It was one of the most disturbing movies I have seen in years, and yet I obsessed over it for a week.
I don’t watch scary movies. They are absolutely not for me. I will envision scenes for far too long causing extensive fear of the dark as a full grown adult. This was a horror movie of sorts and although I cannot handle true horror, the psychological thriller aspect of this movie captivated me. However, I was thankful my coworker warned me of a specifically gory scene, I don’t like gore either.
Has anyone else seen this movie?
4. My cat is doing much better these days. I think I have dialed in what he needs in his geriatric stage of life. He is playful and eats well, seems to feel ok, and loves to snuggle. Now that the colder months have arrived he is a sucker for the space heater. He sticks his paws right under the vent that blows hot air, and the image kills me every time. I also bought him a heating pad because he is spoiled and he is my child.
5. My dad came to visit at the end of September and spent a few days falling in love with my cat. He loves my cat so much he almost stuffed him in his duffle bag to take back home with him. He also went into full dad mode analyzing my car to ensure it was in top shape (I have driven the same car since 2008, and I absolutely love it.) One of these statements is true, and the other is not.
Any guesses?
6. My friend Sam and I took a day trip to Oregon the weekend before Halloween. Our goal was to visit Halloweentown, aka the town of St. Helens. For my fellow millennials who grew up in the 90’s you might remember this Disney channel movie. We rewatched the movie before going to Oregon and it was just as terribly great as I remembered.
It was fun to see the filming location right in the center of town, and movie aside this was an adorable place.
Not Halloweentown. Powell’s.
7. On this trip to Oregon we also stopped in Portland for Sam to visit Powell’s Books. I knew Portland would have some gluten free goodies, and I found a bakery around the corner from the bookstore. I was flabbergasted by the prices of the goods, and although I do better with gluten free than gluten full, I was not about to pay copious amounts of cash to feel like crap. I settled on a $6 scone that thankfully blew my socks off.
It was worth every single repercussion.
8. My friend Caitlin and I have been staying active despite the rainy weather. I am thankful to have a pal like her who is always up for an outdoor adventure. She has the sweetest adventure pup, and that means a lot coming from a cat lady.
9. Staying active in the fall and winter months is imperative for my mental well being. I have started running more regularly again in an attempt to mitigate any seasonal sadness that is inevitably coming my way (I run year round, but only 1-2 times a week when it’s hiking season). Last year I did a run streak starting on Thanksgiving where I ran everyday for 39 days.
A handful of those days I only ran one mile, but it was enough to keep my spirits high. I have decided to start the streak early this year, and this year my goal is to run at least two miles most days. I won’t be upset if there are days I only manage one mile (hello PMS week, I’m looking at you), but I’ll shoot for two.
I’m on day 8, wish me luck.
10. This year I got back into reading and it has been an enjoyable way to avoid too much time on social media. Social media does little to no good for bettering my life, and while it can be fun to scroll mindlessly once in a while, I do my best to not be on it too much.
I tend to obsess over stories that haunt me, and the book that destroyed me most this year was: A Little Life. There are so many trigger warnings for this book, and I found it to be a sad story along the way, but it wasn’t until the end that it broke me. I sobbed for probably 10 minutes straight, and I was sad for a week. I don’t recommend this book because it’s filled with trauma, but I have never read a book where the main character stuck with me long after reading.
I am glad I read this one. Books and movies that make me feel things are usually worth it for me. Real life is messy, I need messy stories. Sometimes.
Q’s:
What’s your confession?
Have you read any books lately that you recommend?
Posted at 11:15 AM by Brittany, on October 11, 2023
I have been making a habit of visiting Trader Joe’s about once a week in the last year, and on each visit I was counting down the days until I saw the sign. The sign that indicates the changes of seasons, the Holy Grail of the modern day basic American woman, and the source of a multi month giddiness I know I am not alone in…
Hello. My name is Brittany, and I loose my marbles over the beginning of pumpkin season.
The thing is, I don’t actually consume most pumpkin items. I’ve never even had my own pumpkin spice latte (I have had sips, but it’s not for me for a handful of reasons.) For me seeing this sign is an indication that calmer days are coming my way. The busyness of summer adventures are coming to an end, the rainy days are on the horizon, and the much needed rest my body seeks is more acceptable to my go, go, go mindset.
I love fall. This time of year always feels cleansing to me. A time to appreciate the changes of colors in nature, heartier seasonal foods, and there is a sense of joy that fills my soul when I see pumpkins sitting outside every grocery store. What can I say, I am a sucker for large orange spheres. Walking into Trader Joe’s with the smells of cinnamon brooms and the sights of every gourd imaginable makes me feel like a kid again.
I don’t care what this says about me, I will take any source of excitement I can get.
Pumpkin season also starts my adventurous attitude with food. I typically keep things strict with what I eat, but I let my hair down this time of year through Christmas to taste some forbidden fruits. There are a handful of seasonal treats I avoid, but there are a handful I don’t avoid. I had been waiting 365 days for Trader Joe’s to bring back an item I discovered last year, one I consumed many times.
