Exploring Vermont in Autumn

November 8, 2019

A few years ago, we ventured to New England and I fell hard in love with that part of the world, especially Vermont. From then on, many people have heard about my fondness for Vermont and the beauty of the State. It’s often one of few “escape plans” I talk about when the world is a little too crazy and I often dream about moving to a little Vermont town, fixing up an old house and living a simpler life. So when it came time to pick where we’d go this year for my birthday in October, I knew a return trip to Vermont was the perfect spot as my birthday falls during their peak Autumn colors in New England and you haven’t seen Autumn color until you’ve seen it in Vermont. Truly there is something so spectacular about the color there that will keep you coming back for more.

On this trip to New England and Vermont we wanted to see some of our favorites from last time but also to explore more of the towns we didn’t make it to last time. This trip we started flying into Boston, rented a car and drove up through New Hampshire. We stayed the first night in Nashua, New Hampshire and then headed further North into Vermont stopping first in Grafton, a spot I had wanted to see last time and didn’t make it. Grafton truly is that picturesque little Vermont town and had me dreaming of ways to scheme up my escape there. Next, we drove an hour to Woodstock, a town we fell hard for on our last trip. Woodstock, Vermont is perhaps one of the most beautiful towns in the whole United States and while usually pretty busy, especially on a beautiful Fall day, the town is a must-see in this part of the state.

We stayed the night in White Junction and then the following day drove the backroads up North to Stowe, winding through Montpellier and Waterbury on the way. While a long drive to get all the way up to Stowe in Northern Vermont, the tiny town was just as magical as I had hoped. Following our couple days in Vermont we headed West and drove down through Burlington and Vergennes before crossing the border over to Upstate New York which I’ll have more posts on coming soon.

Our return trip to Vermont brought all the Autumn vibes I was hoping for and all the magic that I remembered from the first time too. Vermont in Autumn is a mystical experience; the colors are truly so magnificent they look like someone is painting the world right in front of you and experiencing it is a must-see on everyone’s travel list!

The Best Small Towns in New England

November 1, 2019

The six states that make up the area of the United States called New England are an area of my home country that I always recommend to people when they ask where they should travel within the US. In truth, New England is perhaps my favorite part of the US and I’ve often fantasized about moving there, specifically Vermont, to a picturesque small town. After several trips to the region, at all different times of the year, I’m compiling a list today of some of my favorite small towns in the area, all beautiful, all unique. There is just something about the small towns of New England that are so different from what we have on the West Coast of the US and their charm will certainly take you over. You’ll want to fly into Boston or New York to explore this part of the country, rent a car and head to the best small towns in New England!

Woodstock, Vermont

Perhaps the most beautiful town in the entire United States, Woodstock is straight out of a movie.

Grafton, Vermont

This tiny town in central Vermont is so picturesque that I found myself dreaming up a scheme to move there.

Stowe, Vermont

In the mountains in Northern Vermont, Stowe is a ski-town in the Winter and all around beautiful town the rest of the year.

Manchester, Vermont

Larger in size than most of the others on this list but still worthy, Manchester in Southern Vermont is lovely and offers a larger variety of stores and restaurants than most of these other towns.

Hanover, New Hampshire

Home to Dartmouth College, Hanover is quaint and lovely.

Salem, Massachussets

Famed for the historic Salem Witch Trials, this little town in Massachusetts is always worth a visit.

Kennebunkport, Maine

Go to Kennebunkport just for the lobster rolls… you can thank me later.

Portland, Maine

A beautiful brick town built on the water, Portland, Maine has an old world feel to it.

Chatham, Massachusetts

This charming little town way out on the Cape Cod peninsula in Massachusetts is full of little cottages, cute shops and upscale restaurants.

Newport, Rhode Island

One of my all time favorite US destinations, Newport is a gem among the rest. This beautiful town feels very European and set along the coast, the views are stunning.

