camping in the catskills

this weekend michael and i drove up to the catskills for a weekend getaway. we have originally hoped to go on a camping trip for our anniversary but with school starting and the move back to new york, it just kept getting pushed back. we decided that we might as well just wait until we could see some fall foliage while we were there!

we stayed at the mongaup pond campground. we got super lucky and snagged a lakefront spot! it was so peaceful.

my handsome camping companion 

the first night i could hardly sleep from excitement. it rained both nights we were there and the morning fog rolled in shortly after sunrise.

on saturday, we went on a 7.4 mile hike. the funny thing is, the weather kept going from cool and foggy to warm and sunny. we forgot our daypack so michael carried his full-size backpack all day. what a sweetheart!

half of the trail was through the 'ice caves'. the temperature difference was drastic and immediate. it felt amazing. i was a little worried about bears, though, so i didn't want to hang out in there too long.

so many beautiful leaves! fall is the best!

i learned a valuable lesson on this trip: don't go hiking with a glass water bottle. who would have thought?!

the second half of the trip was to the top of verkeerderkill falls. we had a little picnic on the edge of the 180 ft falls. it was lovely.

the weekend was just the refresher we needed before midterms/medical school interviews are in full swing. the park is closing for the winter this weekend but we will definitely be planning a spring trip! 

yay friday!

i have been looking forward to this weekend for weeks. michael and i are headed to the catskills for a camping trip and, according to the ny foliage map, we are going to be hitting peak foliage! we will not be glamping but we did score a waterfront spot. it's the little things! :) we will definitely be taking some readings with us, but it will still be a nice getaway before midterms are in full swing. also, we are going to go on a waterfall hike! woohoo! 

here are some links i came across this week to get you through the weekend: 

• dogfish head brewery is opening an inn in delaware, and it looks like it will be opening just in time for my birthday (hint, hint)
• check out this beautiful bronze barrette from bario neal. it would be a perfect fall accessory and it's so simple and clean. beautiful.
• i desperately wish we had this cookbook for our camping trip this weekend. next time! 
• holiday fever has officially set in looking through terrain's holiday preview.
• these scarves have stolen my heart, and they won't break the bank either!

have a lovely weekend!

photo source

wanderlust: acadia national park, maine

stay here:

eat this:

see all of this:

michael and i took a trip to maine a while ago but didn't make it far enough to see all this beauty. talk about beautiful new england foliage!

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october goals

being back at school after only a year off, my internal calendar still has me thinking of fall as the start of a new year. there are so many things i want to be doing and fixing. september was an excellent lesson in balancing school, married life and lovely friends. looking ahead to october, i want to...

take advantage of my mornings. simple things like having a cup of coffee in the backyard and some living room pilates. maybe a little quiet time with some good books. michael’s grandmother, nonnie, gave me a little book of celtic prayers a while back and i’ve barely even dived in!

take advantage of all the free events and opportunities around me. oh man, there are so many.

give rosemary more cuddles. that little bunny loves getting snuggles 24/7 and it certainly brightens my day to rub her sweet little nose.

show my love in small ways. it’s easy to plan an elaborate date night or buy fancy little gifts, but, with our current budget in mind, i want to find more little things i can do for my sweetie.

give more. whether it is baking for friends or taking on volunteer opportunities that come up, i would love to spend more of my time thinking about others.

make the bed in the morning and leave the kitchen clean at night. i am a clean freak (i’ll admit it.) but my crazy school schedule and michael’s crazy interview and teaching schedule means that having a clean house is especially tough for us. i’m sure it will get better as we adjust to the new schedule, but some little changes would certainly make for a more peaceful home.

do you have anything special you want to accomplish this month? happy fall, everyone!

mother's day

so thankful for this incredible woman. love you, mama!