Buyer's market, my a&@!

At least it's not just us? 

Just read this article about the housing trends in Southern California... 

"Real estate agent Alan Castillo recently listed a client's fixer-upper in Granada Hills for $278,250. 

It was only 1,600 square feet -- but it drew 128 offers, most of them in cash.

The final selling price, after all of 10 days on the market? $377,872."

I'm sorry, what? A fixer-upper sold for almost 100 THOUSAND dollars over the asking price?!?!? That. Is. INSANE. No wonder we can't catch a break!

Ughhhhh.  

Leaving canyon life?

Sean and I have been going back and forth for a few months now about moving out of the canyon even though we haven't found a place to buy. At first, we were both super against it. Leave our canyon? And our owl? And our cozy basement apartment with it's amazing porches for Pinterest brunches and month-to-month lease? Not a chance! 

But, living in the canyon has also been wearing on us - especially since we got Emma. The first few years we lived there (pre-Emma), we didn't have to leave the canyon much if we didn't want to. I would go to work, come home, and chill out in our place and relax. Sean worked 24 hour shifts, so he wasn't driving in and out too often. We would spend entire weekends in the canyon - going for hikes or eating at the Bistro. But when we got Emma, and realized she was allergic to the world but still needed an outlet for all her energy, we started having to leave every day. To the dog park in Santa Monica, or in Calabasas, or to the boardwalk in the Palisades where we could take her on long walks. And it began to wear on us - on our stress levels, on our cars, on our wallets.

Which is when we decided we should look for a place to buy. It was a buyer's market, right? We had some money for a down payment, and we have great credit, so why not buy something and not waste money on rent?? But it turns out it's NOT a buyer's market, which brings us to now - 14 months after we started looking for a house, and getting increasingly frustrated with the canyon.

One of the things topping our list of why to move, other than having to visit the dog park every day? The wildlife - the coyotes, and snakes, and racoons, and mice, and MORE mice, and spiders, and ants, and and and... the list never seems to end. The other day, I had the heater on in the bathroom (you remember, the one where the birds were living?) and a centipede dropped out of it. *shudder* It wasn't fun to kill, either.

But just when I think I'm ready to throw in the towel and move tomorrow, I remember all the things we love about living in the canyon. Our unique shared back yard, Topanga Days and the community, cuddling up with blankets, the way the temperature changes as we get towards home and how the marine layer creeps in, the way our road looks and smells after it rains, how GREEN everything is, how close we are to Santa Monica and the ocean. I love getting out of my car in our driveway and looking up at the stars - they're simply stunning out where we are, and I love driving in the canyon at night and looking in the rearview mirror and seeing nothing - no lights, no traffic.

So why are we considering moving now? A couple of reasons - but the biggest one for me was my recent trauma with the septic tank. It rained a while ago, and last Wednesday I noticed some seepage from the lower manhole in our lot. I told the neighbor that's in charge of getting the tank emptied, and assumed she would get it done. Then on Friday night, I came home pretty late after taking Emma to the park and running errands and getting groceries, and parked a little too close to that manhole. And then accidentally stepped on it when I was going for the groceries in the trunk. And sewage splash out at me. Yeah. Absolutely disgusting. Nothing hit me, fortunately, but I was LIVID. And that sealed the deal for me. I made an appointment to see some apartments by the dog park, and Sean and I went by Sunday.

The apartments by the dog park aren't our perfect place to live. It's a big complex - 600 apartments! - rather than a unique, cute triplex. It's "corporate" - all the places basically look the same. But - it's RIGHT next to the dog park, so taking Emma there every day will be 50 minutes and 30 miles less. It's close to the freeway, which means no more driving 8 miles before I can even get anywhere. They have washers and dryers, and two on-site gyms that are actually pretty well equip. They have dishwashers, garbage disposals and bathtubs - things I have sorely missed for the last 4 and a half years. And while the one bedroom + loft floorplan that we think we like best is a little more expensive than what we're paying now, I think having more space is going to be a really good thing for us.    

Moving out of the canyon will definitely be bittersweet, and a part of me will always think of the canyon as home. It'll always be our first place together. But I think we're ready to go. I think we've outgrown our cute little place (or as Sean says "we've put our time in"), and while it will be really emotional for me to leave, I think it'll be good for us to switch it up.   

