New Years in Joshua Tree

I spent the long New Years weekend staying near Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California. We rented a house with friends in a little desert town ("town") that was fairly close to one of the park entrances. We made our own meals, watched movies on VHS, did a puzzle, and read. The place was rustic, but it was nice to come back to after exploring the park: a couple hikes, some leisurely walks, and a (tame) rock scramble. Amazing views were abundant, as were feelings of being just so tiny in such a big world.

our 'home' for the weekend

a hike up Ryan Mountain on New Years Day

view from a lone Joshua tree on Ryan Mountain

Cholla cactus garden

sunset from the cholla garden

view from within Hidden Valley

views from the Barker Dam hike

sunset from the Barker Dam

Big Sur, Big Birthday

Edge of the world (Garrapata State Park)

July Wrap Up (Three Years in San Francisco)

from Pinterest

This month is my three-year anniversary of moving to San Francisco! Since I moved here during the summer, every year around this time I am reminded of that whole process, especially the housing search. I remember thinking, somewhat arrogantly, that if I could survive the NYC apartment search and even the DC market, then surely I could secure a place out in this "little" city. 5 days and 15 appointments/open houses later, I finally put an earnest deposit down on a spot, and it's become my home base for the past few years of West Coast adventures.

With that, here's the latest...