The air is crisp & clean. It’s icy fingers stretch down into my lungs, freezing my chest but for some reason making me want to breathe in deeper. The sky is gray. Dense clouds hang low above our heads. The smell of pine lingers, foreshadowing the coming colder season. In the distance, I can hear small animals chattering to one another & scuttering along the forest floor.
I outstretch one hand & run it against the rough bark of the tall, majestic giant standing before me. The tree seems to almost radiate a reddish glow, filling my chilly form with a wondrous warmth. I look up. From where I stand, I can just barely see where the top branches reach the sky above.
I wrap my arms around the trunk. They do not even travel halfway around its base. I press my ear against the bark & pull my chest in closer, listening for the hum inside, matching the beat of my heart to the beat of the life inside this ancient resident of earth. It has been standing here since long before I was even imagined, & it will remain here long after I leave this world, every year growing a little taller, a little wider, a little stronger, a little more majestic.
When I was a little girl, I was infatuated with trees. I imagined that I could talk to them, & I would spend hours playing outside with my imaginary friends in the forest. And the trees I dreamed most of meeting were the stately redwood trees in California.
I have finally arrived, nearly 20 years later, & while I am older & wiser now, I do still wonder what these trees would tell me if they could talk. What would they say, after seeing the earth change over the last few thousand years, to someone like me, who can’t even comprehend how long that actually is?
Perhaps they would tell me that life is so much simpler than I make it to be. That in that forest, as much as the world seems to be different, a lot has also remained the same. We all grow, we breathe, we love, & we die. Everything else is not required. When compared to all that has happened on planet earth, the things I worry about in my daily life would not even equate to the width of one ring in their trunk. It does not mean those things are meaningless, but perhaps they are also not worth the worry lines in my own face. Life is beautiful & meant to be savored.
So, when the busyness seems to consume you, & the worries of life are all you can think about, come back to this place. Center yourself. Feel the sun on your skin, the beat of your heart, the air moving in & out of your lungs. Ponder your humanity, & how fleeting it is, & remember that is one of the things that makes it beautiful. Stand tall & grow with confidence. And finally, know that your life is deeply rooted to many others who were here long before you, & who will be here long after you are gone, & that alone gives your fleeting existence on this earth meaning & purpose.
Joseph & I spent the day today exploring Redwood National & State Parks – we did a 13-mile-hike, & then drove, exhausted, to our Airbnb in Medford, Oregon, where we crashed for the night. In lieu of trying to capture every little detail of our day, in which it seemed nothing much happened, I though it better to capture what I felt during our hike, gazing at those majestic trees & feeling the sense of wonder I always had as a little girl when I saw pictures of them.
There is a famous saying that claims once you leave home, you can never go back. It wasn’t until I was an adult who returned to living at home during the pandemic that I understood this phrase. You can always go back, but it’s not the same as it was. You can’t go back to being a kid. The memories you have growing up in your childhood home are completely different from the new ones you make when you return.
I think this is true of all memories, not just the ones compartmentalized to your childhood home. Any significant period of your life has a certain magic to the memories. But, returning to that place does not make the magic come back. Just a quick visit to your old high school is a great example of this. You can walk the halls, talk to old teachers, sit on the bleachers where you cheered during football games & maybe snuck your first kiss, but it doesn’t feel the same as it did in those four short years of your life when you felt invincible.
I remember how that first run felt. I remember the exhilaration & the excitement I experienced, unsure yet what the summer would bring but knowing the journey ahead would be momentous & memorable.
Today’s run was not momentous. We stood in that chilly, misty San Francisco air just as I had done before, clicked our watches to start tracking our run, & started the trek up the steep hill to the bridge. It took my breath away, just as it had before, & my legs sighed in relief when we reached the flatter grade of the bridge. The mist was so thick, the long suspension ropes leading to the tall, red towers disappeared entirely into a thick cloud above our heads.