The Truth About About Traveling : Traveling Dairy-Free is Hard + How to Make It Easier

October 29, 2019

I shared a few weeks back that I went dairy free in the beginning part of 2019 and without a doubt, it’s changed my life. My health is so much better when I stick to a dairy free diet and when I’m home in Portland, whether cooking at home or eating out, I’m able to stick to doing no dairy in my daily life. However, since going dairy free I’ve been on two major trips – the first to Europe in July about 3 months in to doing dairy free. The second was our recent trip to Vermont and New York earlier this month. And I will tell you, traveling dairy-free is hard.

I’m still learning how to be completely dairy-free in all honesty, but traveling makes it that much harder. I’ve always been a very non-picky eater. I like pretty everything and there are very few things I would stay away from, particularly when traveling, which has always made it pretty easy for me to eat while traveling. So these recent trips since going dairy-free have been completely different in that sense – no longer can we really eat anywhere, no longer can I really order several things on a menu. I have felt pretty lousy coming back from both of these last couple of trips in all honesty, because at some point I just sort of gave up and ate dairy, which in turn made me physically feel horrible. Unfortunately, this is my new reality and it will take some getting used to but I definitely have learned a few lessons in regards to going dairy-free while traveling and if, like me, you’ve had to give up an entire food group, these might help you as well to eat healthy while on the road and keep up your diet to feel the best you can.

Don’t Expect a Destination to Offer the Same Items You Can Get At Home

At home, I have found that my favorite milk alternatives for cooking and my coffee are rice milk and coconut milk. But when we travel, those plant based alternatives aren’t always widely available. I usually can count on Starbucks wherever we’re traveling to have coconut milk for my coffee but in smaller locations, you might not be able to get what you get at home. We’re really lucky in Portland that most of our restaurants can very easily cater to different diets and substitutions, but that’s not the case other places, even other places in the US so be prepared for that.

Figure out What Substitutes work for you

I’ve come to realize that what I might order or make at home, might not be available that way somewhere else so I’ve come up with other options and substitutions that I will still like. For example, if a coffee shop doesn’t have coconut milk, I’ve found they might have Oat Milk. I don’t like it as much, but it’s a good backup. For things like ice cream, especially when in Europe, they might not have a coconut milk based option like I get at home but most ice cream shops will have sorbet options and those usually don’t have dairy. Figure out backups to what you’d normally order and then go for those.

Bring Your Own Snacks

I honestly hate brining my own snacks when I travel. I hate packing them, they get all crushed in a bag and they are just extra that I hate bringing. But I’m slowly realizing that this will become a necessity for me from now on. Whether it’s a bag of dairy free popcorn or energy bars, having a few backups can be a really good thing.

Learn How Food is Cooked

One thing I’m learning in this process of eating dairy-free is that you have to have an idea of how food is cooked in order to actually be able to order properly in restaurants. For example if you don’t know that something is generally make with milk, you might order it and not even know there is a ton of milk in the item. I cook a lot and I am pretty good at making things from scratch so knowing how food is made has really helped me develop a sense of what to order and not to order.

When in Doubt, find Asian food.

One of the saving graces that I’m finding while traveling, when in doubt and you can’t find anywhere that looks like it will be dairy-free, find Asian food. Asian food in general doesn’t use very much dairy and in many “creamy” asian dishes in Thai cuisine say, it’s usually cooked with coconut milk. I actually find myself craving Asian food more now that I’m dairy-free, mostly because I can usually pretty much order anything on the menu there.

I’ve also found that for other types of cuisine, there are things that are easier to order. For example, at Italian restaurants, I usually go for a red sauce on pasta which usually doesn’t have dairy in it. At Mexican restaurants, I lean toward a tostada or taco salad without cheese or sour cream. It will take time, but you’ll figure out what works for you and what doesn’t!

Painting My Range Hood Stainless Steel : At Home with LOM

October 25, 2019

A couple months back when I did an Instagram survey, I had several people comment that they would love to see more content here on Land of Marvels about our home renovation and today, I’m starting a new series for that specific purpose. As much as I love to travel, I love being at home and as an Interior Designer in my day job, design and renovation are also a very big part of my life.