And in typical Trader Joe’s fashion they did not bring back my beloved this year.
As my luck would have it anytime I find a decent gluten free item, it’s limited. I fell in love with a local muffin company a handful of years ago and they no longer exist. I fell in love with Trader Joe’s gluten free pumpkin bread and it no longer exists (at least not at my local store.) This bread was hands down one of the best store bought loafs I have ever eaten. It’s hard for me to find a treat that not only tastes good, but doesn’t leave me feeling like I consumed an entire fifth of vodka the night before.
Alas, I must move on and continue to seek a new seasonal treat. There are some items that are seasonal, but they’re items I would eat on a normal basis. Add a seasonal flavor to something and I am all over it. Sometimes they are a win, and sometimes they are such a huge loss that I wish teleportation existed so I could speak face to face with whomever created such an abomination.
Absolute win, I look forward to this flavor every year.
Biggest loss of all the losses. I’d like to sue for the anguish this brought to me. I’m not sure I will ever recover.
Tasty treats aside I also look forward to an annual visit to a pumpkin patch/corn maze. The weather has been a bit finicky in Washington, but I hope to get lost in a maze soon. I last all of 15 minutes before I stop trying and begin allowing Duncan to guide me out. I just like to wander. The pumpkins, the flannels, the boots, the corn, the leaves changing – all of this is the beginning of a magical few months of holiday seasons.
I never used to be big on holidays, but as I get older I look forward to them. I don’t care for the consumeristic aspect of them, in fact I abhor that correlation with holidays, but I love the sense of togetherness it brings. I love the fun activities available, the foods, and sometimes even the weather. I savor October and November and I look forward to many pots of homemade applesauce, nights of wool socks and movies, stormy afternoons while I snuggle with my cat, and all the decorated porches.
Another Trader Joe’s win. Technically I bought this in August, but it fits the theme.
If anyone out there knows of a good gluten free item I must try (yeah yeah I know I can just make my own and I DO, but sometimes a girl just wants to buy an unhealthy treat), please let me know. Or just share with me your favorite fall treat you like to consume.
Posted at 10:00 AM by Brittany, on October 6, 2023
At the end of July Duncan and I took a trip to Mount Rainier, with the expectation of hiking one of the many lovely trails on the Sunrise side of the park. The park has two main “areas” and most of the popular trails start on either the Sunrise side, or the Paradise side. Last September we went for a hike on the Paradise side which is significantly larger as far as parking and accommodations, and when deciding what time we should leave to arrive for our hike this year we based everything off of those aforementioned facts: September, Paradise.
Duncan likes to sleep in, while I am content leaving the house at 0500 to ensure we beat the crowds. In order to find a middle ground we left around 0700 with the intent of arriving around 0930. This is what we did last time, so it should have worked well, right? Turns out July is not September (duh, July is far busier), and the Sunrise side is not Paradise. The Sunrise side has significantly limited parking meaning we arrived to find ourselves in a line of other cars, waiting to get past the gate.
NO, no, no, noooo.
After waiting for 30 minutes or so, I asked a passing park ranger how long we could expect to wait, and the words that came out of his mouth put me into a tunnel of darkness – “three hours.” Absolutely the heck not. Thankfully I was next to a pull out, and with no plan B we turned around and started driving. We had no cell service, no idea of where else to hike, and I was starting to have a melt down.
I don’t handle changes of plans very well, especially when I have no way of finding an alternative.
I ended up driving the ENTIRE PARK over to the Paradise side which was MADNESS, before settling on a random trail off the side of the road. We walked through the woods passing a few small waterfalls, with the goal of finding Narada Falls. Ironically Narada Falls in accessible just off the road, but something about hiking to it make it all the more awe-worthy once we arrived. We hiked from Carter Falls to Narada Falls clocking about 6 miles with 1300 ft of elevation gain.
The trail overall was so-so, would not do again, but the day was beautiful and I had a good sport of a passenger. If only he could say the same about me. I was admittedly a pill the majority of the afternoon, but once we were able to get out and start walking I think I turned it around. I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Duncan.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. It is now September (good time of year), I have two willing humans wanting to leave at 0500, and there is rain on the forecast. A recipe for success. My friend Caitlin and her sister Christina met me at my house for an early departure to hike once again on the Sunrise side of the park. This days adventure was a walk to the Berkeley Park Campground, with an offshoot to the Fremont lookout on the way back.
All three of us were a bit trepidatious due to the weather forecast, but we decided to go anyway. We arrived at the parking lot by 0730, and the entire lot was swallowed by a thick cloud. There was plenty of parking, but the air was chilled and I quickly discovered I did not dress warmly enough. I was certain we wouldn’t have any views that day, but karma was on our side. As soon as we started hiking the sky opened up.