The run across the bridge was fast, & before I knew it, we were back at our car, starting the long drive north to the Redwoods National & State Parks. As we drove over the bridge we had just run across, a bittersweet feeling seeped into my stomach. I had wanted to relive the memory, but this was simply just revisiting. My team members were not here with me, & we were not about to travel across the entire country, our legs carrying us & hearts keeping us going in the fight against cancer.
Me after running across the Golden Gate Bridge today
The drive to the redwoods was uneventful but exciting. I have wanted to see the redwood trees since I was a little girl & read about them in a book. When I had participated in the 4K for Cancer run, I had been disappointed that I came all the way to California & missed seeing the majestic trees.
Our Airbnb was a camper within Redwood National & State Parks. We got settled into what was by far the most unique Airbnb we had stayed in yet, & then drove off into the setting sun to just catch a glimpse of the views we planned on hiking to tomorrow.
To say that redwood trees are big is an understatement. They are enormous. Our entire wingspan combined didn’t even stretch around half of the base of one of the trees. The trees reached high into the sky as well, basking in the sun’s light. Inside, all I felt was the giddy joy of my 5-year-old self, finally standing at the foot of the redwood trees I had read about.
Memories cannot be relived, but that’s what makes them so special. You only get to have one first kiss or one first dance. You only have your first day at school, your first time you win an award, your first time running across the Golden Gate Bridge, & your first time seeing a redwood tree. But what makes those moments memorable is the fact that they only happened once, or because they it was the start of something special that happened again & again. It was the start of a your first cross country adventure. It was the start of your career. It was the start of your love story.
Running across the bridge & experiencing Joseph’s first time traversing it had been fantastic & memorable in its own way. It was not the same as running it with my team, but it wasn’t supposed to be. That moment is sacred & special in its own way, & it should stay that way.
One of the best things about memories is that we are always forming new ones. Dreams are fulfilled, goals are accomplished, & sweet surprises fill our lives every day. Today, wrapping my arms around the redwood tree, feeling the rough bark beneath my fingertips & ear pressed against the trunk, listening for the hum of life inside, was a dream come true & a memory I have been waiting to create for years.
Remembering may be bittersweet, but the new memories I am creating in this moment – life has never tasted sweeter.
Do you ever have a day that starts out so good it’s almost too good to be true, & then something happens to make you realize it is, in fact, too good to be true? Today was like that.
Joseph & I decided to sleep in a little to take advantage of our one morning that we didn’t have anywhere to be early in the day. It was a misty, cloudy morning in Monterey, which meant there was no point in getting to the 17-mile-drive early to see the sunrise. Instead, we left our Airbnb around 8:30 & drove 20 minutes to the start of the drive.
The 17-mile-drive is a scenic drive that features forest views & the coastline in Pebble Beach, California. It was created in 1881 & was first traversed in horse & buggy.
I am always struck when I go to national parks & other places how interesting it is that someone found this land, claimed it, & said they wanted to share it with everyone, but then charged them to get in. But, nevertheless, I always hand over the money. I just cannot resist the chance to see any part of this beautiful world.
Joseph taking videos on the 17-mile-drive – vlog to come soon!!
The trail wound through neighborhoods & trees before finally following along the restless coastline. The ocean was feisty the morning of our drive, splashing up against the rocks with such force that the resulting wind smacked our faces & blew back our hair & clothes as soon as we stepped out of the truck. A dense smoke hung low in the air, most likely from the wildfires raging not too far away, & all you could hear for miles was the sound of crashing waves.
Our next stop was the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the spots I was most looking forward to. I am happy to report it did not disappoint. The aquarium, which was located right on the edge of the bay, was filled with exhibits that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, brimming with colorful sea creatures & tall stalks of seaweed that swayed in invisible currents. The aquarium had done an excellent job of recreating the sea creatures’ natural environment. The exhibit rooms were dark, leaving an eery blue light from the water that drifted into the space. Standing in front of the enormous tanks, realizing how large the animals in the depths of the ocean actually are, was a truly humbling experience. We are so small in this world, & there is so much more to this life & creation than we are even aware.
