Just read the fantastic news for Jordan and her family that as of January 2011, they will be living in France for the entire year!  I remember reading her posts on her love for France and specifically her post on asking if anyone else has ever tried leaving the States and living abroad for a year, and I’m so glad to hear that her one idea lead her to where she and her family will be headed this coming year.  Congrats to you Jordan, as well as your family!

One of my cousins (and very best friends) decided in a similar way a few years ago to just go for it and lived in Dublin for a year, and I’ve always admired her for that.  I’ve always had a dream of living in England for a year, but never thought it was actually possible with jobs, bills, family, etc. here at home.  Seeing these two people make-a-go-for-it makes me know that life is too short, and if you have a dream then try to make it a reality.  Why not?  Well, making it a reality with jobs, bills, family, etc. is another situation… but perhaps the setting has never been right… yet.

Have you ever dreamed of living elsewhere for a period?  Where?  Have you been able to make that dream a reality?

{image shown via Oh Happy Day!; photography by Nicole Hill Gerulat}

They said it would rain, but that didn’t stop us.  Good thing too, because it didn’t end up raining after all.  Thursday we spent the afternoon picking more apples than we know what to do with, but had such a lovely time doing so.  I’ll be making apple crisp, apple pie, apple cinnamon muffins, apple pancakes, applesauce, and anything else I can think of for a bit.

I hope you get to do something fallish this first weekend of October… don’t let any rain stop you.
- Colleen

{for more of my apple picking images, check out my Flickr}

Here’s my round-up for favorite things, hikes, and places that we experienced on our trip to Acadia:

Favorite Eateries
• Cafe this Way:  Incredible wild blueberry pancakes! (And they were a heck of a lot cheaper than Jordan’s Restaurant).  My husband’s Greek omelette with kalamata olives, artichokes and feta was superb.  Fun atmosphere with bookshelves full of good reads and an open porch.  They’re open for dinner too.
• 2 Cats:  Probably the best french toast I ever had!  My husband’s eggs benedict with salmon was incredible.  The service, food were all amazing.  Sat outside on the wrap around front porch and enjoyed the breeze.
• Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream:  Fresh, inventive flavors and always homemade in small batches.  I stayed with more traditional flavors like blackberry and strawberry, but my husband went out on a limb and tried chocolate wasabi and chocolate red chili.

Favorite Hikes
• Jordan Pond Loop:  About 3.5 miles of varied trail conditions (boardwalk through a boggy area, rocky shore, a path carved out between huge boulders, dirt path alongside forest) around Jordan Pond which is crystal clear and beautiful.  Unfortunately the pond is off limits to swimmers (it’s drinking water), which would’ve been a great way to end a long hike (*Check out Echo Lake or Sand Beach for swimming).  Definitely save the tea & popovers for after your hike!
• Jessup Path:  Part grassy field, part birch forest, part raised boardwalk.  An easy hike for anyone, and especially beautiful amongst the birches.
• Wonderland:  Perfect to do on a cloudy, misty day.  Definitely go at low tide to see the tidepools.
• Thuya Garden:  The garden itself isn’t much of a hike, but it’s so beautiful and peaceful.  Plus, there are multiple hiking trails that lead from the garden; we took the Eliot Mountain hike and while it’s a short summit to climb, it was a very enjoyable one with beautiful moss and lichen in the forest.  Definitely check out the Asticou Azalea Garden which is located right down the street, as well – both are free!

Most Memorable Moments
• Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain:  Although I desperately wanted to stay in my sleeping bag at 3:45 am, the entire experience of driving up the mountain in the dark, to seeing the first colors of dawn, to seeing the entire sun come up were all incredible – everyone needs to do this at least once in their life!  Everyone there was very quiet but there was an excitement that was really fun to be a part of.  Who knew seeing the sun come up (something that happens every single day) would feel so special and momentous?
• Tea & Popovers at Jordan Pond House:  Yes, it was crowded.  Yes, there were tourists waiting 30 minutes to pay for overpriced tea and popovers, but the guidebooks were right – you have to do tea and popovers at the Jordan Pond House.  They’ve been serving them on the lawn overlooking Jordan Pond and the surrounding mountains since the late 1800′s.  They have indoor and outdoor seating, and we waited a little extra to get the outdoor lawn seats and lucked out with a perfect view of the scenery.
• Driving on Park Loop Road:  Miles and miles of absolutely gorgeous scenery; probably the nicest driving we’ve ever done.  Definitely be prepared to stop every so often to check out scenic views, rocky coastline, and natural formations.  There is a section of the road that costs to drive your vehicle through (without a National Park Pass, it’s $20 for a week’s pass) but you can always board the free Island Shuttle Bus that criss-crosses the entire park.  Many of the must-see places in the park run along this road.  We even drove down at night and saw a full moon over the Atlantic Ocean (which was also incredible).

