31 adventures// a flight to catalina island.

i'm starting this challenge with one of the most grandiose adventures, i know.  however, one of the best perks of being a pilot's wife is every once and awhile, i get to go on some really cool flights around san diego.  last week, andrew needed to get an endorsement (pilots have to get different endorsements to qualify in various airplanes) & in order to do so, he needed to go on a cross-country plane ride.  that being said, we flew in a six-seater plane with one of andrew's instructors and his family from a small san diego airport to the one and only airport on catalina island.

flying in a small plane is so different than a regional jet.  first, it takes much longer to get places which, i found surprising and in some cases, it's actually quicker to drive.  then, there's the issue of noise.  the airplane is really loud and you have to wear specialized headsets to not only protect your ear drums, but also communicate with one another.  as i discovered on this flight, if your headset doesn't work you really miss out on the entire conversation!

finally, you have this amazingly intimate view from above.  on this particular flight we had spectacular weather.  the ocean and skies were the brightest blue, the city sparkled under the sunlight and seeing southern california from above just blew my mind.

once we arrived to catalina, we had a quick lunch at the airport, scoped out the conservatory, and a couple hours later, headed back home.  it was a quick trip- much faster than our day trip last fall.

i feel so fortunate to have opportunities like this.  andrew loves to fly; it's definitely his passion.  i on the other hand, love to travel- and flying is a means to get where i'm going.  but watching him fly is so much fun & makes me appreciate the craft that much more.  flight is an amazing thing & no matter where you're headed, it's most definitely an adventure.

birthday celebrations.

yesterday was my birthday.  can you believe it?  part of me feels as though years have past while another part of me can't believe i'm already a year older.  it's the paradox of life.

this year, i spent my birthday in new york city.  it was a whirl-wind trip, but despite the massive amounts of travel, it was a great day.  some of my favorite people drove down from syracuse to join me for the night.  we had dinner at friedmans lunch- a trendy, urban restaurant and later settled in for the night with some cocktails, chocolate cake & catching-up.  there's no doubt, this was the highlight of my trip.

then yesterday, i went to a meeting in the morning and spent the rest of the day traveling home.  luckily everything was seamless and once in san diego, andrew and i met up with my mom & sisters for drinks and appetizers to celebrate the big 3-1.  it was a great trip, and while the day was very normal and low-key (in a jet setter kinda way), it still goes down as a wonderfully, memorable birthday.

anza borrego, ca.

one of my goals for february was to go on an adventure.  and one of our goals for 2014 was to go backpacking.  well, check & check.

andrew and i decided to get out of dodge and go on a much overdue backpacking adventure for a weekend in february.  backpacking is something that we love doing but for some reason, have neglected to make time for it over the years.  it is in fact, one of the first things andrew and i ever did together.

that being said, we opted to head to one of southern california's secret gems, anza-borrego.  anza-borrego is one of california's largest state parks.  granted, it's mostly a barren desert- but even deserts have their charms.

one of the coolest things about anza-borrego is that you could be walking for miles and miles in the sand & heat and as you turn a corner, you'll spy a palm tree...then another...and another!  soon, you'll be standing in a gorgeous stream surrounded by lush plants, smooth rocks & if you're lucky, little critters who make these streams their homes.  the diversity of the desert is amazing.

we backpacked for 2 nights and 3 days- each night staying near a stream so we had plenty of access to water (the less we had to carry, the better....water's really heavy!).  we woke to spectacular sunrises and heard coyotes in the evening.  we saw snakes & plenty of animal tracks.  we walked in silence & told each other stories by the stream beds.  it was wonderful to get lost in nature.  we loved every minute of it & can't wait to make plans to go backpacking again.

catalina island.

on saturday, before the sun was even thinking about waking up, a. woke me up and filled me in on a little secret.  we were heading on a surprise date.  he had taken the liberty to plan a day trip, packed us a bag and told me to dress casually for lots of walking and kayaking.

as we headed north on the 5, after much anticipation, he filled me in on his plan.  we were heading to catalina island.