As much as we enjoyed watching the fish swim around, Joseph & I also appreciated how friendly the staff was. As soon as we walked in, the woman who greeted us noticed our face masks (white & black that say bride & groom, respectively) & asked if we were on our honeymoon. When we confirmed that we are, she immediately announced that we needed celebration buttons & asked us which sea creature from a selection that we liked best. We chose the octopus & sea turtle, on which she wrote “Just Married” on the corresponding pins & drew little party hats on the animals. It was such a simple gesture, but being given those pins to wear as we walked around the aquarium made us feel like appreciated guests & customers. And she was not the only staff member who made our experience better. From the friendly man at the front door who gave us our instructions for the day, to the conversational cashier who asked us about our honeymoon & talked to us about her dream to visit the East Coast, to the worker who was hurrying in his work day but still stopped to congratulate us. As amazing as the aquarium was, the staff truly made it an unforgettable experience that I would recommend to anyone.
I could have happily spent the day watching the otters play & jellyfish drift, we had to leave to drive to San Francisco for our evening’s activities. We ate lunch at the truck & then drove to our Airbnb, where we dropped off our belongings before heading into the city.
With all of the wedding & honeymoon excitement, we had forgotten is was Labor Day weekend. San Francisco is normally packed with people already, but thanks to a Giants baseball game & the holiday weekend, it was easily double the normal amount of crowds. This meant parking was even more difficult than it usually is, & we easily spent 30 minutes just looking for a space. We finally found an open spot where someone had left a full drink cup sitting – I suppose no one wanted to touch it or knock it over. When we checked the price, we were dismayed to see that the hourly rate was no longer available. Instead, for special holiday parking, there was a flat rate of $50 no matter how long your stay was. Unwilling to look for parking again & running out of time, we forked over the money & rushed into the busy San Francisco streets.
We had reservations to tour Alcatraz, but before the sky grew too dark, I wanted to see the sea lions. At Pier 39, sea lions famously gather on the pier, much to the delight of onlookers at the nearby restaurant. We ran to the pier & spent a few minutes watching & laughing as the sea lions barked at one another & flopped around the deck before resting their heads on one to rest. Then, we ran back up the street to the boat ramp for Alcatraz.
The wait was a little long, but we passed the time chatting & people watching. When the time for boarding came, we excitedly found seats on the top of the ferry so we could watch the island grow closer.
Alcatraz, I learned, was not just the prison for infamous criminals, but also for pacifists who tried to avoid the draft Civil War. Because they were supposed to be in the military, they were tried & punished as military members in defiance of the United States government, which means the punishments were stricter & resulted in stints spent in Alcatraz. And after the prison closed, Native Americans attempted to claim the land because they were allowed to reside on any surplus land. To avoid this, the United States turned it into a national park, which it still remains to this day.
The Native American & imprisoned pacifists situation wasn’t the only one that struck an uncomfortable cord. Alcatraz was operating until the 1960s, when many social movements gained traction, one of them being the movement to reform inmates rather than give lifetime punishments for all crimes. This means that, until that time, many things happened in Alcatraz that social justice leaders today would be infuriated by.
It was a little creepy walking around the old cells where inmates spent years of their lives, shut off from the world & spending most of their time alone in spaces small enough to be a closet today. The chill from the outdoors seeped in through the walls, making me wonder just how cold it got for inmates on the island.
Because of COVID-19, the audio tour was given entirely on individual devices that we carried with us for the tour. The devices gave us directions on where to stand & turn, & the story was told by voice actors, creating an immersive experience.
At the end of the tour, Joseph & I returned our audio devices & looked at the clock. To our delight, we had finished the tour in just one hour & could catch the earlier ferry. By now, we had not eaten in eight hours & we were growing hungrier by the minute.
We raced down the 13 stories from the top of Alcatraz to the bottom of the hill it was situated on. By now, the line for the ferry had already grown long, & we stood nervously hoping there would be room for us on board. San Francisco is almost always misty & chilly, but on Alcatraz Island, it was even colder, windier & wetter.