All in all, we had an amazing trip and have already talked about what we’d like to do next time.  We’ll definitely be renting bikes and riding along the Carriage Roads (we hiked a little bit of them and from seeing other people drive by, it looks like a great way to see the park) and will be walking more strenuous hiking trails.  Other than that, we will be getting a bigger tent that we can stand up in!

{for more of my Acadia National Park photos, check out my Flickr}

I’m still soaking in all the memories from my camping trip last week to Acadia National Park, so for today I’m leaving you with a glimpse at our trip.  It was probably the best camping we’ve ever done, and we can’t wait to go back.  More info tomorrow on where we visited, which trails we hiked, and favorite experiences.

{for more of my Acadia National Park photos, check out my Flickr}

We spent a few days last week visiting with friends down the Cape, and although it was short we had a marvelous time.  We went for afternoon tea at the Dunbar, ate seafood at Moby Dick’s, went to a wine tasting at Truro Vineyards, grilled a delicious dinner, and just sat around talking on the front porch.  My only wish is that summer would last a bit longer so that we could do it all over again in a few weeks!

{for more of my cape cod getaway photos, check out my Flickr}

I am in love with these images from An Apple a Day… what I would give to ride in a canoe at twilight!

{images shown belong to An Apple a Day}

I’ve been hoping, wishing, and praying for a vacation this summer and this weekend we made reservations!  Although it was too late to book for early August as I had hoped, we’ll be camping in Acadia National Park in late August.  Hey, it’s better late than never.  My husband and I haven’t had an almost week-long getaway in almost 2-3 years.

I cannot put into words how excited I am.

{image shown belongs to shrike1964 from Flickr}

We had such a lovely weekend in the Berkshires.  We camped, we hiked, we explored small towns, we read, and I ran.  I participated in the Berkshires Memorial Day Race Weekend and ran in my second 5K race.  It was quite an experience and I have to say hands-down the most gorgeous run I have ever been on.  I’m still fairly new to running, but it hit me while running alongside a meadow with a full view of a mountain that one of my goals for 2010 was in action: I was running a 5K race.  Sometimes you set a goal for yourself, but to reach it and be in the moment, feeling your accomplishment happening was very moving for me.  Running has been more than just exercise or a place to burn off calories.  Running has taught me patience, motivation, and to never give up, even when things get complicated or frustrating.  It’s something I’m constantly trying to remember during all parts of my life.

Camping was wonderful and although we didn’t get to hike as much as we liked, it made us realize how much we need to go away more often (and not every two years!).  We definitely felt the importance of getting back to nature, slowing down doing things like cooking a simple meal together, enjoying the peacefulness of the woods and birds, and just getting away from it all.  It’s important to take care of yourselves and recharge… something I haven’t done in a while.  We’re already planning another camping trip for August in Acadia National Park (a place where I’ve never been but have always wanted to visit)!

What did you get to do on your weekend?  Hope it was relaxing and recharging for you!

{for more of my outings and experiences photos, check out my Flickr}

I cannot tell you how excited I am for today.  I haven’t been camping in two years, and I do think I haven’t had a night away with my husband in that long as well.  We’re going into the Berkshires for a mini vacation surrounded by woods and wildlife.  Unfortunately we waited until the last moment to reserve a campsite, so we’ll be staying at one of those family/RV-ish private campgrounds (apparently there’s all ages bingo Saturday night…) because all the national and state park campgrounds were booked solid.  I don’t mind as long as we can get a site that’s a bit further away from all the hub-bub.  I plan on reading, hiking, sunbathing, spending every minute with my husband and on Sunday I’ll be running a 5K race.  To be able to run a 5K was one of my goals for the new year, and this one will actually be my second race so far.  I’ve already started my 10K training and hope to run a 10K in the late summer.  This race should be interesting as it will be out at Tanglewoods and the location is beautiful.  Anywho, back to the camping… here’s a few images that have me very excited for the weekend…

(from unruly things)

(from stephaniecb – little birds)

(from Peonies and Polariods)

I hope you have a lovely weekend, especially those of you celebrating Memorial Day here in the States!
- Colleen

{images shown belong to their respective owners listed above}

Spent some time in the garden this weekend, and all I have is one word for you: lilacs.  Oh my god, are they heaven on earth!  You can be anywhere in the entire yard (even in the front, but the lilacs are out back) and the wind will carry it’s heavenly scent to you.  Why, oh why, can’t lilac season last forever?

{for more of my in the garden photos, check out my Flickr}