The Berkeley Park trail took us through open meadows and away from the mountain for a unique view of this park. We hiked 4 miles to the campground area, had a snack, and headed back towards the Fremont Lookout. I originally wanted to do the Fremont Lookout Trail as a sunrise hike, but we would have to wake up around 0100 for this, and honestly I don’t think I care enough to watch a sunrise. The views from the lookout were just as lovely during the normal hours of the day.
We savored the view for all of five minutes before the wind took most of our warmth and I could no longer feel my fingers. We made our way back towards the parking lot, making this hike a total of 10.75 miles and around 2300 ft of elevation. This take two of recent visits to Mount Rainier went much better than the first, and a large part of why was because I lowered my expectations.
These two hikes might have been different in all ways – different weather, different company, different attitude, but there was one commonality between the two. There is a local shop 30 min outside of the park that sells ice cream, and it is well worth the splurge. This recent hike my hands were too cold to eat one of my snacks, so I got vanilla ice cream to top with my snack. Absolute win.
The perk of being an adult is that you can reward yourself whether your attitude is positive or negative, and I rewarded myself after both hikes.
Q: Do you like arriving early places before the crowds, or would you rather sleep in and arrive when you arrive?
Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on September 23, 2023
Within the last few years I have become fascinated and intrigued by the benefits of cold water therapy. As someone who does whatever they can to manage autoimmune flare ups, the idea of dipping ones body into frigid waters makes sense to me as a way to mitigate inflammation. When my water heater broke last November I took a cold showers (in the middle of winter) for over a month, and while the initial process was not fun, I felt amazing.
Alas, when the water heater was fixed I was happy to go right back to warm showers.
I didn’t always embrace cold water. When I was in my 20’s I used to avoid going into the ocean when at the beach, or alpine lakes while hiking, but in 2020 I submerged my body into an Austrian alpine lake after a very, VERY hot day of hiking and I was sold. The last few summers I have done my best to get into the water at the beach at least once during beach visits, and this past August I managed to swim in two alpine lakes.
First up: Lake 22
A modest, beautiful hike in the Snoqualmie National Forest area, clocking in at 6 miles RT with an elevation gain of 1500′. I embarked on this adventure with my friend Caitlin and her sister Christina. In an attempt to beat the crowds and the heat we left at 0500, arriving at the trail head by 0700. We were the first car in the lot, quickly followed by one other guy. He beat us to the lake, but as we were arriving he was leaving, giving us the lake to ourselves for at least 45 minutes,
I had never done this hike before, but I can see why it is so popular. There is a well maintained boardwalk system that circumnavigates the entirety of the lake, and the reflection of the surrounding mountains are stunning. We found a spot in the sun and started swimming around 0900. I kept my body submerged in this cold, yet refreshing water for at least 25 minutes before we headed back down. This was a perfect introduction.
Next up: Snow Lake & Gem Lake
Heading East of Seattle towards Snoqualmie Pass is one of the most popular summer hikes in the Seattle area. Snow Lake is a 6.7 mile RT, 1700′ elevation gain hike that hundreds of people flock to. The waters of Snow Lake are some of the most blue and green I have seen in this area, and this is one of my favorite hikes. It had been years since I hiked this trail, and I wrangled Caitlin into hiking this, with the intention of continuing on to Gem Lake for a swim.
Gem Lake is an additional 3 miles, with an extra 1000′ of elevation or so, and I was hopeful we could find a pocket of solace as most people stop at Snow Lake. We arrived at the Snow Lake trail head around 0700, and there were a LOT of cars in the lot already. People likely staying in the nearby cabins, and we saw a few parties starting their ascent up to Snow Lake. We were able to pass some people, giving us the trail mostly to ourselves on the way up. We stopped for our first snack once we reached Snow Lake, appreciating the quiet of the early morning ambiance.
The final trek to Gem Lake was easier than I anticipated. It was getting warm, the high of this day was in the 90’s, but with a cold lake to look forward to it was easy to push on. Thankfully with the early start we beat most of the heat, until we were going down. More on that in a minute. We passed a few people who had camped along the way, we weaved and bobbed through the trees, we scrambled over a rocky field (my ankles were sore for days after this), until finally we reached the lake.
There were more people than I expected at this lake, but we still found our own spot to swim. We were in the shade, which was chilly, but it only took a minute before my body acclimated to the water. One of my favorite things to do after sitting in cold water for a bit is to crack my knuckles. My joints swell when it’s hot and when I am hiking, and twisting my back to pop as well was such a relief. We stayed in our section of water for probably 30 minutes.
Across from us on a rock higher up were two guys listening to music. This smaller cove like lake area carries sound incredibly well, and although they were too far away to normally hear them, with the water carrying their sounds we heard not only their obnoxious music, but their voices. At one point one of them said: “those girls are staying in the water.” Clearly they were being outshone by us women, and they jumped one by one from their ledge into the water.