The line began to move as boarding began, & we waited with bated breath as we inched closer to the boat. 100 people away…80 people away…50 people away…the line began slowing down…35 people away…people began holding up their fingers in the air to signal how many people were in their party, & the crewman slowly selected the lucky ones who got to board…25 people away…people were becoming more earnest now, pushing their way forward…20 people away…the crewman apologized & closed the gate. We were stuck on the island for another hour, waiting in line.
Our stomachs fell with disappointment as the boat sailed away. Hungry, tired & now cold, we sat on the concrete, stuck where we were until the boat returned for us. As the minutes ticked by, our moods soured. We were not dressed appropriately for a night on Alcatraz, & as we sat, shivering, my fingers slowing grew numb. We watched TikTok videos to pass the time, our empty stomachs setting our teeth on edge as we waited.
When the boat returned, we stood quickly, the crowd pressing in on all sides. Everyone wanted to get on the ferry as quickly as possible. To our dismay, we spent another 20 minutes in the cold, teeth chattering & body’s shaking, as the crewmen completed their necessary chores on the boat & gathered everyone from the island – this was the last ferry of the evening.
When we were finally allowed back on the boat, all the charm of the day had left our minds. All we could think about was how hungry, tired & cold we were. We called the restaurant we planned on eating at, & to our dismay discovered we needed vaccination cards to dine inside, not just there, but at every restaurant in San Francisco. I had my card with me, but Joseph, unfortunately, had left his card in his backpack, which was currently in our bedroom at the Airbnb.
When we got to the island, we rushed back to our car. The last bit of my positive attitude left as, in my hurry to get in the truck, I knocked over the sticky, sweet-smelling drink that had been left sitting in our parking space & spilled it over my new boots.
With short & tense language, we tried to find a new restaurant, but anyone who would take us was already closed because of the late hour. We finally resolved to order takeout from the restaurant we had originally planned on & take it back to our Airbnb, but when we called, we discovered takeout could only be ordered by visiting the restaurant in-person & sitting at the bar. Left without any options, Joseph drove me as close to the restaurant as he could, & then returned to our original parking space to await my phone call.
I sat at the bar quickly & told the bartender I was ready to order, but he insisted I wait & look at the menu. So I sat, annoyingly drumming my fingers until he returned, & I gave him the order I had memorized in the truck.
The restaurant was busy, so I was surprised & grateful when our food arrived just 15 minutes later. I called Joseph & rushed back outside. He picked me up from the curb, & while driving, I fed us both bread to slowly fill our stomachs & hopefully boost our morale.
We arrived back at our Airbnb & quickly changed into warm clothes. Joseph grabbed us some wine from our bags, & I set up a spot to eat in our room. We sat together, hoping to salvage the evening, but conversation failed us, other than the occasional dumfounded question: “What just happened?”
The food was rich & hit our empty stomachs wrong. Neither of us finished. We laid back in bed, knees pulled up to our stomachs in pain, feeling dejected & exhausted from the long day.
Here’s the funny thing about this whole story: Up until the last few hours, our day had been bliss. We started it with lovely views of the coast, & then had some of the best hours on our honeymoon yet wandering around the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Our Airbnb host was lovely. We got to pet her dogs, & she promised us a complimentary breakfast with homemade muffins for the following morning. We had the chance to see the cute sea lions in San Francisco. We did the Alcatraz tour, which wasn’t our favorite experience, but we would have regretted not going, wondering if we missed something. And here we were, in a cozy room with food from the restaurant we wanted to visit. We had let this one experience completely cloud our vision from everything else that we enjoyed today.
It’s difficult to center yourself when something goes wrong & remember how much good there is in the world. Today, I was reminded of the importance to not let one unfortunate event ruin an entire day, & certainly not to let one bad day, month, year, or however long it is (I’m thinking about you, COVID-19) convince me that it’s a bad life. There is so much in this world & in every day to be grateful for, even on the days I have to look a little harder to find it.
After over a year, we are finally back on the road!