If you’re not aware or don’t follow me on my personal Instagram (cmart1015), my husband Nick and I bought a 1925 Dutch Colonial house in SE Portland a year ago and we’ve been renovating it ever since. We’ve done a number of room renovations which I’ll get into in future posts, but I’m also going to start sharing a few other smaller DIY projects that we’ve had a lot of success with, starting with today’s post: painting my range hood stainless steel!

Ok so let’s back up a little bit and talk about our kitchen in this house. The kitchen was fine, but it was just a little dated: black speckled granite countertops and all white appliances. In August, we did a semi-renovation, changing out the countertops to a white Quartz, a new light fixture and new fixtures (stay tuned soon for the entire room reveal and makeover post!). We also recently updated the gas range and the dishwasher and installed stainless steel versions of both. We’ll eventually get to the refrigerator, but that’s a whole different story for another time. Above our beautiful new gas range (with 5 burners, that makes me so happy!!!) is a range hood that was installed already when we bought the house. It works great, has lights in it and the fan really does do a great job. I don’t use it all that often, but it completes that side of the kitchen so when it came to figuring out how to make it match the new stainless steel range, the white just wasn’t looking good.

I started doing some research online and found a few different products for painting old appliances stainless steel. I found some spray paint options and then I found the one I ended up going with: Liquid Stainless Steel. I bought mine on Amazon for $25 which is a far cry from shelling out hundreds of dollars on a new stainless steel range hood to match! So one day a couple weeks ago, I decided to give it a go and here are all the tips and information I gathered from my research and my process of painting my range hood stainless steel.

Materials and Tools Needed:

Liquid Stainless Steel Package (includes 1 can of base coat paint and 1 can of top coat and 1 sponge/brush)
Painter’s Tape
Old towels or plastic dropcloth
Stir Stick
Paint Tray

Step 1 – Do a Deep Clean + Tape

The first thing you need to do regardless of which appliance you’re painting is clean it really really well! I started by laying out old towels (you could also use a plastic dropcloth) over my range to protect it from any paint splatter during the process. My range hood was filthy with grease and dirt from years of use and I used cleaning wipes to get all the dirt and grime off of it. Do a good job with this step to make sure the paint adheres correctly later.

Once it’s clean and dry, tape everything off with painter’s tape! This will make it go a lot faster later when you’re painting. I taped every edge of the range hood as well as the connecting cabinet edges. I used a thicker painter’s tape for the edges and a thinner one for the section where the buttons are that I didn’t paint.

Step 2 – Open up the Base Coat Paint Can and Stir Well

You’ll start with the base coat can of paint that comes in the package. Shake it really well before opening and then with your wooden stir stick, make sure you stir it really well too. I put a paint tray liner down over the old towels just to keep the can in and make sure no paint got on my countertops. There are actual metal particles in this paint so they get a little clumped up if you don’t stir it well. I also stirred it again really well before every subsequent paint coat.

Step 3 – Paint the First Coat

Once the paint is mixed and stirred, dip the brush that comes with the packaging in the paint can lightly. You don’t want a huge amount of the paint. And then with brush strokes side to side (you might want to go up and down depending on what type of appliance you’re painting), you paint from left to right in steady strips. The first coat is not going to totally cover everything and that’s ok. It will look stripey after the first coat and that’s how it should be. Just be sure to get every part of the appliance that’s visible with the first coat and make sure it looks even and the lines look straight.

Step 4 – Paint the Second Coat

The directions say to wait an hour between coats and I did that on the first few. Set a timer for 1 hour, let the first coat dry and then come back an hour later and do the second coat. Mix the paint again with your stir stick before you start the next coat, then dip your painted brush and do the same thing, except this time, go the opposite direction than you did on the first coat. If you started painting left to right, this time go right to left. I did a little bit more paint on the brush this time around versus the first coat just to fill in any of those areas that didn’t get enough on the first coat. You’ll start to notice it blending better on the second coat.

Also make sure that any spots that get a little clumpy, that you even them out and smooth them… you don’t want it to dry that way!