This made my sphincters tighten, I don’t like watching people jump into possibly shallow waters.
Caitlin and I both stayed in the water cooling off, but once I felt my fingers turning white I knew it was time to get out. We moved ourselves into the sun to eat our second snack before heading back down to the car. Caitlin and I sneakily took similar photos of each other while we were snacking, great minds think alike.
Me.
She.
I couldn’t tell you what exactly went wrong for me as we made our way back down. Maybe it was the RX bar I ate (those never sit the best, but man I love them), maybe it was the heat getting into the 90’s, maybe it was fatigue, but I started to feel incredibly nauseous as we descended the switch backs after passing Snow Lake. The traffic was stop and go at times because there were so many people coming up (whoever decides to start a hike at 1300 in 90 degree weather is a certified psychopath in my opinion) making the hike down slower than I’d have liked.
This was a one step at a time descent for me, and I was so thankful when we reached the car. Unfortunately I was sick the entire 2 hour ride home, but thankfully Caitlin drove to this hike. I had my eyes shut most of the the way home focusing on my breathing and doing my best not to hurl on my newfound hiking pal. I made it home unscathed, took a shower, ate, and finally started to feel better.
Sickness aside, this was my favorite hike of the year so far. It was a beautiful day, and I loved swimming in Gem Lake. Swimming here was a full circle moment for me, because the last time I hiked to Gem Lake in 2014 my hiking pal swam, but I did not. I was overheated then too, but wasn’t comfortable with my body (the irony, I was at my thinnest then – typical female brain) so I did not swim.
These days I could care less what people think of my body, I’m getting in the damn lake.
As I say goodbye to summer the weather is turning colder, and the pumpkin products have hit the shelves. I don’t see many alpine lake swims for me the rest of the year, but who knows maybe a true polar plunge is in my future. Fall hiking is my favorite, and I cannot wait to watch the leaves change. Crunchy walks here I come.
Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on September 14, 2023
I have been all over the place lately. My mind has been scattered, stale, and stagnant. When my cat got sick back in May it threw me for a bit of a loop. Three months of daily morning medications, non stop monitoring of symptoms and bathroom habits, and trying new foods. This meant I wasn’t finding much time for myself and what I enjoy doing. It took another month before I felt comfortable leaving him alone for a night. I can blame my anxiety for that one.
I would go to the ends of the world for this cat, and I am thankful he is stable and doing well, but admittedly I have felt a bit lost as to where my focus should be directed.
I couldn’t see much past the basics, going to work, and spending time with Little. I knew I needed to spend some time out of my house, and while Duncan is a huge support to me, we have differing desires for how to spend our free time. We compromise most weekends, but in an attempt to let Duncan off the hook (because let’s face it, if someone isn’t overly interested in hiking giant mountains, it’s not fun for anyone) I befriended my coworker Caitlin.
It’s no secret I enjoy spending most of my free time outside. It’s not only physically beneficial for me, but mentally as well. I thrive knowing I have weekend plans to hike a mountain or travel somewhere new, and I’m kicking myself for taking so long to ask Caitlin to hangout outside of work. We have been working closely together for around two years now, but I knew she kept to herself on her weekends.
We slowly learned over time that we had similar humor, similar interests, and there was something about her I knew I would click with. She invited me to go kayaking with her back in June and from there I knew it was game on. We talked about hiking a local trail in passing one day, and I decided to make it happen. Since our first hike together in July we have been making a habit of hiking as often as we can. She is up for any hike I throw her way, and it has been so helpful for my mental health to have someone I can go on bigger adventures with.
Making friends as an adult is hard. There is no way around that. Making friends as an emotionally charged introvert is ever harder. I am very sensitive to peoples energies and I can almost immediately tell if I am not going to vibe with someone. As children we are told to be friends with anyone and everyone, but as an adult I have become the polar opposite. If I don’t like your energy, I will not spend time with you.
This is nothing to apologize for, not everyone is for everyone and that’s ok.
Whenever I am feeling stuck or stale there is usually a correlation. I am either not doing the things that bring me joy, or I don’t have a community of people around me who shares similar interests. My job will never be my source of joy, or purpose, therefor it’s imperative for me to continue finding ways to connect with the world and the people around me outside of where I make money.
I wasn’t sure if I would have many summer adventures this year. Keeping close to Little has been my main priority the last handful of months, but I have been able to sprinkle a hike in most weekends since Caitlin and I started hiking together. We have a few more planned, some of which Duncan will tag along on, and I am directing my focus on enjoying the little things in life.
This first hike Caitlin and I did was one I had hiked back in 2014, and then again in 2015. It had been so long I didn’t remember anything about it. This was my first “bigger” hike in a while, and it felt good to get my lungs working again. The sun was out for the first half of this hike, but as we reached the top the clouds moved in, allowing sporadic pockets of views. I made sure to give Caitlin the best view of my face, a look reserved for true friends.