Because of busy work schedules & the COVID-19 pandemic, Joseph & I spent the last year mostly in our homes, waiting for the opportune time to resume our travels. When it came time to plan our honeymoon, it didn’t seem there was any question in what we would do. Now given the opportunity to splurge a little, we decided to book a flight to one of the distant states that would be most difficult to cross off of our 50-state bucket list. To make the most of it, we planned a two-week road trip to knock three west coast states off of our list: California, Oregon & Washington.
Joseph & I awoke far too early Monday morning, less than two full days after we tied the knot. A two-week road trip & a DIY wedding both require a lot of forethought & planning, which meant we were up late Sunday night packing our bags & making sure we had everything we needed. Around 10:30 that night, I finally crashed & took myself to bed, & Joseph joined me an hour & a half later, meaning when we awoke, I had gained a mere three hours of sleep, & Joseph had just half of that. Despite this, our excitement pulled us out of bed & tackling our first to-do’s.
I absolutely hate flying. I’m not as afraid of it as I used to be, but I just find it immensely uncomfortable. I’m not the type of person who can sit in one place for very long, so sitting for hours on end in an uncomfortable chair flying in the sky is not my idea of a luxury vacation. To get all of my jitters out, I went for a short three-mile run our street-lamp lit neighborhood. Meanwhile, Joseph drove to a nearby Wawa to buy coffee & breakfast for our awesome best man & brother, Jon, who was getting up far too early after a very busy weekend to drive us to the airport.
Checking our bags & security went smoothly. I haven’t flown much in my life, but, thankfully, I remembered everything I needed from my family trip to Arizona last year & I was able to guide us through our first checkpoints. Joseph ordered some Chick-fil-A for breakfast, & we sat together, butterflies in our stomach, waiting to board our flight.
The sunrise view from our airplane window
Our first flight was four-and-a-half hours long. For the first hour, we tried in vain to get some sleep. When that proved fruitless, I got out my computer to enter our road trip itinerary into my calendar, & to open a new document & write down absolutely everything I remembered from our wedding day. Joseph pulled out his laptop as well to sort through hours of precious footage from our the same day. We had not payed for a videographer; instead, we had asked members of our wedding party & family to capture videos from our day to compile our own vlog (stay tuned for that!). Everyone we asked went above & beyond what we ever expected or even dreamed of, & I was brought to tears multiple times peering over Joseph’s shoulder at the screen.
We had a two-and-a-half hour layover in Phoenix, where we got some brunch. With the time change & how early we woke up, we were both bleary-eyed, exhausted & very hungry at what was now 8:00 in the morning. To eat what we both figured would be our final healthy meal of the trip, we ordered some salads from Panera Bread & sat down next to some fellow travelers, one of whom now lived in Phoenix after traveling for years in her camper! Traveling full-time is something that comes up frequently in Joseph’s & my conversations, but for now, I think we are content just making it a regular part of our life together while continuing to live close to family & pursuing our respective careers.
Our second flight was just a little over an hour. We sat down next to a woman named Melissa, who was traveling home from sending one of her daughters to college & watching the other daughter get engaged! We spent a good portion of the flight chatting about weddings & things to do in San Diego. She recommended to us a restaurant in Old Town San Diego called Casa de Reyes for some authentic Mexican food, which we immediately added to our notes, & she also gave us the name of a biking trail off of the boardwalk that sounded like fun.
We finally arrived in sunny San Diego in the early afternoon. We stepped out into the warm, summer air with excited smiles on our faces. We called for an Uber to take us to an Airbnb, a cozy loft apartment over our host’s home that featured a balcony overlooking a neatly manicured yard with a thick palm tree growing up through the center.
Me on Mission Beach, San Diego
We changed into our bathing suits & headed first to Mission Beach. Our first look at the West Coast was exhilarating. The ocean waves crashed deafeningly against the sand, sending a wind up to the boardwalk that blew back our hair & clothes.
