California (Yosemite Visit)

Erlo and I FINALLY got to go back to the Bay Area together.  It seemed like a whirlwind of a trip, but we definitely got to do a lot and spend a lot of needed time with the family.

The day after we arrived, we drove down to Yosemite with my parents.  My mom had booked a hotel outside of the park the first night, but we wanted to try to see the valley on our way there.  There was a chance of snow, so on the way we kept calling the park for updates on the road conditions.  We ended up stopping in some little small town (Merced?) and buying some.  Erlo was fascinated by the small American town….it looks exactly like it does in the movies! 

We did get to drive through Yosemite Valley the first night, but unfortunately, there were so many clouds that we barely saw Yosemite Falls and El Capitan!  Erlo was impressed, nonetheless, and I was happily breathing in the familiar cedar and sierra scents.

The little motel we stayed in was adorable.  It was about 20 minutes outside the park, and had some pretty bad reviews, but it suited our tastes.  It was tucked away in the woods and was refreshingly peaceful.  Not the best service by the owner/manager (the garbage from the previous guests was left in our room) but it was good enough.

That night, we had our first Mexican meal of the trip….and it was SO GOOD.  We shared a dish of chicken Mole that literally melted in your mouth.  We were also reminded of the Great American Portion Size.  Yikes.  Erlo and I shared a dish and were still stuffed to the brim.  I don’t know how people do it…

(side note:  I’m realizing as I’m talking about all of this that I should have taken pictures of all of this!  I’ve been away from the blogging game so long that I have forgotten!  My sincerest apologies, I will try to do better…)

The next day was still quite cloudy, so we were left to explain and try to convince Erlo how beautiful Half Dome is.  Every time we rounded the corners that would normally have a view of the spectacular rock, there was a patch of cloud covering it.  At least El Capitan and the Falls were in clear sight!

We took a couple walks, ate a picnic lunch in the Awahnee Hotel and moved into our rooms at Yosemite Lodge.  After a dinner at the Awhanee Bar(WAY overpriced), we returned to the Lodge for an early night.

The next day, it was back to Yosemite Valley to see the fresh morning fog clearing to reveal Half Dome!  I love this view so much.  We also hiked up to Mirror Lake, which has a lot of memories for my parents.  Although the lakes were dried up for the season, we enjoyed an exploratory wander through the woods behind the lake.  Erlo was disappointed not to see any bears, but we definitely saw evidence of them (torn up logs, footprints) which was almost as exciting.  A group of about 6 buck made an appearance for us, which was definitely cool. 

And then back on the road for us!  We headed back to the restaurant we went to the night before where we stuffed ourselves silly again before jumping in the car back to my parents’ house.

Watch this space....

Hey readers!  Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this space!  Since I haven't had my own computer for some time, I have been totally neglecting this space.  But good news!  I will soon be getting my macbook and have some good ideas brewing for my blog.  See you soon!

One Year

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted! It has been almost a year since Erlo and I moved to New Zealand. It has been just over a year since we got married. So much has happened. I moved locations in my job. I am still doing the same work, but much closer to our house. Erlo changed jobs. He works in a much friendlier, happier environment where he is trusted, valued and challenged. We have had many visitors already, including my parents, my friends Tracy and Carie, my friends Larry and Joan, and a brief visit from my friend Brandon. We have seen SOOO much of New Zealand and been able to show some of our favourite parts to those people and would love to show them to more.

Unfortunately, my bad luck with electronics has limited my blogging ability. Just after my last post, I learned that you can’t feed your sister green curry through Skype because you will spill it on your computer and ruin it definitely. I also learned that if you get an iPhone, hold onto it with all your might at all times, or it is highly probable to be stolen from right beside you. Hopefully I will be getting a new computer soon and will continue writing about my life. I miss it and find it cathartic.

Erlo and I will be here for at least another year. It has been such an amazing, invaluably difficult and wonderful year and we are ready for another! We miss my family, but love being close to Erlo’s (well, part of it anyway). We are meeting new friends(slowly, but surely), and dearly missing the far away friends. 

Although this isn't the beginning of a calendar year for me, it feels significant as I reflect on a year in a new place, with a new phase of my relationship with Erlo, and a new phase of my personal life.  I'm looking forward and open to all the upcoming year has for us.