Now we just have to agree on WHEN.

Here's to new places!

You and me together, can do anything, baby.

Yesterday, Sean and I celebrated our SEVEN year anniversary. 

 

Me and Sean at my 10th annual holiday party last December

We had a great , lovely day of just hanging out with each other and doing regular things, capped off with a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant and then had cake and hot chocolate!

 We went to Monterey for Sean's birthday and had a relaxing time chilling out and watching the ocean!

This year also marks 10 years of Sean and I knowing each other, which totally trips me out, because that means that he's been an important part of my life for a full third of it! It's really nice and reassuring to know that we still have so much fun together, and can completely be ourselves and total goofballs.  

Goofing around in Monterey!

He makes me laugh, makes me think, and generally makes me happier than I've ever been. Here's to a ton more years together! (And yes, before you ask - we talk about getting married and that's coming along, so don't worry - it's on our minds!)

**Title lyrics from "You and Me" by Dave Matthews Band**

2012, you were a good year.

Better late than never, right? This year is already starting off with a bang - or rather, with tons of plans and being crazy busy. That seems to be the semi-permanent state of my life over the last couple of years. But anyway - I love this little survey, so what better way to attempt to start blogging again? 

Check out past years here: 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008! 

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
Got approved to buy a house. Traveled to New York. Traveled to Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota. Turned 30.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Well, I didn't lose any weight. And I can't remember if I made any other resolutions...? This year, I would really love to buy a place of our own, and move out of the canyon.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Two friends had baby girls this year! And another is pregnant...

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. Crossing my fingers that I have the same answer again next year!

5. What countries did you visit?
England, and the U.S.


6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
A new place to live. A better work/life balance.

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 16 is the only one that really stands out - I turned 30! I have a feeling my 30s are going to be much different than my 20s were!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I was promoted to Director. That was a big deal for me!

9. What was your biggest failure?
I suppose not finding a house. We should have moved faster when we first started looking, because now prices are going up and there's next to no inventory.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I hurt my foot! I have "plantar fasciitis" and it's been the injury that won't quit. My feet hurts every day. :-(

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Plane tickets!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I really don't know. Sean was a rock star at Christmas this year.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Not to get TOO political, but I was pretty disappointed with the Republicans in this year's election. Especially the tea partiers who are outspoken against equal marriage rights and a woman's right to choose.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Travel. Or savings. Or to my credit card, because I was pretty irresponsible in my spending in the second half of the year!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Potentially buying a house. Turning 30. My 10th annual holiday party. Getting promoted. I was really excited a lot last year!

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
"Ho Hey" by the Lumineers. I actually discovered it in 2011, but it was ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE. in 2012!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier. 30 is going to be good for me.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. Boo.
c) richer or poorer? Richer? I mean, I have less money in my savings account, but I make more and got to do a ton of cool stuff in 2012!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Rest. Go to the gym. Work from home.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Drive. After 8 years of driving 30+ miles each way to work, I'm really getting tired of it.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve with my mom. Christmas Day with my dad. And it was the very first year of my life that I didn't spend Christmas Eve night at my dad's house... instead we drove there early on Christmas morning.

21. Did you fall in love in 2012?
Not really? I'm already in love!

22. What was your favorite TV program?
I like so much TV it's impossible to pick just one show! 


23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. I'm trying really hard to not waste time with hating people.

24. What was the best book you read?
It was a nerdy work related one - The War For Late Night: When Leno Went Early And Television Went Crazy.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Turnpike Troubadours! They're so good. I had been slowly slip sliding into liking country music, and I think buying their album sealed the deal.

26. What did you want and get?
An owl cookie jar. Books. Amazing trips.

27. What did you want and not get?
A house. And, if I'm being super honest, an engagement ring.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Avengers! I really loved it, which suprised me a little!

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
What didn't I do??? My family had a huge party for my 30th, my aunt's 60th, and my brother's 18th birthdays. I did a perfectly sized friends' dinner in Santa Barbara at my favorite restaurant. I had a great dinner with my mom, and Sean and I went to London in October as a belated birthday trip!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting engaged. It would have really capped off an amazing year. And I really do think it's time.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
I got a little lazy. And for the last three months of the year, I was basically wearing sneakers all the time because of my stupid foot. But I am going to work on all that in 2013.