Step 5 – Paint the Third (or more) Coat

Same thing as before, let it dry an hour and then come back for the remaining coats, however many you might need. I did 4 on my range hood and that seemed to fill all the areas on the surface and visually, it looked great after 4 coats. You’ll want to determine how many coats your individual appliance needs and just take it one coat at a time until it looks good visually.

Step 6 – Paint the Topcoat

Lastly, once all the other coats are dry, you’ll want to paint the topcoat over all the other coats of paint. This will both protect it as well as give it a finished look. This coat does go on a little bit blue in tint but dries quickly to a clear topcoat. Let this coat sit for at least an hour before you take off all the tape but voila! You have a new stainless steel appliance to enjoy.

Final Thoughts

I will be raving about this product (not sponsored in any way!) for a long time to anyone who will listen. It totally transformed an okay vent hood into something that actually looks like it belongs where it is and it really does like like Stainless Steel. If I didn’t tell you that it was painted, you probably wouldn’t even know!

Tips:

Open a window – this stuff does get a pretty heavy smell after a while
Use a Small Paintbrush for Hard-to-Reach areas – there were a couple spots on the top of my range hood that I couldn’t get to with the brush that came in the package so I used a very small paint brush for those areas. They aren’t visible areas so it didn’t really matter but having a small paintbrush on hand would be handy.
Do this project on a day when you can be at home most of the day – I wish I had started earlier in the day honestly and instead started around Noon. Leaving it to dry an hour in between each coat, made for a long day at home. Be sure you can be home all day and do this project and don’t have anything else planned or if you need to be anywhere else.
Buy it on Amazon – I’ve included a link below to buy the package of paints and brushes that I bought. It was super easy to not have to look all over for a place that sells this and Amazon delivered it the following day after I ordered it – super easy!

*Just a note to say that some of these links I’m linking on this post are Amazon Affiliate links. I want to always be transparent when I do include affiliate links as I hardly ever do. But this specific project, I ordered all these items myself on Amazon so I thought it would be easiest to link them here for you if you want to tackle the same project!

More At Home with LOM Posts

#BloggingDesk : Let’s Not Put Each Other Down

October 22, 2019

It’s been a while since I’ve had a #BloggingDesk post but the topic of this one has been on my mind a lot lately. I have recently been seeing, mostly on Instagram, a wave of bloggers I have followed for a long time putting down other bloggers, whether by name or in vague Instagram stories saying “this type of blogger shouldn’t share this type of information.” And honestly, I’m just kind of sick of that attitude in the blogging community. Here’s the thing, when blogging started, we all supported each other. We put buttons on each others pages, we commented for each other and messaged each other with questions. Over time that feeling has gone away, and it’s turned into a business, it’s turned into a competition and unfortunately, it’s turned into a negative space sometimes.

My attitude in life is always one of inclusivity. I whole heartedly believe that there is room for everyone and that a rising tide raises all boats. I’ve often had people tell me, especially as an entrepreneur and owning my own businesses that I need to do things different to beat out the competition. But, respectfully, I disagree. If I don’t get a project but someone I know does, I support them, I encourage them, I celebrate with them, particularly among other women. If a friend of mine does something amazing or gets something amazing, I try to lift the women in my life up, not tear them down. Same thing goes for blogging. I fully believe that when one of us bloggers succeeds, we all succeed. Just because someone is doing something different, just because a fashion blogger shares travel advice or someone shares something different than you expect, doesn’t mean we need to tear them down in front of thousands of followers.

The problem in my mind is this: once bloggers with large followings start doing this, everyone will start doing it. And once large groups of followers hear something from a blogger they like and follow, it starts to resonate and after a while, maybe they start sharing negative feedback to other bloggers too. I get sometimes calling someone out on something you don’t agree with, but publicly denouncing them to your thousands of followers on Instagram seems to go over the line for me personally. Let’s have a conversation without throwing people under the bus and telling them that what they’re doing is wrong.

I hope blogging can get back to the way it once was, when the support was measured in a community atmosphere and not one where large bloggers take it upon themselves to say how other people are doing it wrong. Because at the end of the day, it should be up to the readers to decide that privately and not have someone tearing them down on Instagram so publicly. We’re all just people – let’s support each other and lift each other up and the world will be a better place all around.

