2015 in Review

2015 started off pretty quiet. 

There were lots of hikes.

And a tour of a chocolate factory.

And (let's be honest) plenty of TV marathons.

In March, Kevin met Simon Posford of Shpongle.

In April I went to Alaska to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday and saw my sister in her first professional theater production of "The Odd Couple."

 

Kevin and I also participated in the Luminary Procession of the Species in Olympia with our Firefly Lanterns.

Then, at the beginning of the summer, we quit our jobs and moved to Eugene, Oregon three days before Kevin's 30th birthday.  

The rest of the summer was spent job hunting, setting up our new apartment, throwing a successful yard sale, and trying to beat the heat without air conditioning (a weekend trip to the coast helped!)

We found ourselves a swimmin' hole!

We also celebrated our one year wedding anniversary! 

In July we stopped job hunting in order to experience the Oregon Country Fair.

In August, we both found new jobs and got back to the daily grind.

But we still managed to find time for lots and lots of hiking and concerts. 

Concerts we saw in 2015: 

Gogol Bordello

Savant

Ott

Dark Star Orchestra

Beats Antique

Shpongle (DJ set)

Kimya Dawson

Of course, we always include our cat in the fun.

We spent the holidays at home this year, as our work schedules didn't allow much travel. 

2015 was a good year with much change. We are still acclimating to our new home and trying to find our place within it, but we're enjoying the journey along the way. Here's to a beautiful 2016!  

Winter Bucket List

Happy Winter Solstice!

To celebrate, I made another seasonal bucket list, like I did for the Fall, to get me in the mood. 

Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of winter. I really love the holiday season, but, technically, Christmas is only a few days into winter, and once that ends winter gets dark, bleak and sad for three long months. In the Pacific Northwest, it gets soggy and windy and rarely snows. It is not at all like the Alaskan winters I grew up with, and I get a little depressed during this time of year. 

One thing I DO like about winter, however, is that I don't feel the need to go outside as much. Despite growing up in Alaska, I never got into snow sports - I know, shocking! I see the winter as the time of year to catch up on my reading, get all the craft projects I've been wanting to do completed, and declutter and organize my house. As I'm always the list-maker, I set my intentions for the coming year on my 29th birthday, like I did with my Year of 27 (although this year is a bit more personal, so I didn't publish it). Part of this list is to keep me busy during the winter months - projects to complete, plays to go see, etc.  As I'm two years older than I was at 27 (because...that's how time works...) and didn't entirely finish my list that year, I've definitely got my work cut out for me this year with a whopping 29 things on my list! Winter, bring it on!