Radiate Positivity

Today is one of those lazy Sundays, and I'm so happy to be right where I am. I am simply loving Denver and all the fun and welcoming people here, and couldn't be more content about the move. 

I'm feeling extra positive today because I have interviews for two awesome jobs next week, I had a great visit with family, and I live in a lovely home with a lovely partner. 

I'm also excited to share that I started running again last week! I developed chronic exertional compartment syndrome in 2009 and it prevented me from being able to run. I mentioned my surgery in earlier posts, and this surgery was to correct the compartment syndrome. Now, after only 7 weeks, I can run again pain free! Of course, I am miserably out of shape so really I am run-walking, but still! It is so much more than I've been able to do in years. I'm feeling so thrilled to start to getting back into shape! 

Here's to hoping the positivity I'm radiating keeps coming, and here's to sending it out into the world.

Something else to be positive about - my new plant friends! 

Our little herb garden - it's so fun to harvest the herbs and use them in our cooking and cocktails!

Exploring Denver: South Pearl Street Farmers' Market

Between applying and interviewing for jobs, I am enjoying exploring Denver. This morning, Preston and I headed over to the South Pearl Street Farmers' Market to get some local produce and check out what this market had to offer. I grew up going to the Davis Farmers' Market every single Saturday morning and every Wednesday evening in the summers, so I was delighted to find such a great market right in our neighborhood! 

I naturally had to sample their chicken tamale offerings, which I found to be quite the tasty brunch. We also went home with ripe red tomatoes, a huge head of lettuce, kale, an onion, and a mystery pepper. Oh the joys of the market! Below are a few photos I snapped while strolling along under the big blue Denver sky.

Food trucks at the market

My tamal colombiano

More market views

I am going to explore more Farmers' Markets in the Denver area, and found this site to be especially helpful!

Hello, again

A week-long California vacation plus a week without Internet equals no good opportunity to blog. Oops! 

A week after the big move, I spent a week in California with my parents while Preston ventured off to Yellowstone to hike and have bro time. It was wonderful to see family and friends, relax by the pool, and visit my favorite restaurants and spots in my hometown. Below are a couple pictures from my trip:

A chicken tamale, apple juice, and a latte are my staple selections from the Davis Farmer's Market. I'm telling you - there is nothing else in the world like these tamales! I had one every Saturday for brunch growing up. 

A view of the market signs.

Favorite coffee stand

My mom and I made Eggs Benedict for Father's Day breakfast! Complete with side of bacon. 

As mentioned before, I flew back from California to Denver to find the Internet in my apartment was no longer functioning. Now, I am back from my little Internet hiatus and am marveling at all I accomplished sans Internet for one week: I interviewed at two companies, read a book, spent time with friends, BBQed, bicycled, swam, and explored Denver. I'm so happy to have the Internet back on, but I have to say that going without the world wide web is entirely feasible and tests my ability to entertain myself without Netflix, Facebook, Pinterest, and reading blogs. 

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to an interview and then to enjoying the weekend. Pictures of Denver adventures soon to come!

Washington Coast

This past weekend I went camping with friends on the Washington coast. It rained. The entire. Time. Basically non-stop rain. Luckily, our friends are very outdoorsy and knew what to do! A tarp structure was set up above the picnic table and with extra room to fit some chairs. 

After a morning of not-so-successful clamming in the pouring rain and howling wind, we nestled together under the tarp contraption and passed the time playing games and drinking delicious beer. 

Saturday night we cooked up what clams we had procured and made a delicious stew. Bonus of sticking it out in the rain: our camp neighbors called it quits and gifted us about 10lbs of steak complete with a grill to put over our campfire. Huzzah! We ate like kings and queens.

Good beer, good food, and rain. This pretty much sums up the weekend. Below are some of the photos I took on our last day camping. We had a small break from the rain and hiked out to a lighthouse and fantastic views. I hope your weekends were sufficiently drier but equally fun!

Portland weekend

This past weekend, I road tripped down to Portland with Preston and our friend Caitlin to visit our favorite Portland locals (see my dear friend Kelsey's blog, Ladies in Navy!). The weekend was filled with good food, great beer and cocktails, and so much laughter. 

Kelsey is a master at photography, and she gave me a hands-on lesson with my new DSLR (I recently purchased a Canon Rebel t3i and am having so much fun experimenting!). Below is a very small collection of my photography experiments and evidence of weekend well spent in a lovely place with even more lovely people. 

Blossom at Pittock Mansion

Frisbee in the park

Spring is everywhere! 

I am looking forward to the end of this week when Preston and I will be flying to Denver to find a place to live. It will be so exciting to have this important detail figured out and to catch a glimpse of what my new city looks like in the spring. 

Here is to warmer days and to new adventures!