The one thing we didn’t expect was how chilly the beach & water would be. I knew the California coast would be cooler than Maryland, but the water was absolutely freezing. Coupling that with the cooler, low-humidity California air made for a much chillier beach experience than I was expecting. We both ran into the waves to at least be able to say that we plunged into the Pacific Ocean, & then we decided to walk along the boardwalk instead.
For dinner, we had reservations at Bandar Restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter, a Persian restaurant that we found excellent reviews for online. Globe lights hung from the awning, while dim light filled the dining room. Since it was our first fancy night out of our honeymoon, we ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy with our meal. For starters, we ordered the best spanakopita I have ever tasted (salty, creamy & with a perfectly balanced herby, spinach & feta flavor) & a basil pesto hummus with thin, crispy, pita bread squares. For dinner, Joseph ordered Barg, a marinated & charbroiled filet mignon served with basmati & saffron rice, & I ordered the Wild King Salmon, which was also charbroiled & seasoned with garlic, lemon & saffron & served with grilled vegetables. Both dishes were good, but I wish we had shared. It was so much food – I would have preferred smaller dishes with more variety of flavors rather than the large slab of meat. But it was still delicious & gave us lots of leftovers.
Joseph at Bandar Restaurant. We ordered spanakopita & pesto hummus with pita bread for our appetizers.
We headed back to our Airbnb & finally crashed in bed around 11:00. We had been awake for a full 24 hours after only a few hours rest & were desperately in need for a good night’s sleep.
Despite the lack of rest, we still woke up at a decent time Tuesday morning feeling ready to explore. We headed first to Mission Beach, where we rented bikes & explored the trail Melissa had recommended. We ended up biking about 13 miles, & although it was tiring, we had a blast. The water was gorgeous, & our trail led us around the entirety of Mission Bay & through the streets of busy San Diego.
Famished from our long ride, we headed to Old Town San Diego for lunch. Again, per Melissa’s suggestion, we went to Casa de Reyes, & we were not disappointed. For a starter, we had chips with homemade salsa & fresh guacamole topped with chopped tomatoes & queso fresco. Within seconds of our starter being served, our main dish was also brought to our table on large warm plates. I ordered ‘Armadillo’ shrimp, which were bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with crab & pepperjack cheese & drizzled with a creamy & spicy chipotle aioli. On the side was black beans with cheese & a zesty & fresh-tasting corn salad. Joseph ordered Mar y Tierra, which included the ‘Armadillo’ shrimp as well as succulent grilled skirt steak, frijoles puercos served in a corn tortilla, ensalada de nopales, guacamole, & pico de gallo served with warm flour tortillas. I have never had more delicious Mexican food. It was the perfect balance of salt, spice, & subtle sweetness that delighted our taste buds. To drink, Joseph ordered an El Rey Mojito made with Matusalem rum & agave nectar instead of sugar, & I ordered a specialty margarita called La Riviera Maya, which was a refreshing yet sweet blend of Frida Kahlo blanco tequila, Matusalem rum, coconut, strawberry, & pineapple juice.
Stuffed from lunch, we decided to stroll around the town. Surrounding the restaurant were a number of small shops filled with items shipped from Mexico or made by local artisans. We stumbled into a vegan chocolate shop, & despite still being full, we couldn’t help ourselves from ordering a small truffle each & a hot latte. Nibble Chocolate is a healthy chocolate store that makes its candy with just two ingredients: fresh cacao & sugar. There is no added milk or additives for preservation or added creaminess. Despite this, it is some of the creamiest, most delicious chocolate I have ever tasted. I ordered a lemon truffle, which had just the perfect amount of fresh lemon flavor to not be overbearing but to add just a touch of acid to the normally sweet treat. Joseph ordered a coffee truffle, & we both ordered lattes to go.
We continued walking into the nearby state park, where we visited Cousin’s Candy Shop to buy some freshly pulled salt water taffy for later (Joseph had never tried salt water taffy before!), & then continued window shopping until we were ready to go back to the Airbnb. We walked over a mile to a nearby grocery store to pick up some essentials for our upcoming road trip, & then took an Uber back to our Airbnb to rest after another long day.