As it turns out I had summer adventures after all. I hiked, I picked blueberries and blackberries, I ran, I rode my bike, I read three books, I took countless evening and morning drives with Little to see horses and sheep and chickens, I went on walks with friends, I spent time with people I love, and I never had to stray too far from my child. I am excited for fall and the hiking to come, and I am excited to continue finding pockets of joy in the simplicity of my happily mundane life.
Q: Did you travel far this summer?Let me live through you.
1. I have a lot of random things to write, and what better way than an Early Morning Confessions post. For starters, just before Duncan and I took our vacation we celebrated my childs 15th birthday. We bought party hats, I gave him a pâté of prescription food (which he no longer eats) sprinkled with fish flakes, we bought gifts, and we sang to him.
I was certain the gift I bought him would be a hit (pink ball with green fuzzy worm), while the gift Duncan bought would be a dud (a catnip stuffed cigar because he is an old man now, as Duncan said.) Come to find out he was terrified of my gift (the bouncy ball sent him running) and obsessed with Duncans. Go figure.
2. That tiny black ball of fur is my best pal. He brings me so much joy and I am certain he is my soul cat. I’m not sure we get more than one soul pet in our lives, and I have never felt a bond with an animal the way I do with him. Shortly after returning from vacation he had a week long spell of vomiting, and was eating less than normal. He was due for a senior check up so I took him in.
After three days in a row of testing and specialists he was diagnosed with IBD, pancreatitis and he was incredibly constipated. He was put on steroids to help with inflammation and I completely overhauled his diet. Changing his food was nerve wracking because although I was certain his food was contributing to the problem (prescription urinary food filled with gargbage), I was worried he would get another urinary blockage (he had one in 2018 that almost killed him.)
It’s been two months of daily steroids (we are currently on the taper), trying multiple types of food, and absolute exhaustion and stress for me. The vomiting has stopped, and I found a probiotic that has helped his poops, but I still have daily anxiety. I’m struggling to let go of the obsessive control to heal him. I am doing everything I can to ensure he is ok for the rest of his life.
He may have turned 15 recently, but I expect at least 2-3 more years with him.
3. Back in May, the weekend before the journey with Little (my cat) began, I went for a hike with three gal pals I met in Germany. Galiya, a friend who I became close with at a time when I needed friendship was coming to visit her pal Sarah in Bend, OR. I knew Sarah, but we didn’t spend any time together. Galiya, Sarah, and I met up with Paige, a friend who I worked with and greatly enjoyed who now lives in Portland.
We hiked Dog Mountain, a trail I had been wanting to hike for a while. This was such a beautiful day of reunion and I would give anything for close friends to live nearby.
4. My car is from 2007 and had the most ugly, disgustingly clouded headlights for years. I didn’t care much, but at a recent oil change (I go to the Toyota dealership), I was asked if I wanted my headlights restored FOR OVER $150!!! Absolutely not. I decided to try it myself and used this Rain-X product for $20.
I was chuffed with the results, and 10/10 would use again.
5. The summer is here in full force, but I haven’t done many fun activities. Between selling my soul to corporate America and spending time with Little, I haven’t had much space for anything else. I have had a few walk/hikes I have enjoyed, gone for plenty of runs, and a few noteworthy bike rides, but I am longing for a weekend getaway.
I don’t see many getaways in my future for quite some time, but I would give up all the vacations in my life to spend more time with my fur babe.
Walk to the beach.
Lower South Forth Skokomish Trail.
Discovery Bay Trail.
6. This song has made it onto my liked songs on Spotify, and I listen to it often. I first heard it on Instagram, then I found it on YouTube, and I try to show everyone I can. I showed my mom last week and we both cried we were laughing so hard.
7. Have I talked about Little too much in this post? I think that’s impossible, so here is another fun fact. Due to his recent IBD diagnosis I have stopped letting him in the backyard. He eats too much grass which results in vomiting and irritation. Backyard adventures were his favorite, and in an attempt to keep him stimulated/avoid boredom and depression I have found a new adventure.
We now go on car rides.
I experimented a bit ago by putting him in my car sans carrier, and driving slowly around the block. I wanted to ensure he would be chill, and once I saw how he behaved we moved to longer and further rides. I do not take him on the freeway/highway like this, but slower back roads have become a joy for us both. He LOVES these rides.
We even went to Duncans for a few hours one day, which he enjoyed until he didn’t anymore.
We were at a stoplight.
8. Consumerism is driving me mad. I have always struggled with the idea of having too many “things”, but it wasn’t until I worked in a retail setting that I saw the effects of: “more, more, more.” Sure, I like buying things that I will use, and I have been known to buy things I likely don’t need, but on such an elevated scale where people around me treat buying and selling “stuff” like it’s life or death – I just can’t.