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Vacation Ideas That You Can Actually Afford

October 18, 2019

Life is expensive and sometimes, when all you see is everyone else galavanting around the world on vacation, it can get really discouraging. And look, I get it. I’ve got bills just like everyone else. Expenses can come out of the blue, an old house that has renovation costs, not to mention the costs of regular house upkeep. I hear you. That’s why today, I’m so excited for this post because I firmly believe that travel can work into your budget and no matter how much money you have to spend for a vacation, whether it be a long weekend or ten days, there is a destination for you that won’t break the bank. I’ve put together a few spots that I’ve personally been that will work on all sorts of budgets. So when money is tight and you only have a specified amount of money to spend on travel, here are some vacation ideas that you can actually afford!

Spain + Portugal

These two European countries are perfect if you still want to explore Europe but you want to do it cheaper than say France or Italy. Both countries offer amazing local foods and wine for way cheaper than their neighboring countries as well as easy, efficient and inexpensive ways to get around while you’re in the countries.

Cambodia

For an exotic destination in South East Asia, Cambodia is a vacation you won’t forget and it also won’t break the bank. The most expensive part will be getting there, but once you’re there, everything is crazy cheap. I’m talking like dinner for $10 for two people, maybe even less from street vendors. Even high end hotels are amazingly inexpensive in Cambodia and the sites to see there are incredible. Think Lara Croft tomb raider vibes while exploring the Angkor Wat temples in Siem Reap.

Lyon, France

If you want that quintessential French trip but don’t want to pay the high prices in Paris (I mean Paris is amazing, but if price is an issue), head to Lyon. This large French city located in central France is lovely and so much cheaper than Paris in both lodging and food. Even train transport into and out of Lyon is really inexpensive and it’s close to so many amazing parts of France and other places in Europe, all while still feeling relatedly French.

American South West

If you live in the USA and don’t want to spend money on long haul flights abroad, the American South West is one of my favorite spots to go for a low cost experience. We’ve done trips to New Mexico and Arizona for crazy low prices and both states offer amazing experiences and landscapes. Some of my favorites are Santa Fe, New Mexico and places in Northern Arizona like Sedona and Antelope Canyon. Both location offer amazing experiences, many for free and lodging is fairly inexpensive in both states as well. You’ll also have some of the best Mexican food of your life while here… just saying.

The Lessons that Year 32 Brought

October 15, 2019

We are galavanting around New England currently and as I turn 33 today, celebrating in one of my favorite corners of the world, every year I like to look back on the previous year and see what lessons I learned. I am finding that as I get older, the lessons become bigger and more challenging, life becomes just a lot sometimes and as we get older and the world changes, it become vital that we take stock of what is happening to us and learn the lessons that those issues bring. So as I take on year 33, here is what I learned this year and what I’m bringing into the next one!

The Smallest Moments are Often the Largest

I found multiple times this year that while those large life changing moments like getting married or traveling somewhere exotic are incredible and really do leave lasting impacts on you, the smaller moments in life are often more important. I’ve always been one to “stop and smell the roses” if you will, I try really hard not to take those small moments for granted, but one moment in particular stood out to me this year. In August, we were in Southern Oregon for Nick to play in a golf tournament. In the middle of a 90 degree day, the clouds rolled in and just dumped rain on us in the middle of the golf course. I happened to be riding in a golf cart that day with our niece who just turned 4 and in the middle of this downpour, she looked at me and said “would you dance in the rain with me?” And I just looked at her and said yes. In that moment, that’s all there was, the rain, her and I, running around like crazy people in the middle of the golf course in the rain. And you know what? That’s a memory I’ll cherish forever. Those types of moments were fleeting this year, I’ll admit. But I hope that in the coming year, there are more of them. I hope that I can continue to throw caution to the wind, take a leap of faith and not think so much. Because thinking is often to the downfall of those types of memories, those types of moments.