32. What kept you sane?
Sleep. Music. My puppy dog and my awesome dude, and my friends who let me vent and make me laugh.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Obama, again. So happy he was re-elected as our president!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Equal marriage rights. I think it's crazy that so many people are so backwards on the issue, and I'm cautiously optimistic that 2013 and on will bring the kind of big change we need.

35. Who did you miss?
Sinead and Ryan. Clara. I got to see Sinead and Clara this year in London, and it only made me miss them more.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I don't even know if I met any new people last year!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
Things will happen when they're supposed to. I already knew this, but 2012 was a year to definitely test that lesson.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"You took the time to memorize me: my fears, my hopes, and dreams, I just like hangin' out with you, all the time... All those times that you didn't leave; It's been occurring to me I'd like to hang out with you, for my whole life. Stay. And I'll be loving you for quite some time. No one else is going to love me when I get mad, mad mad. So I think that it's best if we both stay, stay, stay, stay, stay, stay..." "Stay Stay Stay" by Taylor Swift (I know, I know. But I really love this song!)

Can't catch a break.

Oiy. It's been a while, right? 

We went to London in early October and things have just been a giant whirlwind since then. 

The trip? Was ok. It was GREAT to see Sinead and Clara... but London wasn't one of our favorite places of all time. I'm finally getting around to writing about it over on Tendency To Wander, so when I'm done, I'll link to the posts over there. 

Since we've been back, we've been even more intense about finding a new place to live. When we started looking for a house/condo/whatever to buy, we had no urgency because we have a month to month rent in Topanga, and we figured we would take our time to make sure we found the right place.

But now? Now we actively want to move. We hit four years in our place in August, and we started seriously looking at our lifestyle in Topanga. For every plus, there's a drawback or two - it takes SO long to get places, there's so much wear and tear on our cars, we drive so, so much each day. Every day that we have to take Emma to the dog park, it's a 2 hour excursion. Every time we want to leave, it's 10 minutes in the canyon - minimum - to get to "civilization." And while we can walk to our post office, little general store, and a couple of restaurants, we can't really do so at night, which means little to no walking from home during the winter. 

Anyway. Back to my original reason for writing today. We just can't seem to catch a break with buying a place! We have been pre-approved by not one, but TWO financial institutions for a loan. We have steady jobs and have been paying down debts and saving money - and we've been told over and over that we're the "perfect" candidates. 

So what's the problem? Investors, competition, and, most recently, HOAs. Which I thought would be the LAST thing to prevent us from buying a place, by the way. 

Our newest woe? We found a cute, tiny condo in Santa Monica. Yes, the complete opposite of what we'd been looking at all year, and there's a story there, too. But anyway - we loved it. It's super cute, in a GREAT location, and we started to get excited about living more simply. We decided to put in an offer at full price - because now we've learned that in this market there are no "steals" at under the asking price - and everyone was optimistic and excited. 

And then we found out about the HOA's 10 lb limit on dogs. 

Seriously? 

We offered anyway, contingent upon the HOA making an exception for Emma, who is 55 lbs, and they turned us down.

So let's get this straight, shall we? The owner of this condo is trying to sell. And before his condo is even on the market, he gets a full price offer that he can't accept it because of his HOA. If I were that guy, I'd be pretty irritated with the HOA.

Even more, and this is where I get stabby, I just saw the email the HOA sent back to the realtor telling him that no, they won't make an exception for us, and the last line was "...hopefully one of the other [offers] will work out if they can not find a new home for their pet." WHAT! This woman actually thought that we would give up our dog to buy a fucking condo??? FUCK you, no thanks.

I was (am?) pretty pissed about it, as you can tell. Because it's so LAME that they have a rule for no reason - there are no common areas in this building. The condo we offered on was a corner unit on the side of the building with just 2 other units, and was away from the carport at the end of a walkway. No one would ever have to walk by our place. So why is there even a size limit in existence?