For our third & final day in San Diego, we woke up early & headed to Balboa Park, where we hiked the Florida Canyon Trail. I have never seen succulents so big! They were just as large as the cacti we passed. I wish the ones in my pots at home grew to that size.
A cacti growing on the Florida Canyon Trail in Balboa Park, San Diego
After completing the short trek, it was time to visit one of the spots I was most looking forward to – the San Diego Zoo. I love animals, & I bought us tickets to the zoo months ago. As always, the elephants were my favorite, & we spent a large chunk of our time watching them walk around & eat. I got a little sad when I saw the polar bears in the summer heat, but a quick search online assured me that they are comfortable in the San Diego climate. The San Diego Zoo is committed to animal care & conservation of endangered species around the world, which is why I felt at ease visiting. As Joseph & I walked around, it was apparent that the zoo had made large efforts to keep the animals as comfortable & content as possible. Every section of the zoo was like walking into a new habitat, & all of the different animal homes were spacious, some of which even extending over top of the trail & into large rooms we had to carefully enter to not let them escape by accident.
We ate a semi-satisfactory meal at the Treetop Cafe (the food was good, but over-priced, as zoo food tends to be), & then we headed back into Balboa Park to explore. We went into the Spanish Village Art Center, where a number of local artisans had created shops filled with detailed paintings, delicate pottery, life-size statues, & more. We stopped by Daniel’s Coffee for some refreshments, & then walked around Balboa Park, stopping to stroll around the botanical gardens, admired the architecture, & listen to musicians.
As the afternoon waned, we called an Uber & headed to the Gaslamp Quarter, where we perused the shops until it was time for our reservation at The Lion’s Share. We had made the reservation when we saw that the restaurant offered charcuterie, the meal we served at our wedding. Because we ate very little at our reception, we wanted to have the chance to eat this delicious dish again. We sat down at our table & were surprised when our server brought us two glasses of champagne to toast our nuptials. We ordered the charcuterie, a starter on the menu, & enjoyed it with our sparkling wine. The charcuterie board changes daily at The Lion’s Share to feature whatever is most fresh – on this day, it had goat cheese, honey, strawberry compote, pickled mushrooms & cauliflower, whole-grain mustard, imported meats from Italy, & even more mouth-watering foods to create endless delicious combinations.
We were still hungry after finishing, so we ordered Duck in a Hole (another starter) & the Seared Scallops to share for an entreé. To drink, I ordered the Treehouse Realtor, a fruity mix of tequila, Campari, passionfruit, lime & soda, & Joseph ordered the St. Elizabeth Sexy Party, a much more bitter drink made with bourbon, cinnamon, chocolate bitters, & allspice dram. The Duck in a Hole could easily be my new favorite brunch dip. The runny egg yolk was tamed with creamy gravy & the savory duck, while the herb salad on the side gave a touch of earthiness. We sopped up the leftovers with the thick, perfectly buttered & toasted slice of bread. The seared scallops were served over a bed of soft couscous with a pool of creamy garlic sauce, & the result was a dreamy combination of saltiness & tang that was balanced by the delicate starchy flavor of the couscous. We cleared our plates &, despite our stomachs being full, still stared longingly at the menu, wanting to try more.
Duck in a Hole, served at The Lion’s Share
We took an Uber home & spent the evening organizing & re-packing our bags for the adventure ahead. Tomorrow, we will be renting a truck & heading to Los Angeles to officially begin the road trip portion of our honeymoon.
It feels so good to be back on the road. After over a year-long hiatus, Joseph & I both immediately feel back at home. Traveling is one of the things we do best together. Working together & exploring new cultures & experiences brings us closer, making it the perfect activity to do for our honeymoon. It’s ironic to me that we began our travels together just after the proposal, & now here we are, resuming our travels just after our wedding. I simply cannot thank enough all of the people who have supported us & helped to get us to this moment. We would not be who we are without you.
Now, let’s go on another (long-awaited) adventure together.