What’s Right for Everyone Else, Might Not Be for You

We bought a house last year, and while it’s our third property we’ve owned, it’s our first stand alone house. And don’t get me wrong, I love this house and I love what we’ve accomplished in renovating it and I love the character and the story behind it. And I’m so so grateful that we were able to buy it. But, I’ve realized this year that even though so many people in our circles were over the moon when we finally bought a real house, it’s just a lot for us. The upkeep, the expenses, the yard work… for our lifestyle and schedule, it’s proven to be just a lot.

I’ve had so many people try to talk me out of selling the house in the next couple of years, telling me that we’ll grow into it, that it’s not really that much work, that I just don’t know what I’m talking about. Well what I’m talking about is what I feel. I feel like it’s too much, I feel like I would like a smaller home with less time spent on upkeep, I feel like I’d rather be spending my money traveling. And you know what? That’s ok. What is right for them, might not be right for me and while I’ve learned this lesson over and over in my life, this year it really hit home. It’s ok if what’s right for you is different and you just have to be strong enough to be ok with that.

You are Capable of Anything, Even When It’s Hard

This year was an adjustment in a lot of ways. I’ve had lots of family situations in flux this year and I leaped and started a macaron business this year which was totally different than anything I’ve ever done before. I did way less design than I have in years past and found myself having to start over with getting new clients in Oregon, after working almost primarily in Hawaii for 10 years. And all these changes, all these new beginnings, it’s not been the smoothest of years. But you know what? I know myself better and I know that I’m capable of anything, even when it gets hard.

Life just gets crazier as we get older, as our responsibilities get bigger and we have to believe in ourselves. If we don’t, it will only be harder. So believe that you’re capable and the strength will come.

Get Used to the Chaos, It’s Not Going Anywhere

Gone are the days of restless freedom, of the time to accomplish all those random things you wanted to. Gone are the days of no worries, the days when we had nothing on the schedule or a never ending list of to do’s. I’ve come to terms with the change over time, but the honest truth is, life is chaotic, the world is chaotic. I fully realized this year the value of time and honestly it made me reevaluate what I want going forward. It’s one of the reasons why we decided to stay in our house for a shorter amount of time than we had originally planned. I realized that we only have a finite amount of time, only a finite amount of weekends to get stuff done, a finite amount of evenings without stuff on the calendar. And you know what? I’d rather spend those empty slots of time doing things I love. I’d rather use that spare amount of time seeing a new place in the world or just laying on the couch watching a show we love without thinking of the endless amount of things to get done. The chaos will always be here, but it’s about creating a life where the chaos is somewhat managed instead of not acknowledging it all.

Why You Should Explore at Sunrise when Traveling

October 11, 2019

Over the years of traveling, we’ve figured out ways to get more out of our trips and really make the most of the destinations we’re visiting. Often times, travel can become daunting and between crowds and hectic schedules, you might not be getting what you should out of your trip. One of the things that we’ve learned to embrace while traveling to really make the most of the destination we’re in is getting up early and exploring at sunrise. And while you might at first think, “I’m not getting up that early on vacation,” I’d like to offer a few reasons why you totally should!

You’ll Miss the Crowds and Have Amazing Locations all to Yourself

This is perhaps the main reason we usually explore location at sunrise or early in the morning as you’ll most likely have no other people around. We’ve found at major landmarks like Machu Picchu or popular beaches like Lanikai Beach on Oahu, Hawaii that going and exploring these places at sunrise will often get you the location all to yourselves!

You’ll Have a Deeper Experience

Exploring a location at sunrise, when you’re the only ones there and the world is still and quiet will offer a much deeper experience in a place than it would at other times of the day. I’ve had such life changing moments in places around the world, looking out over a place as the sun is rising, as the world is still and no one else is around. It’s an almost mystical experience and well worth the effort of getting up early.

You’ll Witness Gorgeous Sunrises

The sun rising is one of the most beautiful natural occurrences we get to experience every day so take advantage of it. Especially in places that are really beautiful at sunrise, it makes everything so beautiful to witness the early morning site. And if you really just can’t deal with getting up early for the sunrise, a great tip to still witness it would be to travel in the Winter when the sun rises later and then you can still take advantage!

