This #tbt goes out to my college roommate and sister from anotha mister, Miss Ash. This photo was taken our very first time meeting each other, Freshman year at PSU in good ol' 413 Tener Hall. Little did we know at the moment of "cheese!" we'd still be sharing a room (yep, not even an apartment--a room!), 4 years later, having experienced the best of the best days and some of the worst of the worst together. I cherish every single memory of our friendship and still thank the Universe often for not-so-randomly assigning us to share sacred space and inevitably a strong, loving, silly and supportive bond twelve (twelve?!!?) years ago.
There is so much that makes me giggle about this picture--my unnecessarily blonde hair, the size of my hoops (you can take the girl outta Jersey...), the mini Britney Spears doll in the background (a going away gift from a friend, but still). I'm most jealous of how at this moment we were just beginning an awesome 4 years of continuing education (inside and outside the classroom, of course). I'm also pretty jealous of our awesome tans, but mostly just knowing the adventures that lie ahead for these 2 youngins makes my heart skip a beat. It's been 3+ years since we've seen one another (boo hiss!), but we'll be reunited tomorrow evening, much to my absolute delight. I have missed her dearly and am preparing myself for the possibility of shedding a few tears upon accepting my first incomparable Ashley hug. Thankfully, I know she'll take my weepy state in stride--probably laughing at me and saying "Diggy it's been too long!" while I try to compose myself. In summary, her friendship means so much to me and I love her wholly from the deepest parts of my spirit. In fact, now that I think about it, she is the catalyst for this entire blog. No small friendship potatoes, eh? That's how much of my heart belongs to her. Oh my gosh. I can't even sit here typing anymore. I have to finish packing and try to contain my squealing. I am so excited. Gratefully, Trish
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Holy moly, right?
Between the sand beneath our toes, the smell of salt water breezily blowing around us and a sky that looked like a painting sent straight from the Universe to our eye's delight, it was hard not to breathe a little more deeply our last weekend in SF before hopping on a plane to our dear old east coast. Heading into the heart of the holidays, it was important for me to remember this kind of calm. I have a tendency during hustle bustle moments to become what some (like B) might call a tad....neurotic. A bit...sensitive, at times. Maybe even slightly worrisome. There are flights to catch and presents to find and lists to finalize. There are overweight suitcases and pants that have become a bit too tight and hair that should have been trimmed weeks ago now annoyingly tangling any way it pleases. There are lunches and dinners and coffee dates booked solid in an attempt to see everyone who was anyone to me for the first 24 years of my life. There is work to monitor and cold weather to loathe and budgets to keep in check. There is time to manage and folks to potentially disappoint when time runs out and the west coast beckons again. But negatively worrying about all these things is truly like praying for things you don't want, and while I have little to no control over much of life, it's important to remember I can...at anytime...zero in on the memory of such a splendid sunset to bring me back to more positive thoughts. Because there are also fireplaces and my mismatched socks (I can't keep a proper pair together for the life of me) peeking out from layers of snuggly blankets beside them. There are old, dear, and wonderful friends to hug and kiss and laugh with. There is family to cherish. There are acts of giving and receiving. There are memories recalled and new memories to be made. There are milestones celebrated and well wishes spread. There is food to savor and wine to sip and stretch pants to wear so I don't give a hoot about the holiday muffin top inevitably forming on my frame. There is patience and forgiveness exercised and things (or people) who no longer serve me released. There is much to be thankful for, to say the least. So I hope this holiday season you've remembered to zero in on something warm and beautiful, too. I hope you've found calm in your hustle bustle, and I hope you are looking towards 2014 through eyes of a splendid sunset. In Gratitude, Trish Last weekend we had the pleasure of joining a few friends for a bit of crabbing in Pacifica. The little suckers were especially sly on this day, but B and I finally managed to catch 2 after deploying my solution to the "boring old raw chicken" bait: Add crushed Doritos! Not even creatures of the sea can resist nacho cheese flavoring. Because Brandon could not stop laughing at this photo, I present to you my "This crab is squirming and I don't like it" face... Thanksgiving weekend was equally as lovely... I don't know how this could possibly be comfortable for her... But she certainly wanted to sleep in late today. And lastly, I finally got to meet my high school friend's wonderful girlfriend, Mari, who is not only as delightful as I assumed she would be but is also a Grateful Lifer! Thanks for making time to visit with us! We will be taking full advantage of your Portland invitation soon :) Cheers to the start of a new month!
In Gratitude, Trish “She loves the serene brutality of the ocean, loves the electric power she felt with each breath of wet, briny air.” ― Holly Black, Tithe I found this gem just in time for #tbt... Recognize that cutie on the left?