And also, I'm mad because this is just the latest in the litany of rejections. And I KNOW that we should just brush it off and say the right thing will work out the way it's supposed to. I still believe that, really. But oh my gosh sometimes it's hard to figure out why we just can't catch a break!

Wild wild (mid)west trip!

Guess who finally, finally finished blogging about her trip to the wild, wild (mid)west of Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota??? THIS GIRL! 

Posts are over at Tendency To Wander, but here's a breakdown of all the stuff we crammed in to our 5 night trip! 

1) Bozeman, Montana
2) The Montana Grizzly Encounter (yep, we saw BEARS!)
3) Yellowstone
4) Horseback riding at the Pahaska Tepee Lodge (yep, I said TEPEE!)
5) Driving across northern Wyoming (includes rodeos and street dances, yee haw!)
6) South Dakota and the Black Hills
7) Mount Rushmore and Custer National Park

My most favoritest parts of the trip? The grizzly bears, horseback riding, Roughlock Falls in the Black Hills, and Sylvan Lake in Custer National Park! 

 

Whew! Next up, London planning! I'm a traveling machine this year!

To London or not to London

That is the question. 

Some of you might remember that I really, really wanted to go to London this year. I have two friends living there who I'm really craving to see. One I haven't seen in over a year, and the other I haven't seen in over FIVE years! Boo!

Here's the dilemma: 

Even though I CAN afford it, SHOULD I afford it?

I did a budget a bit ago, and I figure Sean and I can go for seven nights in early October for about $3,000. Actually, probably less than that, because I was budgeting $120/day for food (beer, exchange rate and all that), and I bet we could do it for less. We could stay with my friends for at least 3-4 nights, and I have a credit for a night's hotel, as well as credit card points for another 1-2 nights. So, really, it would just be paying for flights and food, right?

My hold up is this - should I keep the money in my savings like a good grown up? We're trying to buy a house, which is ALWAYS more money than you're planning. Then there's stuff to fill that house, stuff to fix, etc, etc. And, the $3k would definitely help towards that.

But there's something still tugging me to go - I really want to see my friends, to see London, to have a nice trip with Sean. I want to do something memorable to celebrate (albeit belatedly) my 30th birthday. And I get the feeling that once we get the house, once we do all that grown up stuff, we won't have the time, money, whatever to travel like this on a whim. 

I was reading PostSecret this morning and this postcard stood out to me:

A sign maybe? What do I do?!?!??

30 Before 30: Buy a piece of jewelry

My birthday is tomorrow!

So crazy to think that I'm in my last 24 hours of being in my 20s. I'm not going to be a "20-something blogger" anymore! But, I'm actually really excited for what my 30s hold for me. AND I was able to scratch off another item on my 30 Before 30 list last Sunday, so woooo!

"28. Buy myself a nice piece of jewelry."

I had originally had a necklace earmarked from Etsy for this one, but it was $114 and seemed like something I could put together myself with a little time and effort. So I never felt completely comfortable spending that much money on what the necklace was. 

Then, I thought maybe I'd buy myself a nice pair of diamond stud earrings, but that never really came to fruition either, so I figured this challenge would be met at another moment down the line. 

Then, Sunday I went to my friend Rebecca's house, where she was hosting a jewelry party with the brand lia spohia, and I found a necklace I fell in love with! lia sophia has a ton of cute jewelry, and I even agreed to host one of Rebecca's parties because I liked it all so much!

Here's the necklace I purchased for myself - it's so pretty, and not like anything else I own. It's called the family tree, and I'm so excited!

30 Before 30: Photos & music backups!

"6. Organize and back up my music and photos."

This one has really been coming along for me! For Christmas last year, I asked my parents for external hard drives,  and received two of them! 

In addition, I had bought this little guy on Black Friday last year for a steal:

 Imagelab Negative Scanner

 

It works pretty well, and is easy to use. The only thing is that it takes time to scan each and every film negative, so I've only broken it out a couple of times while I was watching TV.

 

I've also been getting old negatives digitized at my local Costco. For the film I can't do myself, it's costing about $2.99/roll to have them put onto DVD, which is completely worth it to me!

