Hello there! It’s been a few weeks, but I’m back and now a M.R.S.!

Before I got married, I used to wonder: does marriage change you? Here’s a few things I’ve realized now that I’m a married woman (along with a few pictures I was able to capture while there. The real wedding photos will be posted as soon as I have them from my lovely photographer):

1. Marriage doesn’t change YOU the person. But if you’re with the right person, it enhances you. It makes you live up to your highest self.

2. When I wake up in the morning I may think, “wow, I’m married!” and then I go eat breakfast.

3. Looking into Andrew’s eyes, there is a new and profound understanding of the meaning “team”. It’s really awesome to have someone’s back as much as they have yours. And it feels really good.

4. I teach yoga exactley the same way as before. No change there.

5. He still makes amazing breakfast and does the laundry. I still bake pie and clean the bathroom. No change and a very fair deal.

6. It’s really fun to call him my husband to people we are just meeting. I drop that term as often as possible (and so much better to say than Fiance).

7. Now that the wedding is behind us, it is exciting and fun to think about the future. Dreaming with someone you love is really the best. A great change.

8. It’s not just me anymore, which is a wonderful change. This pushes me to think outside my comfort zone much more and do not only what’s best for myself, but for both of us.

(New Mexico wins the for the best American license plate. Ever.)

9. I have loved watching my husband grow into himself, learning to be comfortable with who he is. It’s been so rewarding to see him achieve some spectacular goals he set for himself as a result of looking inward. What I look forward to most in our marriage is both of us championing and encouraging each other as we grow throughout our lives. There’s nothing better than having someone encourage you when you feel discouraged, lend a hand and a shoulder when you’ve fallen, and feel as excited and giddy as you during those joyous moments. We all change and grow daily. My wish is to recognize and honor that growth in both of us, feeding it with care and compassion, and sharing our new found selves with each other often. That and have as much fun as possible (no change there, either!).

Thank you, Andrew, for the honor of being my husband, XOXO.

During our trip, I experimented with film which, upon seeing these, I’m super excited I did. I love how they have those brilliant, candy-like colors but also a romantic vintage filminess to them. A mid-winter cross country road trip shot in film—makes me feel a bit Kerouac inspired! And a bit jealous of those elephant seals lounging on the warm, sunny southern California coast right now…

We’ve made it—we are officially here in DC. The next week will be busy with procuring a place to live, moving into that place (hopefully), and all the other necessary things one does when they move to a new city. So while I’m busy finding the closest grocery store, finding a new bank, and hauling stuff I knew I should have thrown out on the left-coast (but, inevitably, did not) into our new place, I’m going to leave you with some lovely photos of the Grand Canyon (south rim). Talk about majestic, what really blew my mind about this place was the fact that it was carved—yes, carved by water over hundreds of thousands of years. It was another one of those moments where life really gets put into a clear perspective. Cheers to you, my dears, and thanks for accompanying me on these adventures!

More evening light

Grand Canyon in the early morning

More morning light

Monument Valley

Navajo fry bread at the Four Corners

1. Chilies that explode with deep, rich flavor in my mouth which we ate here. It’s what I imagine the pops of color amongst the rambling, rocky desert landscape taste like.

2. Buildings sculpted as if by terra madre’s hand, blending seemlessly with her fleshy topsoil.

3. Blazing sunsets.

4. The lullaby of a crackling wood fire singing you to sleep from an adobe fireplace across the room, while you cozy into a downy white bed. (ps—stay here).

5. Coyote Chocolate Chai (this recipe looks like it would be closest to what I had, but I haven’t tried it yet…)

6. They win for the most awesome license plates ever.

7. Witnessing the profoundly human growth and progression of one of my favorite artists in her very own museum. (Check out a few of my favorite paintings of hers here, here, here, and here).

8. A celestial moonlit soak and sauna in hillside springs surrounded by cool desert air at 10,000 waves.

9. New Mexico has probably one of the best town names in the entire United States: Truth or Consequences.

First of all, if you read that as “dessert” you are also correct. However, what I am talking about here in this post (surprisingly) is the desert—as in arid, brittle, rough, and sharp. The air might be a biting 28 degrees, but the sun makes it feel more like 50. And I’ve never seen so much sky in my life. We drove through Sedona, AZ last week. Tucked in a valley between buttressing red rocks, the views were stunning as were the hikes to get to them. But even if you are just sitting in a parking lot, no matter where you turn there is a magnificent facade.

Places like this are food for the soul.

Big Sur national park took my breath and hunger away. Food for the soul, the Big Sur landscape is filled with sweeping coastlines and beautiful shades of azure blue, hot turquoise, and emerald green that pop against the cold gray coastal rocks. Then there is the Big Sur Bakery. This tiny gem of a restaurant is reason enough to get yourself down the 1. It not only has a wonderfully diverse array of baked food (from savory to sweet), but there is magic in the setting of this tiny, historic building. Tucked back off the road, there’s a sunny patio shaded by pines and a beautiful little courtyard off to the side filled with picnic tables and tea lights. Artists, sculptures, cactus gardens, and creativity abound in and around Big Sur, slathering a thick layer of shimmering brightness over an already gorgeous landscape—not to mention making me feel quite at home. The surprise was in how well integrated this creative culture has woven themselves into the place, something I can only describe as utterly Californian.