I pretty much still have the same summertime crush feelings for B now as I did then! Except, of course, much more grown up feelings, too... ;) In Gratitude, Trish Thunderous rain attempted to ruin a trip up to Tahoe this past weekend for a 30th birthday celebration, keeping our crew of 16 (and 3 dogs!) snuggled indoors, enjoying the cloudy views through the windows for two nights. What the weather did not realize, however, is that we were actually quite pleased to be "trapped" inside a jungle themed house with one another... A little rain can't stop the fun, right fellas?! There ain't nothing sad about hanging in a house with faces like this... And this....
Big Sur is one of those magical California places that makes you stop for a moment (many moments, actually) to think about how fortunate you are to live here. The spectacular coastline meets a lush, green, forest prime for hiking and camping--whether you are an avid outdoors-man or a wanna be tree hugger like me, everyone can agree this corner of the world is mama nature at her absolute finest. This was not my first visit to Big Sur (and certainly not my last!) but I was happy to finally enjoy a meal at the Big Sur Bakery, a highly recommended establishment with fresh wood fired treats and...as I learned Saturday...an owner who hails from New Jersey (*fist pump*). I was also delighted to stay at a campsite I'd yet to adventure in, which happened to be right near the beach where we watched a heavenly sunset over the Pacific ocean, glass of wine in hand. We got super lucky to have the best weather I've ever had while visiting Big Sur, particularly the fog-free blue skies on the drive down, which showcased the sweeping ocean views so clearly it made our car gasp with delight at each passing curve. We cooked up some chili for dinner, egg sandwiches with guacamole (side note: since moving to CA I have learned that avocado or guacamole makes EVERYTHING taste better) for breakfast and stretched our limbs along a quick trail hike that ended at a beautiful duo of waterfalls. I just finished reading Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, a few weeks ago (two thumbs up!) so the timing of this adventure fit perfectly with my fresh admiration for all things hiking/camping/nature induced introspection. My lungs and my heart feel fuller this morning, for sure.
Big thank you to Meggie for organizing this mini road trip and for letting her old lady cousin tag along! It was so fun to relive our 4H camp days together, with a new west coast twist. I'm lucky to call you both family and friend! Anyone want to go camping again soon?! In Gratitude, Trish B and I have started discussing our big 2014 trip (Thailand remains on the top of the list) and man oh man do I have a major travel bug tickling my spirit right now. I spent a half hour last night flipping through old photos (anyone want to help me organize the mess of them? pretty please?) and sighing about all of my blessed adventures around the globe so far (I loved just typing that: "so far").
This photo in particular jumped out at me. B snapped it with his iPhone while I attempted to capture the sunrise at Bondi Beach with my digital SLR during our incredible trip to Australia this year. I love it for a number of reasons: the combination of me wearing very old but very loved pajama shorts (that 2 of my BFF's have matching sets of) and a torn California Republic hoodie I paid way too many monies for (no regrets!), the memory of this exact very early morning and how we couldn't sleep past 6am the whole trip to save our lives, the splendor of the rising sun changing the colors of the sky with each passing second, the waves just below the cliff splashing against the rocks and sending a light sea spray to my feet, and the knowledge that standing just behind me, capturing this same moment (but better!), was a man willing to patiently, encouragingly, wait for me to get the shot I wanted...and to now patiently, encouragingly, help me dream up our next big trip. That's a whole lot to be thankful for. In Gratitude, Trish I think these photos do a great job showcasing my Saturday picnic success with some darling friends and coworkers. Thanks for organizing, passing the camera around and helping me celebrate my birthday for one more day, guys and gal! :) I am so thankful for all the sunshine and laughter...I wish every Saturday could be that care free! In Gratitude, Trish A mix of iPhone (thanks, A, for capturing the moment!) and digital SLR photos from the weekend, in which my sweet B surprised me with an (early) birthday party and I cried like a baby while shaking and saying things like "this makes my spirit feel so big!!"....(which it did. so, so big). Needless to say, I am incredibly grateful for all of my west coast friends helping B pull off this thoughtful little trick. I was so sad to think we weren't going to spend any birthday time together (I may have even been giving him a bit of a guilt trip, lately...) and this was just above and beyond anything I could have hoped for. Sometimes I'm not the best at "receiving" (I even said that to some of the gals on Saturday; I'm trying so hard just to receive right now) but I did my best to simply soak in all of the love and birthday wishes that were generously being poured on me. Frankly, when I moved here 4 years ago, I never imagined building a community...a family...like the one I have in this city by the Bay. This colorful mix of folks full of life and adventure has come to mean more to me than I can possibly explain and I am so thankful to have been given such a blessed send off into my 29th lap around the sun. "Until we can receive with an open heart, we are never really giving with an open heart." -Brene Brown Cheers to the exchange; to giving and receiving, and to the open-heart friends who make it all possible. In Gratitude, Trish The "Pinspiration" (Ryan Gosling + Golden Girls is my absolute dream night): My personal version (I am a lucky lady to have this guy + Golden Girls, instead): .....I cannot stop laughing over here. In Gratitude, Trish |
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