boston i love you

for those of you who aren't familiar with my story:

nearly 6 years ago i met a guy, fell in love, and moved to boston (this of course is an oversimplification but for the sake of not reliving the past half a decade of my life it will work).

 i had dreamed of visiting boston for years.

the idea of finally not only visiting but making it my home was overwhelmingly intense but i graciously accepted the challenge.  

i instantly fell in love with the city.

i spent my afternoons wandering the streets, popping in and out of little shops, and eating lunch on the docks behind the intercontinental hotel.  

i found corners of that city that i felt were all mine.  places that no one else in all of boston could have found. could have loved half as much as i loved them.

i was in heaven. 

the first job i took was in copley square. a half a block away from the public library. around the corner from the boston marathon finish line.  

i think about boston nearly every day.  every single day.

i think about the decisions that i made to get there and the life that i lead while wandering around.

i wasn't happy with a lot of things about my life at the time but i found happiness in my love for the city.

ask those who visited me while i lived there and they will tell you that i loved showing off boston.  i could talk about the place for hours.  sometimes i still do.

right now all i can do is attempt to hold back tears while i stand in an empty salon and watch the news unfold about the explosions at the marathon finish line.

i will be the first to admit that my love affair with boston has never been smooth but i have never once spoken ill of her.  (the people that inhabit her; well that's another issue all together.)

 

 

boston my darling,

i hope you heal quickly. 

you really were my first big city love.

and, i cannot wait to visit you once again.  

i took these photos while i lived there.  

the second to last photo is of my mom sitting at my favorite place in the whole world, overlooking the bay. 

//

 

hug the city you love the most.  embrace the possibility.  remember it fondly. 

we went on a hike

//

we took a hike the other weekend while we were on our mini vacation.  hanging lake proved to be a silly little thing.  the hike started off dry, quite warm and manageable.  only a quarter of the way in and it got chilly, snow/slush covered and tricky.  we managed.  we conquered.  we got there.

colorado never fails to make me happy, even on the strangest of hikes.

thanks for trekking around with me j.  i'm glad you love this place as much as i do.

//

be the change.  put away your phone.  eat ice cream for dinner.

happiness celebration

nearly a year ago jared and i went on our first date. (woah!!)

to celebrate a year of being happy together we headed up to glenwood springs, co for a short weekend getaway.  we were only away for 50 hours but it proved to be just enough time to relax, laugh, and enjoy ourselves.


we had originally decided to go to glenwood springs because the train ride from denver to there is supposed to be one of the most beautiful in the country. but, when tickets for the train doubled in a matter of weeks we opted to keep planning a trip out west anyway.
the added bonus being that we were now able to makes stops at our favorite places along the way.

we left town late friday morning after much hemming hawing on both of our sides.  the drive west on i-70 is one of my favorites in the country (and i've driven across most of it).  the views that you get to experience are absolutely beautiful.  i didn't grow up in colorado but whenever i drive through the mountains i feel like i've come home.  the kind of home that you find later in life and never want to leave.  the mountains have always managed to wrap their big accepting arms so snuggly around me.

 we spent the afternoon in downtown glenwood springs meandering in and out of books shops, eating ice cream, and holding hands.

the weekend was full of happiness and love.  my favorite way to spend my weekends with him.

//

celebrate happiness.  buy some flowers.  bake a cake.

saturday dates

bridget and i had planned on a rainy afternoon loungin' on my couch but when it became clear that the clouds looming overhead were not going to produce any moisture we set out to explore our city.  

south broadway. humble pie. tattered cover. glass elevator rides. 

our afternoons never disappoint.

//

we found a great little spot on top of a parking garage.  standing at a new place in a city that i've been in for over 2 years was a neat experience.  taking in a different perspective of a place that's become so familiar felt magical.  

i've been lucky enough lately to see more of bridget than i have in a while.  there's just something about finding a friend that you can do anything with.  our conversations always seem to have a lightness about them even when we're talking about heavier things.  simply put bridget: i totally dig the ease of our friendship.

he's so cute

he's just my favorite boy in all the land.

//

count yourself lucky.  invent a new word.  bask in the sunshine.

weekly gratitude // 9

these are always fun to wake up to. 

lately i've been finding myself so full of happiness that i could burst.

this week's top ten

1. realizing how long my hair is getting
2. afternoon walks
3. sunny afternoons in our balcony fort
4. I QUIT MY JOB!!!!!
5. planning a train ride through the mountains
6. white russians
7. finishing homework early
8. surprise kittens in the stairwell up to my apartment door
9. meatloaf
10. the chance to let it all go

//

make a bracelet.  pay a compliment.  eat with your hands.

bam bam instagram

lately i've been spending lots of time with my nose buried in my school books.  as happy as i am to be back in school i have found myself lacking the companionship of others.  these past few weeks i have made a decidedly more conscience effort to spend time with my friends.  

wandering aimlessly through the alleys of denver with bridget.  

evening coffee dates in laney's jeep.  

brunch with the boys.  

it has felt good to spend more time with those i love. 

i find comfort in knowing my books will always be waiting for me when i get home.

 

 

 

 

my new phone camera has gotten much more use than my little canon rebel.  

my life in squares.

//

drink more coffee.  use a disposable cup.  pet a kitten.