In case you missed the NY Times article written about them a few years ago, they also have a cookbook that captures their fresh California fare; I’m hoping that if I follow it close enough, I might be able to recreate my Big Sur California experience to savor whenever necessary.

It’s no surprise that the fruits in Hawaii are delicious and everywhere. The volcanic soil seems to concentrate everything, making the flavors of fruits seem brighter, richer, and more aromatic. My first encounter with volcanic produce was while living in Greece. The tomatoes there were ridiculous and unlike any tomato I had ever tasted in the states. (Beware tomato—haters, I dare you to try one if you ever go to Greece and see if you change your mind!) The fruit on Hawaii has that same, unbelievable quality to it’s flavors. Not only were we buying it at local farmer’s markets and fruit stands on the side of the roads almost everyday, but beautiful emerald avocados, bright yellow bananas, and wild macadamia nuts were growing alongside the mile-long trails that lead you to foot-traffic-only beaches (meaning they were deliciously deserted). We were feasting everywhere we went, and all we had to do was make sure we brought a sharp enough knife to get into these sweet, fatty gems.

At one farmer’s market stall, I met Nader, a Parisian ex-pat living in Hawaii, selling fruit, and teaching cooking classes. He offered me some of his homemade guacamole and hummus which were both fantastic. I love the camaraderie that happens over mutual love and bonding over food!

Guacamole is probably one of my top 10 favorite things to eat. I keep it super simple to make fresh and it will make you happy as well as the hungry crowd happy every single time, guaranteed.

Super simple guacamole

2-4 avocados (depending on how large they are and how many you are feeding) 1-3 garlic cloves (also depends on how many avocados you’ve used and how garlicky you like things) 1 lime salt to taste 1/2 fresh tomato (and only if you are feeling fancy, I usually only add this in when they’re in season)

Slice the avocado, take out the pit in the middle, then score and scrape out the soft, green middles into a bowl. Crush and finely chop your garlic, add it to the bowl. Slice your lime and squeeze one half of it into the bowl.

Using a fork, mash it all together up the sides. I like to keep some big chunks but have a nice, creamy base too. Taste. Add salt if needed and more lime, if needed. Mash together a little more. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips and enjoy.

We toured the Greenwell Coffee Farm while in Hawai’i which was fantastic. Here’s why: it was the best coffee we had on the entire island (and we drank many cups from many places), the tour was free, super informative, friendly, we could drink as much coffee as we wanted while there, it was fun and beautiful. We will be mail ordering coffee from these people until the cows come home (aka: forever). And that is saying a lot because I’m not even a regular coffee drinker!

We also went to see the lava flow. While we didn’t get to see any red, hot lava (we weren’t winners of the Lava Lottery as the islanders call it), we did get to see some pretty fantastic sites and quite literally, the end of the road.

And, we got engaged!!

Kona Brewery has a wheat beer brewed with real passion fruit that is probably one of the best beers I have ever had. Period.

Of course, we hit the beaches hard today and I am now a close relative of the lobster family—but it was so worth it. After a relatively cold summer up in the Pacific Northwest and a very rainy fall, the sun, ocean, and warm air are like long lost friends. We picked up right where we left off! Tomorrow, we’re off to hike around Kilauea Volcano to see the lava flows (and give the sunburn a rest). Aloha!

I bit into the big apple this week. It was bright red and perfectly round with a few bruises here and there, testifying to it’s post-picked life and journey into my hands. I was in New York interviewing for a director of design position at a fantastic catering company there. Although they decided to go with a local candidate, I was glad I had the chance to meet them and a few other people in the food/design world. It was bittersweet–like when you bite into a mealy spot–but the rest of that apple was still crispy and sweet. Ah sure, my hopes were up and I was excited but it wasn’t a total let down. In fact, it was eye opening. Liz, the founder and owner of the company, couldn’t have been more helpful and honest. Talking with her and seeing first hand what she has built from the ground up was inspirational on a whole new level. However, being in the city was energizing in a way that I had almost forgotten about. Exhilarating, really. And everyone I spoke with was supportive and excited about the work that I do, which was really exciting. I didn’t have to go into great lengths to explain what I did and then why I did it, people just knew what food design was and the value it has. That was probably the most eye opening experience of the entire trip. And it has made me rethink a life on the west coast.

My days in Portland are numbered as Andrew and I are preparing to migrate back east. Portland has been an amazing interlude in my life, a place where I’ve been able to expand, do, and create in ways that would have been stifled anywhere else. The culture and atmosphere here is so conducive to creativity, thinking outside the box, and finding yourself–however cliche that may sound, it’s true. I’ve done things I’ve never thought possible and made friends with amazingly talented people; I’ve worked hard, discovered what moved me, and even received an MFA. But it is time to start a new chapter. And while I’ll miss my friends and all this beautiful, green and rainy city has to offer, I’m also excited to see what comes next. I’m ready for the next step, for a career that combines all of my interests and talents but also sustains my life. Scary but exciting, all at once!