Landscapes Look Different at Sunrise

So many landscapes around the world look really different at sunrise than they do at different times of the day. At sunrise, colors often come out of landscapes that you might not get any other time of the day. For example, the beaches in Hawaii look totally different at sunrise than they do at other times of the day or the rolling hills of the Palouse that seems to glow at sunrise.

Exploring The Painted Hills in Central Oregon

October 8, 2019

We don’t get over to Central Oregon very often and it’s a place in my home State that I kind of forget about, but is still an area that really has so much to offer. We were in Sunriver, a resort area South of Bend, for a family vacation a couple weeks ago with Nick’s family and while there, I knew I wanted to check off a place that’s long been at the top of my travel list: The Painted Hills. The Painted Hills have been on my list for so long but we’ve never been able to make it work when in the area until this past trip. So one morning at sunrise, Nick, his brother and I drove the 2 hours from Sunriver over to The Painted Hills to explore and it was well worth the trek.

The Painted Hills are rolling hills of rainbow colors: reds, oranges, golds and greens. The landscape near them is beautiful as well, with vistas and gem-colored high desert foliage. This area is near the John Day Fossil Beds and boasts an amazing array of landscapes well worth seeing in Central Oregon. If you can make it to this area while in Central Oregon, it really is an amazing site to see.

Tips for Visiting The Painted Hills

Go at Sunrise or Sunset – Sunrise will be quieter and you’ll probably have it to yourself and it’s when we visited. But I’ve also heard sunset is gorgeous here. I would suggest one of these times though just to witness the magic of the landscape at its best lighting.
The Painted Hills Lookout will be first as you drive into the area. We used Apple Maps to get here and once we arrived in the general area, the map told us to go a different way than the signs did – follow the signs for the Painted Hills and it will lead you right there. Once you’ve seen the view from above, continue driving a short bit down the road to The Painted Cove. Here you’ll be able to walk the short 0.4 mile trail inside some of the hills and it’s worth doing.

Fourteen years on…

October 4, 2019

Today, fourteen years ago, Nick and I went on our first date. And while our wedding anniversary is in November, I personally put a little more stock in this anniversary today. We were together for five years before we got married, committed to each for a lot longer to celebrate today more than the day we got married. And so today, fourteen years on, I look back and see so much in our journey together. We’ve had seasons of incredible experiences, of so much love. And we’ve also had seasons of dark lows and moments that are painful to look back on. As is the case with every relationship out there and if someone does tell you they don’t have those times, those darkest and heaviest moments when loving someone, they’re either lying to you or to themselves because love isn’t always rainbows and life changing moments. In fact, I’ve learned over fourteen years of loving someone that the rainbows and the life changing moments are often the rarities. In reality, a relationship is the daily routine, the stress of work and life, the fights about not doing chores, the moments when your heart is breaking because of something they said or did. In reality, love is often tired and exhausted from everything the world throws at us. But it’s also simple moments that mean the world, like having someone to hold you when the world is falling apart around you. It’s laying on the couch together watching one of your favorite shows, it’s a partner holding you up and pushing you to succeed. It’s someone who believes in you, someone who knows you better than anyone on the planet. Here are the fourteen things I’ve learned in fourteen years about love, some lessons heartbreaking, some exhilarating. But such is love right?

One

We’re all just trying to get by. For a long time, I believed that in a relationship we’d always be stronger together, and I do think that’s true to an extent, but honestly, we’re all just individual people trying to do our best on a daily basis. And we’re all just human, sometimes that means we are just ourselves and just trying to get by and that’s ok. Just because you love someone, doesn’t mean that you’re problems go away and in reality sometimes, that can make it even harder to have someone else to worry about too. Marriage and relationships doesn’t take two people and make them one, it’s just two people trying to live a life together, but each person is still themselves.