9. I don’t normally like water activities. I’m more of a land gal, but in an attempt to push outside of my comfort zone I went kayaking with one of my coworker/friends recently. I rented an ORU Kayak (these fold up/down for easier transportation and storage), and accompanied her to a nearby lake for an evening paddle.
The kayak was a pain in the ass to set up, not all of them are as intricate as the one I used, but once it was ready to glide I loved it.
10. I am feeling quite lonely these days. No matter where I am in my life I struggle to find people who “get me.” Most of the people I am surrounded by are surface level friendships, or acquaintances. It’s rare for me to find someone I connect with deeply, and this leads to me feeling like the odd man out around most people.
Some seasons of life I have more connections than others, but people move/life changes, and when I start feeling like this I allow myself to feel the heaviness that comes with a lack of community. A reminder to continue fostering my deeper friendships from afar. As with all things in life it’s an ebb and flow, and the times of loneliness make the deeper connections all the more special.
After a long and wonderful day in Istanbul, I was excited to sleep in and have a morning on the ship before our last full day of vacation. If you read my first post of this series you will know I wanted more time on the ship to soak in the sights from the water, the activities on board, etc. Somewhat of an ironic statement for someone who has thalassophobia.
From Turkey we were heading back to Greece for one more adventure, but we would not arrive until 1200. I’m naturally an early riser and this gave me time to do all the things I wanted to do that morning. I greatly enjoyed having a leisure breakfast, time to savor my coffee, and one more run around the outdoor jogging track.
The wind was wild that morning, and one side of the ship had me running through what felt like full bodied molasses thanks to the wind.
Lucky for me, the wind meant there were no other humans on the deck and I could run without having to stop. After my run I showered and got ready with Duncan to grab some lunch before we took a ferry boat to the shores of Mykonos. We were unable to port the cruise ship, but a constant shuttle was running throughout the day for people to come and go.
We took the small boat to the shore where we met our guide who was taking us to Delos, a small island that can only be reached by boat (third boat ride for us of the day.) There are boats that depart from Mykonos and some of the surrounding island, and I highly recommend a trip to Delos if you’re ever in the area.
Boat ride to Mykonos.
First sight of Delos.
The boat ride took about 45 minutes and the waters of the sea were beautiful. When booking this tour I had never heard of Delos, but it was one of the few options that sounded interesting. The archaeological site on the island of Delos is the remains of a sanctuary to the gods Apollo and Artemis, and the city that developed around it.
What was once a bustling port city is now a fascinating piece of history.
We chose a tour that offered iPads, showing us what the land might have looked like back in the day. I was indifferent to the 3D aspect when booking, but Duncan was intrigued. Once we got to the tour the iPads were not of interest to either of us, and more of a hindrance.
Our guide was knowledgable, kind, and easy to understand, but the iPads slowed us down and I wanted to explore more of the ruins.
I felt like an archeologist of my own with my fanny pack, headset, and iPad strapped to my body.
Immediately upon arrival to the island we were greeted by cat, after cat, after cat. If you have been following along with this vacation series (or if you just know me), you will know the cats stopped me in my tracks and were a huge distraction from listening to the guide. I eventually took my headpiece out and focused on the surroundings and focused on the cats.
Duncan and I wandered off a few times, never out of ear shot, and we always found our way back to the group.
This place was amazing, and I will absolutely return. I want to see more of the ruins as well as climb to the top of Mount Kynthos. I could not stop looking at this peak during our tour and wishing I had time to run up it. We were given about 15 minutes of free time at the end of the tour before wandering back to the boat heading to Mykonos. We found a cool structure, and then we were followed by two locals.
MountKynthosin the back.
These two babies followed us for a while, it was so hard not to stuff them both up my shirt and smuggle them onto the boat.
Delos was great, but the cats made it GRRRRREAT.
After our adventure on Delos we had two hours to wander Mykonos as the evening wore on. It was 1800 when we arrived back to Mykonos and we were planning to take the 2000 shuttle back to the cruise ship. Originally I was worried this wouldn’t be enough time, but two hours was more than enough to wander and get a feel for this small city. It was beautiful weaving in and out of the streets in the evening.
I had no goals here, other than to see white and blue streets, find the famous windmills, and pet as many cats as possible. We would be leaving the land of wild kitties the next day and I had to soak in as much as I could.
After chatting with Duncan when we arrived back home, he decided this last day in Greece was his favorite. We were able to watch the sunset on the beach looking out towards the water, and Delos fueled his passion for history. My favorite day was still our first day in Israel, but the freedom of no plan in both Mykonos and previously in Rhodes made Greece a top contender for a return visit.
Mykonos is a bit kitschy for my taste, but I was happy to have seen it. I don’t feel the need to return to Mykonos, but there are plenty of other islands I would love to see. Thankfully, while the shopping in Mykonos wasn’t for me there were plenty of friends to see before we left. We didn’t eat in any of the restaurants, but I can only assume the food was delicious.