the interesting thing about san diego for a. and i is, despite all the time we've lived here (cumulatively) we've never been able to explore this state as we have the others we've lived in.  so this surprise getaway was not only a much needed adventure, but a great way for us to start really exploring this new home of ours.

we left out of dana point and headed toward avalon, the main town on the island of catalina.  about 30 minutes into the ferry ride, we hit a huge blanket of fog that socked us in for the remainder of the commute.  when we arrived to avalon, the town was just waking up and the blanket of fog created a cold and cozy atmosphere throughout the sleepy town.  we warmed up over breakfast and set off to explore.

as people started waking up and filling the streets, the fog never really lifted.  instead, the sun stayed tucked away and the fog got thicker and thicker.  determined to enjoy everything catalina had to offer, a. and i rented paddle boards and set out for the sea.  this is when i wish i had known where we were headed, because a waterproof camera would have been amazing!  but alas, those few hours of still water, dolphins and seals, and the crystal clear depths of the sea will stay with us only in memories.

after a nice long lunch on descanso beach, we continued to explore avalon by foot and walked for miles up and down the streets of the small town (you can literally see the entire town in about an hour) people watching and window shopping.  we found a rocky beach where we searched for rocks and finally, still trying to beat the chilly weather, decided to head back into town to warm up over drinks.

the catalina brew house offered up some amazing locally crafted beer (from san diego and los angeles) & we sat there for the remainder of the day talking, and dreaming and hashing out some things we've been working on for the past month.  as we waited out the last hour on the island, the fog finally started to clear and blessed us with beautiful blue sky and a colorful sunset.

catalina is such a magical place.  so much so that we're already to make plans to go again before the year ends.  this spontaneous trip was exactly what we both needed.

adventure 3 of 30: mt. woodson

 where we went: mt. woodson

the details: lately i've been hitting the local trails on a few solo adventures.  this time however, my little sister joined me for a spectacular birthday hike up the mountain.  i've been up to the top a couple times, but this was a first for little sis.  & i figured it would be an awesome way to ring in the big 3-0.

we started the hike at lake poway, a nice little park in the heart of poway, ca.  the beginning  of the hike is pretty as it wraps around the lake and easy for beginners.  as you get off the lake poway loop however, mt. woodson becomes much less forgiving.  for the most part of the hike, it's a steady uphill trek. 

we left late morning, so while it was hot it definitely wasn't ridiculous.  if for some crazy reason, you plan to make this trek in the dead of summer, make sure you have plenty of water.  there are  a few stops to rest along the way, my favorite being under the shade of a huge oak tree.

we reached the top in about 2.5 hours, making sure we stopped for water and shade a long the way.  also, i made friends with a birthday buddy (same birthday, same age, same crazy idea of fun), so we took photos of one another on potato chip rock, a popular photo op at the top of the mountain.

after taking some time for more pictures and to take in the view, we hiked back down the mountain, exhilarated, proud and so happy we took on another adventure. 

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in an effort to spend more time doing what i love, i'm attempting to go on 30 different adventures over the course of 2013.

if you'd like to join me or interested to know more, you can follow my progress here.

this is adventure 3 of 30

adventure 2 of 30: sailing san diego bay.

where we went: san diego bay

the details: over the past couple weeks, i've been lucky enough to go sailing a couple times in the san diego bay.  i adore sailing.  it's probably one of my favorite things to do.  when a. & i were dating, we'd go sailing quite frequently and more often than not, would encounter a few adventures along the way.  

while sailing isn't a new adventure for me, it's something we haven't done together in over 8 years.  crazy.  so getting back into a boat, getting in sync with the ropes, the rules of the bay, & just overall sailing required a bit of a refresher.  but like riding a bike, it came back quickly.  

in true san diego spirit, we had awesome weather for both of our sails.  one day was a bit colder & the other had a little less wind, but either way, the sun was shining & the san diego bay looked nothing less than glorious.

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in an effort to spend more time doing what i love, i'm attempting to go on 30 different adventures over the course of 2013.

if you'd like to join me or interested to know more, you can follow my progress here.

this is adventure 2 of 30