abel tasman

We made it. Our first overnight tramp, four days and three nights, 50+ kilometers. Not everyone likes walking, but it works for us. We mostly did it for those pretty views. Plus, it's nice to complete something that has a start and clear finish. Physically tiring (not too bad), but emotionally freeing. No space in our packs to bring along work or the list of things to do. So good to get away, to rest and refocus.

Yes, the entire walk looked like something out of a magazine. God did good with New Zealand.

home

Adventures are fun. To finish off March, I spent last week in Ireland with my mother-in-law. Blessed to be given an opportunity to travel and such fun to spend it with family. I'll share some of our trip highlights next week. 

It's always good to come home. I missed my husband, our place, our neighbors. This little apartment is only ours for a few more months. So many memories in this space and still more to happen. Friends to visit, dinners, graduation party, birthday celebrations. Such a sweet season we've been given.

seattle, part two: favorite places

Seattle is a great place to visit. Seriously, go plan a trip right now. It especially was fun to hang out with family and also visit my study abroad best friend Colleen. It's really light and breezy beginning of spring. As I mentioned, we saw the mountains every day. Next time we visit, we'll come back during the summer so we can hike parts of Mount Rainier (which still has a ton of snow so you can't go far up this early in spring). Plus, I want to go back and visit Whidbey Island some day. Sometimes it's overwhelming to think about how many awesome places there are in the world to visit that you're unsure about visiting a place twice. We'd definitely go back to Seattle.

1. Paseo (middle row, second photo from right)
Imagine yummy, dripping caribbean roast sandwiches with thick grilled onions, cilantro, pickled jalapenos on toasty bread. Yummy.

2. Thai Toms (bottom row, first photo from right)
I am not kidding the best panang curry and pad thai in the world. See that man with the wok in the first row of photos. That was right in front of my seat, loved it. I would eat there everyday if I could. Super inexpensive Thai food with such an amazing experience.

3. Top Pot (bottom row, second photo from left)
Old fashioned donuts, get it.

4. Athenian Inn (middle row, first photo from left)
Located in Pike Place, ordered tuna tacos, clear view of the Olympic mountains from our seats. Logan ordered some awesome fish and chips (I actually wish I ordered that). A stool is dedicated to where Tom Hanks sat in a scene from Sleepless in Seattle.

5. Vietnamese Pho
All over Seattle there are little Vietnamese family restaurants. I haven't had Pho (noodle-y goodness soup) since I went to Philadelphia for a mission trip in high school. Still yummy.

6. Seattle Sounders (bottom photo, first photo from left)
Seattle's soccer team is the Sounders. We lucked out and were able to attend the first competitive game of the season. It was incredible. The fans were super fun. It's great to see people get really into soccer. If we lived in Seattle, we would totally want season tickets, so fun.

7. Pike's Place (top row, second photo from right)
Like everyone and their mom, I loved Pike's Place. There are these gorgeous bouquets of flowers (filled with daffodils right now), tons of yummy food, and just good stuff. If you look closely, there are definitely daffodils planted on roofs. That's my favorite.

Seriously, wish I could go back to these places again, and again, and again.

seattle, part one

The first time Logan and I visited Washington state was prior to our honeymoon cruise to Alaska. We spent four days on Whidbey Island, which we loved, but didn't really get to experience Seattle. Since Logan had a reading week, we thought it was perfect timing to visit family and see Seattle.

It was a great spring break, I mean, reading week. We lucked out with mostly clear skies and sunny weather. We saw Mount Rainier and the Olympic mountains almost everyday. We loved seeing Jolie and Steve, seeing a glimpse of their new life in Seattle. We're glad they chose Seattle over NYC, seems such a good fit for them. We're so happy that they're happy and loving Seattle. We loved our time with them, goofy and ridiculous as usual. We've been so blessed to see so much of family this year.

While traveling home, Logan and I tried to decide who wins: east coast vs. west coast. The conversation turned into what we love (Maine, California beaches, fish tacos) and what we don't love (east coast traffic, crowded, LA traffic). Seattle is added to west coast love, with its pretty mountains, random lakes, manageable traffic and population. Such an easy-going city. Plus, Seattle loves soccer (we went to a Sounders game). Logan loves soccer.

Get ready for tomorrow, a post filled with photos of places we visited and the food we ate (this is all I do in cities, seriously).

Oh, and if you are wondering whether I love the coasts more than the midwest, don't worry. The midwest is like the cream in the middle of an oreo. I will always love that flat land and its wonderful people.

sleeping bear

We're back from vacation to northern Michigan with Logan's family. It's my first family vacation officially as a Hoffman, which made it easier for sleeping arrangements since Logan and I can sleep in the same bed. It was a quick weekend seeing all the popular places: biking Mackinac Island, swimming at Glen Haven, and hiking Sleeping Bear dunes. We also managed to fit in random stops to putt-putt, eat lunch at Grand Traverse Pie Co., and pick cherries (see the photo below of my father-in-law for our lovely picking attire). Needless to say, I'm thankful for this little break. Plus, Michigan is gorgeous. I'm pretty sure I would take Michigan beaches over Florida ones any day. Seriously, look below at that clear and blue water and epic coastline, love it.

p.s. Logan and I decided that we like gold cherries more than black cherries. They're awesome. Anyone else think so?

Hello Monday.

I am not ready for you to go. Unfortunately, parts of today involved my head spinning and thinking so hard that I felt this overwhelming air bubble in my frontal lobe. I mean, really, where should I start? There's research, advising, application for graduation, summer employment, reading, online quiz, nursing journals, medication brochure, e-mail advisors, e-mail internships, fill out applications, and current work items (staff retreat, curfew).

Okay, this blog is my refuge not my bag of worries. Let's think positive.

I am in love with these tiny twig hair pins (via you are my fave).

Papa Stour's Bolt Hole in Scotland seems like the ideal vacation to me (via cup of jo).

These striped conductor shorts are perfect for summer.

My boyfriend loves this video. I have to admit, it's funny.

And this is my little slice of hope from author Shauna Nieuqist for tomorrow (and the rest of the week)...

This is a lovely season, crammed full with so many people I care about and moments that make me happy and full on a deeper level. The days are busy, certainly, but they're full of such good things. I'm thankful every day and aware every day that we have no guarantees. For every single day of this sweet season, I'm thankful, and when it ends, whenever it does, I'll hold it in my heart as one of God's greatest gifts to me.

It's almost Spring, loves. 

I am, of course, not amazed at the fact that I have not posted in over three weeks. Recently, I visited my best friend and college roommate of the past two years who lives outside Grand Rapids, MI. I  just recently returned from Oxford, England, where I was so happy to study, and it was exactly the mini-vacation I needed in the United States. No assigned reading, no responsibilities, simply a time to be. 

While there is so much to say about our time together, we spent it camping with her wonderful grandparents. I brought way too many vegetables from my grandpa and parent's garden in Indiana. We had eggplant on the grill, corn on the cob, all of the yummy vegetables that make me absolutely love summer.

We also went to downtown Holland to enjoy the most wonderful Farmer's Market. Now in Indiana, I'm sure we have Farmer Market's, I just don't even go because I have a lot of organic veggies at my fingertips. However, I could live in a Farmer's Market. I mean it, I hope that someday I'll be able to go set up a booth of some farmed delicious, and simply meet, talk to others in the community. It is a good thing, a very good thing.