Before we left the island Duncan had the idea of taking another cringe hand guiding photo, but this time he would be leading me towards a cat. We took one of these photos as a joke on the ship one of our days, and now this feels like an appropriate tradition for us whenever we see a cat.
Come with me, I know where the cats live.
We made it back onto the ship by 2000 and ate one final dinner in the buffet. The following morning we were up early to get our stuff together before disembarking the ship for the last time. The process for getting off the ship was chaos, my only negative feedback for the entire trip, but I made it off $30 richer thanks to a free credit we didn’t use. A win is a win.
It has been two and a half months since our return, and I am still daydreaming about this adventure.
I’m in awe of all that we saw – from Greece, to Israel, to Cyprus, to Greece, to Turkey, and back to Greece. Cruise ships vacations aren’t for everyone, but man was this an easy way to travel. This was my first international trip with Duncan and it went amazingly well. Now we will just have to see how he likes a Brittany planned international vacation. Muahaha.
Q: Do you have any upcoming summer/fall/winter plans? Let me live through you!
If you read my previous post you will know that while I loved the old ruins of Ephesus, the port town of Kuşadası was not for me. I had high hopes that the following day in Istanbul would be a better experience, and thankfully for us it was. Some of my readers left comments stating their experiences in Istanbul were not great, but we had a wonderful guide which I think helped tremendously.
Our day started early, and we were to have a full nine hours in the city. Our guide was a short Turkish man with more energy than height who was enjoyable to be around, and had plenty of tricks up his sleeve in order for us to maximize our day. We started our adventure with a visit to two popular mosques in the city – Hagia Sophia, and The Blue Mosque (also known as The Sultan Ahmet Mosque.)
Originally our tour notes stated we would not be able to go inside of The Blue Mosque because it was closed, but on this morning it was opened for a short period of time.
No idea what this was, but the first of many beautiful buildings seen on this day.
We went inside of Hagia Sophia first, and while normally the line would have taken over an hour to stand in, our guide was a magician with getting us in. He prepped us before we got off the bus and told us his plan. We were to wait casually on the outskirts of the line in small clusters while he went to find one of his colleagues who was already close to the entrance.
We would then slowly add ourselves into his colleagues group (the line was wide and chaotic and easy to sneak into) and voila, we waited all of 20 minutes.
Admittedly I did not love this, it felt a bit stressful to me and I didn’t like how our guide bounced around like a pogo stick (I also hate the idea of cutting in line), but at the end of the day it worked and I didn’t have any other choice (this is why I prefer arriving places before the world comes to life.) Ultimately we were able to maximize time and for that I am thankful.
Women were only admitted entry if their hair was covered, and everyone must take their shoes off. We entered in and saw some of the most beautiful ceilings I have ever seen, and my feet were blessed with cushy Turkish carpet.
This mosque was once a Christian church and the ceiling has four seraphim mosaics. These were known as God’s protector angels, and their plump moon like faces were covered for almost 160 years when the church was turned into a mosque. Three of the four angels still have their faces covered, but one was revealed when the mosque was turned into a museum. Church to mosque to museum to mosque.
In 2020 the museum was turned back into a mosque, and all of the Christian references within the mosque have been covered with tapestry. Except for the one angels face.
Angel with face covered.
Angel with face uncovered. I found them to be creepy.
The energy inside the mosque was infectious. I found this to be the highlight of my time in Istanbul. I am by no means Muslim, but it was impossible to be inside such a magnificent building and not feel the energy. My favorite part was the cat inside the mosque that everyone seemed to love on. There were a few men praying in a designated area where the rest of us could not go, and the cat walked up to them and sat down. One of the men pet him as he was praying.
I could have sat in there for hours. I felt we spent enough time inside and I did not feel rushed one bit. As we were leaving I noticed a remaining Christian image on the outside of the main entrance to the mosque. What a fascinating piece of history. The Blue Mosque is just a hop, skip and a jump away from Hagia Sophia, and we headed over there next for a quicker walk through an equally beautiful location.
Christian references before Hagia Sophia main entrance.
Blue Mosque.
The line for The Blue Mosque was long, but not as long as Hagia Sophia. The line moved quickly thanks to our tour guide helping random patrons with preparation by the front door. We all wore headsets to hear him even if he was not close by, and listening to him ushering people in was comical. We were only inside for 10 minutes or so, and I don’t remember much of what was discussed, but I do remember the wonder of these ceilings.
As we exited to head towards our next location we stopped to take a few photos from the outside of these two mosques. They are directly across from each other with a beautiful park like area separating them. There were people everywhere enjoying the sunny day.
Hagia Sophia.
Hagia Sophia.
Blue Mosque.
I didn’t care much for our next destination. We spent far too much time here, and I would have preferred more time at a later spot we went to, alas I didn’t have control over this. We visited the Topkapi Palace, which was beautiful and had many things to see, but the only thing I felt intrigued by were the gardens and the details on the walls.
