No Such Thing as the Perfect Time

Okay, so starting a blog has proven to be more difficult than I anticipated. I wanted to tell you all about the adventures I go on and the things my boyfriend and I create in the kitchen - complete with beautiful pictures, obviously. My blog was going to be full of everything that bloggers dream about. I wanted to capture the memories that make every day special, and my captions would be perfectly descriptive with just the right amount of wit and charm.

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You see, I wanted it to be flawless. Anything less than that just wasn't acceptable to post. Thus, the updates have been few and far between. That's the thing, though: my life is far from perfect. Do I go on fun trips? Absolutely! Do we cook delicious food? You bet! But there are also days that I don't change out of pajamas, and I definitely have mess-ups in the kitchen more than I would like. My relationship is amazing and I'm so thankful to have him in my life. But we do miscommunicate, and sometimes we fight. We're human.

But a picture-perfect blog does not a picture-perfect life make. So this is an apology, and a promise - I'm sorry for letting my foolish pride get in the way of things, and I promise to keep it real from here on out. #nofilter

MTB: Crystal Mountain

Pat and I took a trip this weekend to Crystal Mountain in Northwest Michigan. Normally it's snowsports destination, but during the off-season they host a lot of other activities, like paintball, a climbing wall, the alpine slide, disc golf, and my personal favorite: mountain biking!

We didn't pick the best weekend. It was storming and drizzly almost the entire time, which meant that the chairlifts for downhill biking weren't running. Talk about a bummer! But determined not to be totally defeated, we decided if we couldn't go down the mountain, we'd go around it. Those trails were a lot of fun and I only crashed once (a personal record for a new trail). 

Just as we made our way back from around the mountain, the clouds lightened and rain stopped...we might have a chance after all! As luck turned out, we were able to take advantage of a 4-hour window of rainlessness. The next thing I knew I was handing my bike over the chairlift attendant and hopping on a seat on my way up the mountain.

After the initial realization that I might be a leetle afraid of heights these days, I was quickly overtaken by the view that was spreading out beneath me. The colors, OH THE COLORS. Michigan weather is relentless, but views like this enough to make you deal with it. 

And once we reached the top we got to zoom down and do it all over again, and again! It was my first time downhill mountain biking, but it definitely won't be my last! I can't wait to try it again when it's a little less slick and maybe with some knee pads..turns out it's not exactly the best sport for a klutz. 

Summer in Instagram

Well folks, it's official: summer is over. Fall is quickly shaping into what's sure to be a great season, but I can't say I'm not going to miss summa (summa summa) time in Michigan!

1. My new mountain bike speak the truth: "all work and no play is no fun at all.."

2. Capital Cities concert at Freedom Hill.

3. My monster sprouted a single white whisker - he's so distinguished!

4. Channeling my inner flower child at the GOTR festival in Ohio.

5. Spending time with my family during our annual camping trip at Pokagon State Park.

6. Cheesin' with Pat at a tiki bar up north.

7. Finally learning to SUP at Houghton Lake.

8. My 'new' ride, a pretty little 2008 Ford Escape - isn't she cute? R.I.P. Sunfire

9. The beautiful new downtown market in Grand Rapids opened its doors.

Chili Cook-Off

This past Saturday was a day I've been looking forward to all year: beautiful fall-like weather, the beginning of ArtPrize, and chili…oh so much chili. It has become an annual tradition of mine to attend the Cottage Bar Chili Cookoff each year, and now my boyfriend loves it as much as I do! And how could you not? There are 40+ chili samples to choose from as well as live music all afternoon and Bell’s beer on tap.. BONUS!

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We went, we gorged, we napped. Weekends at their finest! I'm ready to do it all over again already and maybe next year I'll even try the possum chili! Okay maybe not, but who knows and hey - watch possum become the next big thing: Free-range Organic Possum, mmm

Festy Love

Last weekend I attended Mumford & Son's Gentlemen of the Road stopover in Troy, Ohio. In a word: fantastic (festastic??!). Most of my festival experience (aka: Bonnaroo) has been in a rural setting, but GOTR is different. They spend a lot of time selecting unique, small towns that could use the economic boost and are willing to go absolutely all-in to make the festival a success. Troy was a perfect pick. Everything from the adorable downtown to the friendly locals made our experience unforgettable.

I love music festivals, big time. I love the long road trips – wide awake with anticipation on the way, and exhausted and full of stories on the way back. I love the chaos, the camping and even the not-showering for days at a time. I love the excuse to don flowers in my hair and dance in the rain to a favorite band. Above all else, I love the people. Fellow festers share a bond, a love for the music that makes you endure all the aforementioned. I've never left a festival without being pleasantly reminded that there really are still good people out there: genuinely happy humans who are willing to help anybody. 

For me, the only hard part of festivals is getting used to the constant buzz. I’m naturally introverted so having downtime to recharge is something I’m used to, and need. This isn't always easy at festivals – so my advice for fellow introverts out there: be prepared (earplugs are worth their weight in gold at 4am when the neighboring camp is still pounding Bassnectar) and give yourself a break.

What you're feeling is natural; being surrounded by constant noise is not.

With that being said, fest on my friends!