Two

There will be seasons. Before Nick and I were together, I had always sort of thought that relationships would have their ups and downs but it would be more consistent. After a few years together though, I realized that that isn’t always the case. For us, our ups and downs have come more in seasons than consistently throughout our relationship. There are specific times in our lives together that I look back on and just feel sadness and heartbreak, remembering what we were going through at the time. And for us, it seems that our ups and downs, our highs and lows, happen all at once for a period of time and then it works itself out eventually, for whatever reasons. Going into a relationship, I would say to know that there will be seasons of your life, both good and bad, and it’s all about just riding the wave and knowing there will be light at the end of the tunnel in one way or another.

Three

Love can be magic. When I look back our life together for the past fourteen years, I see the good and the bad. But truthfully, there is a magic in loving someone, in the experiences together. Nick and I have explored the world together and there have been intoxicating moments making those memories together. Moments that truly I couldn’t have envisioned or dreamt up. Loving someone, especially for a long period of time and going through life together can be hard but it can also be incredible.

Four

The small moments are the best. For us, our rituals and our small moments together have always meant so much to me. Watching our favorite tv shows, enjoying a weeknight meal together or laughing so hard it hurts are all moments for me that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Five

You can be in love and have your heart breaking. Love won’t always be simple and in our fourteen years together, Nick and I have both broken each other’s hearts several times. We’ve said things we shouldn’t have, we’ve made decisions we shouldn’t have. And while it may not be heartbreaks that break you up, that feeling is still very real and should be felt. The fulfillment in a relationship though, is learning to forgive and finding a way back to each other even when you’ve been hurt.

Six

Having someone to hold you is truly the best. In moments in my life when the world felt as if it was tearing at the seams around me, having Nick by my side has saved me. Having someone that you love beyond everything else, having them hold you up when you can’t do it yourself, that’s the simplest and truest form of love.

Seven

We all have issues. Don’t think that just by loving someone or marrying someone that all of your issues, or theirs, go away. We’ve all got baggage but it’s how we handle the issues that defines us.

Eight

Life is an adventure, embrace the possibilities. My journey as an adult is completely intertwined in Nick’s because we’ve been together since we were 18. And over the years, we’ve made decisions together, chasing our journey together. Have we each made sacrifices? Yes. Have we also come farther together than we would have on our own? 100% yes. Life is an adventure and doing it together is even better.

Nine

Let each other bring out the best in the other. Nick brings out things in me that no one else in the world does and I bring out things in him the same way. Loving someone that is compatible with your personality will bring out the best in each other and make you better people along the way.

Ten

If you really love someone, it doesn’t matter what happens around you, as long as you have each other. Nick and I have always said, and felt, that regardless of our situation, whether we’ve been living on a tiny amount of money in a tiny apartment or getting bonuses at our jobs and buying a house, one things has remained the same: It doesn’t matter where you are or where you live or what your circumstances are, you can deal with and face it together if you really love that person.

Eleven

Love is not spoken in words. The greatest love letters aren’t letters at all, they are actions. Love is spoken in actions, in doing things for each other that mean more than words. Love is bringing something home for the person you love, just because. It’s choosing that person over something else. Love is not spoken in words, it’s what you’re doing that’s more important.

Twelve

Places will evoke memories. There are places that will always evoke memories for me completely tied to Nick. Places that forever will be linked to us, that will forever bring back both good and bad moments in our life. And those places will always call out his name when I visit them.

Thirteen

Love takes work. It’s true what they say: “marriage is a job.” A relationship with someone does take work, that’s the honest and very unromantic truth. It does take effort and constantly needs tweaks to make it better or work well for both of you. It’s also especially true as you both grow and change, so should your relationship grow and change.

Fourteen

Falling in love is an amazing feeling, but loving someone for decades is even better. Falling in love is one of those feelings that you never forget and it’s a sort of high, it doesn’t last all that long but it feels like you’re on top of the world. I would argue however, that decades later, that years later, a long lasting, strong bond together is even better. When you know someone better than everyone else, when that person knows you inside and out, when you look back at the good and the bad and know that you wouldn’t trade any of it for something else, that love is more fulfilling than falling in love a million times.