I use one of the hard drives for a full backup of my hard drive, in case our computer ever crashes. I try to update it about once a month, so we would never lose too much. Then, I use another one JUST for a second backup of my photos. If I think about what I would save in a fire, it would be my camera, and this drive. Everything else can be replaced, but those photos are super important. 

I am going to consider this task complete, though I do still have the goal of digitizing my old VHS home videos as well. And I recently got a deal certificate for just that, so we're good to go now!

30 Before 30: Pre-Birthday Fun Day!

Last weekend, Candace invited me over to her house for an early birthday celebration! She told me only two things about the fun filled afternoon - that it would satisfy something on my 30 Before 30 list, and to come hungry. 

And it was such a great time! When I got there, she surprised me with not one but TWO items to cross off my list: 

"12. Make pasta from scratch."

AND

"29. Learn how to drive a stick shift."

When I got to the house, Candace had already prepped two batches of pasta so that we could have lunch right away. The first batch she made with the recipe they taught in her class when we were in Italy, and the second was a recipe she found online. After we tested both recipes, we decided that we'd make a third batch that was a kind of hybrid of the first recipes, and it ended up being our favorite one! 

Here's the recipe we used for the batch we liked most:

Homemade pasta

3/4 cup flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water (as needed)
Additional flour to aid kneading

Create a well with the flour and add the egg and oil. Add water as needed to get desired consistency - the dough should be workable but not sticky. Knead the dough and roll out, then make into ravioli or spaghetti using the pasta roller. 

Cook in boiling water for 5-8 minutes until al dente. Makes enough for two (kind of small) servings. (note: this recipe yielded enough pasta for me and Candace, but if I were cooking for Sean, I'd probably double it, as he eats a lot.)

The pasta roller! Easy and fun to use! I must get one.

Using the hand roller to cut the ravioli.

 

The first two batches - spaghetti and spinach and ricotta ravioli.

 

The spinach and ricotta ravioli, finished. I think they could have cooked a tiny bit longer?

Candace crushing ice for our pomegranate Italian sodas!

 

Making batch 3 of the pasta dough.

 

Rolling out batch 3.

After it went through the pasta cutter.

Into the water it goes!

After we were stuffed full of pasta, Candace drove us over to an empty parking lot and we started my first stick shift lesson. Yes, I know that it's a sorry fact that I am almost 30 and don't know how to drive a manual transmission. 

But really - if more people I knew had manuals, I'd have probably learned a while ago! I'd actually driven a stick shift before - Megan tried to teach me once when we were about 22, so I had the basic concept down. Candace assured me that there was nothing I could do to break the car, other than the obvious crashing it, so that eased my mind. She refreshed my memory on things, then it was my turn to drive! 

And, I think I actually did pretty well? Shifting into first and then into second is the tough part for me, and the remembering that I have to clutch when I take my foot off the gas. Apparently, I coast a lot when I drive.

I only stalled once, which I think is an accomplishment! But, funny story - the one time I did stall, I went to turn the car back on, and the engine wouldn't start. After three tries, I looked at Candace and shouted "YOU SAID I COULDN'T BREAK THE CAR!" Turns out, I didn't break the car, I just didn't have the clutch down far enough! But it panicked me enough for a second that I think I'll be sticking with my automatic for a while yet.

After the lesson (the next lesson will go over street driving and hills, scary!), we went for gelato at a new place at the Thousand Oaks mall. It was delicious! And, randomly, we ran into Candace's mom and sister while we were there! Us Italians, we really love our gelato. ;-)

It was such an awesome afternoon, and a perfect way to spend some quality time with a dear friend AND knock a couple things off my list!

30 Before 30: 1 Week Out Update!

Holy shit, I'm turning 30 a week from today. 

While I didn't get to everything on the list, I think I did a good job on a lot of them! I think I'll continue working on everything - maybe I'll add an item and make it a 31 Before 31 list! 

1. Go horseback riding. - DONE
2. Lose 20 pounds. - Yeah. This is a big (fat) fail... definitely not going to happen by next week. I'm not really happy with my health and fitness right now, but that's a huge topic for another time. 

