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  • Tag: Lake

    • Bled, sLOVEnia

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on July 24, 2019

      Day two in Slovenia was dedicated to Lake Bled, an amazingly beautiful lake in the Julian  Alps of northwestern Slovenia. The town of Bled is small, but tourists and locals flock to this area for the blue waters of Lake Bled. I had my heart set on this lake before I arrived, and was happy to extend the invite to Coti and Cornelia, my two hostel mates (read more about our meeting in my previous post.)

      The morning after our first night in Ljubljana, Cornelia hadn’t officially committed to coming with us, but after she woke we extended the invite again and she agreed to come with us. We later discussed how both Cornelia and I don’t normally sporadically hangout with other people like we had been, but we were both so thankful and happy to have met each other.

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      We took a 1030a bus and arrived in the town of Bled around 1130a. The bus system is fantastic in Ljubljana. My only “must do’s” in Bled were to visit the castle, walk around the entire lake, hike up Mala Osojnica (one of the many surrounding trails) for an aerial view of the lake, and visit Bled Island, the island in the middle of the lake.

      Coti had her heart set on swimming and relaxing by the water, so Cornelia and I broke off to visit the castle with plans to meet up with Coti a few hours later. The walk up to the castle took about eight minutes, and once we got to the gate of the castle we realized the good view was behind the castle walls. After being skunked at the castle in Ljubljana the day before I was hesitant to pay for another castle entrance, but it turned out to be well worth the price.

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      The castle itself wasn’t anything to write home about, but the views were worth the entrance ticket and then some. Cornelia and I walked around the castle, and soaked up the views before heading back down to walk around the lake.

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      Slovenia has one national park, and from the castle you can see out into the mountainous hills of Triglav National Park. I only briefly drove through the park (on the bus home) but will need to return so that I can visit Bohinj, a less touristy and larger lake about 20 minutes from Bled. After the castle, Cornelia and I found Coti, who had spent her time swimming.

      Coti showed us where she was swimming, and while normally I don’t enjoy swimming, I decided it was a good idea. It was 90 degrees, we had just walked up hills, and I was in need of a cool down. We found a spot to camp out and spent a good hour in the lake. We bonded over chats about life, and boys, and life with boys, and I couldn’t help but feel completely whole in that moment.

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      The world is a funny place, and the universe is a funny energy. I’m endlessly amazed by how things fall together, and how people meet. I said it before, but I am truly blessed to have met these two girls, and to have felt so comfortable so fast with them. After we swam, we started to walk around the lake. Coti wanted to swim more, so Cornelia and I decided to meet with her again before we left.

      Cornelia was a trooper with my desires to non stop walk, and to hike up Mala Osojnica. She came with me, and once we reached the view point we sat and savored the view for a good 15 minutes. We chatted about blogging, and she shared with me that she used to have a travel blog of sorts. We chatted about family, and bonded over our OCD tendencies on social media.

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      After the hike, we finally made our way towards the boats that would take us to the middle island. We had talked about visiting the island from the moment we arrived, and once we got to the dock we sadly discovered we had missed the last boat. I felt bad because had it not been for the hike, we’d have made it, however I REAAALLLYY wanted to hike.

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      I already knew I needed to return to visit Bohinj, so I’ll just have to stop by Bled again so that I can visit the island in the middle. We arrived back in Ljubljana around 10pm, and it was straight to bed for me. The next day would be a solo day for me, for a visit to the Postojna caves, and the girls and I would meet back up later that evening, but more on that in my next post!

      Bled was everything I’d hoped for and more. It’s a popular destination for obvious reason, and I would return there without question. There aren’t many places I feel the need to see twice, but Bled was one of them. I could easily stay a weekend in Bled and branch off from there for other activities, I’d even make time to swim in the lake again!

      Q: Would you rather: hike, swim, or walk around the lake?

      brittany

      | 12 Comments Tagged Bled, Brittanys Life Abroad, Lake, Slovenia
    • Talapus and Olallie Lakes

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on October 27, 2016

      Washington has had rain on the radar for the last week or so, but on the not so rare occasion the forecast is wrong (aka it’s always wrong) I take advantage of the incorrect report. Last weekend, October decided to play nice and remind me why it’s my favorite month.

      Crisp and cold air, with bright shining sun.

      Where’s the best place to go on a chilly yet sunny day? The mountains, for a lake hike. One lake is like a pancake, two lakes is like a waffle. I like waffles more than pancakes so when I find a hike that gives me not only one lake, but TWO within the adventure I’m sold!

