Time Flies!!
No, really...time not only flies, it evaporates. Although we met in elementary school many, many years ago (okay, not THAT many years ago), it is hard to believe that we've been able to cram so many wonderful memories into such a short amount of time. Some of our favorite memories take us back to familiar sights and smells throughout California where we have been road-tripping fools.
From the get-go, our road trips have been pretty spontaneous. They started as Jason's romantic approach to wooing me (which totally worked) and quickly became our favorite way to spend time together, bond and see life beyond our small town. We have been blessed with opportunities to visit Texas, Washington and Alaska. We even ventured out to the East Coast last Fall for our honeymoon when we visited Cape Cod, MA.
We celebrated every milestone of our relationship with a trip out of town - sometimes with less than $100 to spend in one weekend. We've slept in our car at truck stops, made ridiculously good (and illegal) time getting places, have seen parts of this world that we never imagined to exist and most enjoyably, we have seen parts of each other that we never imagined to exist. There are many layers to our hearts, souls and personalities and when we get into a car, gas up for a big trip and settle into our seats with snacks, something magical happens...we fall in love all over again. Deeper and harder, with more passion and insight, we fall in love.
These little adventures led up to our marriage, the purchase of our home and now, the biggest adventure of our lives - our son, who may or may not have been conceived on a road trip. ;)
To celebrate all that we have accomplished, and all that is in our future, we have decided to take yet another road trip. But this time it's different. This time, we will be taking our VERY LAST road trip as a couple. Sure, when Nolan comes, we can leave him with the grandparents for a weekend when we get an itch to travel, but our minds and hearts will still be back home, with our son, which is exactly how it should be. But for now, it is just us (with a little baggage in the front) and because this is our last little hoorah before Nolan arrives, we made sure to plan this one out - you know, make it romantic and junk.
So here's the plan...yes, we expect you to be super jealous and no, you can't come with us...
We like to keep things simple and with a baby on the way and budget in mind, who wouldn't? After weeks of research, I Katey, found a quaint little cottage in Cambria, California where we will spend two nights and nearly three full days. Although we enjoy staying in hotels, we wanted something a little more personal and private where we could spread out and explore. Can you believe that we found the PERFECT little place for LESS than what a hotel costs? And trust us, this is no dingy cottage...
2 bedrooms, 1 bath with a full kitchen for our homemade meals. Located one mile from the beach and one mile from restaurants and shopping, we will have every option at our fingertips. The interior of the cottage is lovely - simple and inviting - but it is the backyard that has captured our hearts. There is a very large garden, including raised beds with veggies galore! We have been invited to partake in the harvest and with the Farmer's Market just a few blocks away, we will be able to feast on Cambria's finest without breaking the bank...and of course, this encourages a romantic night in with a home-cooked meal. Raised above the garden is (are you ready for this???) a human nest. C'mon, that is just way too cool! The nest is perfect for an afternoon nap, reading, watching the sun set and sleeping under the stars. Under the nest, and my FAVORITE part, is an outdoor claw-foot tub with hot and cold water, candles and bubble bath.
Now, if you can find a hotel for only $100/night that offers all of the above, you win...but I think we will hold the tittle of "world's best bargain shoppers who totally scored a sweet place" until we can be proven differently. Good luck.
This cottage magnifies the beauty of Cambria, and it would be silly of us to leave our camera at home...this got us thinking...ever the penny pinchers that we are, we would like to take maternity pictures but feel as though it is a frivilous expense (no offense photographers). With Katey on restricted rest, our income just dwindled down to shillings and this trip alone is going to be a bit of a splurge so we've decided that we are handy enough with our fancy camera, and we have decent enough editing skills, that we are going to try our hand at catching the beauty of pregnancy on camera. We take lots of pictures all the time, but have never done a photoshoot, so wish us luck. If we take thousands, we should end up with at least ten decent pictures, right??
Oh boy, we just can't wait! We will be hitting the road next Friday and of course, we will update you with stories and pictures when we return home. But, for those of you nosy readers (don't worry - I'm totally a nosy blog reader!) here is a sneak peak at the exact spot where I will be sipping a non-alcoholic fru-fru drink under the stars with pruny fingers, a belly full of baby and a husband to love until the day we die...