3. Sell a photo (or something photo related) I've taken. - DONE
4. Visit the museums where Sean's uncle's designs are featured - the Craft and Folk Art Museum in LA and the Mingei museum in San Diego. - DONE
5. Take a photography or Photoshop class or seminar. - I've been looking into classes, and nothing has struck my fancy like the Morro Bay Photo Expo, so I think I might hold off on this one until the next time they have one.
6. Organize and back up my music and photos. - DONE (I still have a tiny bit to go, but I have gotten through the important stuff!)
7. Move to a bigger house/apartment, possibly one we own. - Almost there. We're still searching for a place, and though it won't happen by next week, we're getting closer!
8. Travel to New York. - DONE
9. Do volunteer work. - I need to get serious about this one.
10. Add $5,000 to my savings account. - DONE
11. Bake bread from scratch. - DONE
12. Make pasta from scratch.- DONE
13. Learn how to make my grandmother's Christmas cookies (dad's side) and pork roast with potato dumplings (mom's side). - I have the recipes, but haven't made them. Maybe in the fall/winter, since they're both big, messy projects that need a better kitchen than I have.
14. Go to a drive-in movie.- I was thinking about doing this one for my birthday... if not, I know of a cool place in Santa Barbara to go!
15. Learn CPR. - DONE
16. Walk a 10K. - DONE
17. Take a weekend trip to somewhere with snow. - DONE -ish. I counted our trip to the Sequoias for this one, but would still like to go somewhere with tons of real snow!
18. Cook an entire meal (appetizer, meal, dessert) for Sean and my family or friends. - DONE
19. Buy the camera lens I've been coveting. - I didn't do this, because it's still quite an expensive lens, and I haven't been as into the photography stuff this year. I don't NEED it, and right now, I'd rather put the $1,500 towards the trip to London I want to take!
20. Get Emma more training. - Yep, this should still be done. But she's slowly but surely getting better.
21. Take a cooking class. - Marie and I know which ones we want to take, we just have to pick one and do it!
22. See the giant sequoias with Sean. - DONE
23. Get the tattoo I've been thinking about, or decide against it for good. - Eh. I'm still on the fence. Maybe I'll have decided by my 35th birthday. ;-)
24. Treat myself to a shopping spree for new clothes. - DONE -ish again. I did buy a new wave of clothes, but didn't do a real "spree." But then, I also didn't lose the weight, so this one'll wait until that happens, I think.
25. Visit Sean's aunt & uncle in San Diego and my aunt & uncle in Laguna Beach more often. (At least twice each) - Oh my gosh, we failed this one so monumentally. We saw Sean's uncle ONCE, but that's it. Terrible.
26. See the LA sites/museums I've been meaning to go to for years: the Getty Villa, the LA Arboretum, the Urban Light installation at LACMA, and Griffith Park for the Griffith Park Observatory and Travel Town - 4/5 DONE! I still have the inside of the observatory and the LA Arboretum to hit.

27. Start a photography business with a kick ass website. - Nope, didn't do it.
28. Buy myself a nice piece of jewelry. - I have one in mind, but can't seem to make myself spend $100+ on it. Maybe after my birthday.
29. Learn how to drive a stick shift. - DONE -ish? I had a lesson and would be comfortable if I absolutely had to drive a manual!
30. (It's a secret.) - Hmm. Likely won't happen for a bit yet, but I'm sure I'll let everyone know when it does!

So, wow. I'm only 16 for 30 on this list... for some reason I thought I'd done better than that. But, as I noticed when I did the 6 month update, some of my priorities have changed. I haven't had time to pursue the photography stuff as much this year, so the photography based items on here aren't really as relevant anymore. And I'm really proud about the ones I did get through! I'm definitely going to keep working on this list, and make some of the ones that are close happen! 

30 Before 30: Horseback Riding

"1. Go horseback riding." 

Complete! 

And though I was incredibly terrified for the first few minutes, it was a smashing success. We went horseback riding on my recent trip to Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore. 

 

Me on my horse, Blimpy. Yes, his name was Blimpy!

 All of us at the top of the mountain - 10,000 feet!

 

 The awesome vista, and our guide Mel.

The river we waded through on the way back to the stables.

We were just outside of Yellowstone in the Shoshone National Park, and it was the perfect place to go ride. It was just stunning, everywhere you looked!