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      Social media never ceases to amaze me in its ability to bring people together. After many months of following each other on Instagram, Cailey and I met in real life a few weeks ago. She was just the spunky, upbeat hiking companion I was looking for, and she and I embarked on this quest together.

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      Did I mention how amazing Washington is during the fall? This trail was very mild, which was a welcomed change from some of my typical hikes. 6.2 total miles and a modest 1,200ft elevation gain allowed my mental focus to soak in the trees around me and digest the conversations about food, dogs, and life.

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      It didn’t take long to arrive at the first lake, and it showed up sooner than expected. I almost didn’t see it tucked down to the left of the trail, but after walking towards the opening trees I was enamored.

      A horseshoe like view with a dip in the middle of the mountain gave an awe worthy sight. A man and woman were to the left of us, enjoying a snack with their dog. If it weren’t for them, I’d not have realized this was the first lake. Often times on these hikes there are mini “lake like” bodies of water scattered among the trail, and I almost mistook this for one of those.

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      In order to get the above photo I had to billy goat my way across a handful of wet logs. I saw my life flash before my eyes multiple times, and by my life I mean my body soaked from lake water. #worthit. I’ve perfected the billy goat, reminds me of this adventure…

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      Another mile and some change up the path led to the other lake of the day. One thing I love about this area of trails is that there are many paths that intertwine together, making for endless possibilities. I had to laugh when I saw the sign that pointed towards Pratt Lake, also known as “the lake I thought I may die at.” #dramatic

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      I plan to go back to Pratt Lake someday, but this trip was dedicated to finding Olallie Lake. At no point on this hike did I loose my breath to the point of not being able to speak, but my heart rate elevated a few times and my clothes needed a good wash when I came home.

      I sweat at the drop of a hat.

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      Sunshine says summer, jacket says fall. 

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      A beautiful day in the mountains with exceptional company. Filling my lungs with the open air and surrounding my sights with green sets me up for a week of success.

      Q: Would you balance on rickety logs to get a better photo?

      atterned-n

      | 46 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Lake, Olallie Lake, Olympic Mountains, PNW, Talapus Lake
    • Living for the Weekend

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on August 8, 2016

      I cannot remember the last time I had a schedule that gave me real weekends. You know, the ones where you have those two days in the week that start with “S” free to do whatever you choose. I used to have sassy mental thoughts towards those that would ask me, “what are your plans this weekend?” To which I would often reply: “I’m working.”

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      Savoring this morning commute before winter comes.

      Now I can finally say I look forward to my weekends, and I already have a mini routine set up for the time away from work. I do use some time for homework, but I also make time for play. Monday through Thursday I try to get home and be in bed by 8:30, but once Friday comes I’m more apt to do crazy things.

      Like drinking nitro cold brew coffee at 5pm

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      I loose my morals with this stuff, it’s that good.

      Saturdays I try to sleep in, which for me is waking up around 6am. This allows me to have a calm morning before jumping into errands. Summer months are the perfect time to utilize shopping local, so Saturday mornings I go to the farmers market for my week of produce.

      And for these VGF muffins that are divine. 

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      Sometimes I run, sometimes I don’t. It all depends on my mood and plans for the following day. Sundays I enjoy going to church, but sometimes I take off for a trip to the mountains. Last weekend I headed north for a lovely 8.5 mile solo hike to Melakwa Lake.

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      This hike gave me all the feels as I sat and savored the scenes around me. I was a bit chilly one I got to the lake, but I still sat in silence for about 30 minutes, which is longer than I typically stay at the destination of my hikes.

      This weekend was the same, Saturday I hit up the market and finished all my school work. Sunday I set out for a hike, but the universe had another plan for me. I typically drive 2 hours to get to a good hike, and an hour into my drive my tire pressure light came on.

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      I filled my tires with air, but the light didn’t go off. It then started to pour down rain. I somehow got the feeling I wasn’t meant to go on a hike, and instead went to Costco to have a professional check out my tires. I got the green light that they were fine, headed out for a 4 mile run, and refueled at Whole Foods with vegan lasagna, roasted veggies, and a brownie.

      It’s a great feeling when your mind is at peace. You start to care less about eating two muffins in one day (I had to make up for lost time, I missed the muffin man two weekends ago at the farmers market), you start to appreciate little things around you, you start to do things you didn’t used to do, you start to make friends with people you typically wouldn’t talk to, and you let things like missed hiking adventures roll off your back.

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      On that note, happy Monday.

      Q: Do you have a weekend routine?

      atterned-n

      | 77 Comments Tagged Hike, Lake, Melakwa Lake, PNW, Starbucks, Vegan, Weekend
    • BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long bike rides, deep connections, exploration, and lots of cucumbers.
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