I have always considered myself a minimalist, with desires for simple spaces and not a lot of “busy” features to a room, but these Turkish ceilings and walls are an exception to my rule. I would love a wall like this in my house.
From here we headed to lunch, which could not have come sooner. My belly was growling and I was ready for a feast. I had hoped we would be treated to a Turkish meal similar to when we were in Israel, but we ended up dining on chicken Florentine. It was delicious, but unexpected. After lunch we made our way to our last destination – The Grand Bazaar.
As we started our drive towards the Bazaar we found ourselves in some traffic that seemed to surprise our guide. I could tell he was beginning to panic a bit because we were wasting already precious time. No one knew what the traffic was for, but our guide coordinated with our bus driver to drop us off on a corner we could then walk from, and we were to meet back at a different corner an hour and a half later.
We had to walk about 20 minutes each way, but we would have never made it to the Bazaar had we not walked some. I loved this detour in plans, walking part of the city was such a treat.
There was a guy in our group who we sat next to at lunch, and it appeared he and his wife were on a trip with his parents. Maybe it was a honeymoon vacation as they looked to be a young couple, but this guy was dead set on buying multiple knock off Rolex watches. Fake watches are a big deal in Turkey, and our lunch mate was eager to ask our guide where it was best to buy them within the Bazaar.
I had other plans. All I wanted was a simple Turkish coffee maker. I had seen some the previous day in Kuşadası, but the prices were high and the hovering was intense. I had no desire to be watched like a hawk while trying to look at my options so I left empty handed. The Bazaar was my last chance to find what I was looking for, but at first it was proving difficult.
I don’t know what I expected the inside of the bazaar to look like, but I didn’t expect it to look like a run down US shopping mall. Our guide let us loose inside to shop and explained to us the layout of the area, but I was worried about getting lost because our time was limited. He told us once we got off the main strip the shops got smaller, and most of the coffee makers throughout the shops I saw looked cheap and mass produced.
I was beginning to give up hope, but then we wandered into what felt like a back alley of the bazaar with more authentic looking stalls.
I stopped in front of a stall with floor to ceiling copper and other metals. It looked like a junk yard at first glance, but as I stopped in front of the stall an older man approached me to say hello. I braced myself for the aggressive attempt to get me to buy something, but the man stepped to the side and said nothing more. I was taken aback by his disposition, and it was because of this I was able to actually soak in what I was looking at.
Duncan pointed out the perfect coffee maker at the top, and this is when things got comical.
Our lunch mate wasn’t the only one to ask our guide where to buy something within the Bazaar. I asked about the coffee makers, and our guide told me I could find them everywhere, but what was most important was to not pay full price. I was determined to haggle for my coffee maker despite the concept of doing so making me wildly uncomfortable.
It’s 2023, we’re pushing outside of our comfort zones y’all.
Haggling is part of the culture, and I was prepared to ask for a lower price when I asked the kind older man how much the coffee maker I wanted was . He told me the price in Lira, which was equal to about $24 (already half of what they wanted in Kuşadası.) I only had USD because I knew it would be accepted here, so I paused and offered him $20. He came back with “that’s not the same as what I asked for” and apparently my hesitation was obvious.
I counteroffered one more time and told him I would give him $20 and 2Euro, and he said we had a deal. At the end of the day I still payed less than his original ask, even if just by around $1. I call that a success. Truthfully I was happy to pay this man what he wanted simply for his chill behavior while I was looking at his shop. If this man taught his peers how to act around foreigners this would likely result in more sales from people like me.
With my goal complete we wandered our way back to meet our guide, saying hello to cats along the way.
We walked back to the corner we were meeting our bus, and I soaked up the hustle and bustle of the city thinking about my experience in the Bazaar. Our journey to find our bus driver was smooth and easy, and we avoided the chaos of traffic that many of the other buses got stuck in. Our guide was amazing at his job, and I am thankful we were placed with him for the day.
We made it back on the ship with time to spare, and settled in before heading to dinner. My experience in Istanbul was entirely positive, and I am over the moon about my fun new copper trinket.
I don’t know if or when I will make it back to Turkey. There are so many other places on this earth I would love to visit, but even just a brief introduction to this culture was rewarding in its own way. I didn’t enjoy the discomfort that came with the pushy vendors in my previous post, but I never felt unsafe with my group. Overall I am thankful for the entire experience, including the salespeople.
My next post will conclude this series of travels where we found ourselves back in Greece for a tromp around another ancient city, more black cats than I could handle, and plenty of blue and white alleyways.
Q: Would you have haggled, or would you have paid the asking price? As an American it feels engrained in me to pay the asking price, but I really wanted to partake in this aspect of their culture. Who doesn’t love saving a dollar? I wasn’t good at it, but I tried. LOL.
BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, deep connections, exploration, and lots of potatoes.
If this blog does not meet your standards, please lower your standards.
Blissfulbritt 