prayers for san diego.

today san diego issued a state of emergency due to 6 wildfires blazing through the county.  watching the smoke fill the skies has been shocking, to say the least.

we're safe and sending lots of love, thoughts, and prayers to the many people displaced and affected by these fires.  #staysafesandiego

pottery class.

last christmas, i wanted to get my mom something different.  after spending sometime online, i found a one-day pottery throwing class for her and i to attend.  i figured what could be more fun than getting our hands dirty & hopefully make something in the process.  in my excitement booking this class, i didn't pay attention to where it actually was & ended up booking through a studio in st. louis.  classic jess moment.  lucky for me, they were really cool about refunding us for such a silly mistake.

after committing to this idea, i now had to find something locally, and fast.  i found a pottery throwing class offered through a san diego winery that was surprisingly reasonable.  i called, and they not only had availability, but were starting the class that same evening.  after calling my mom to confirm that she could be available for a 6 week throwing class, we showed up and started to learn about the pottery wheel.

while frustrating at times, there's something so grounding about playing with clay.  the slippery texture of the wet clay, the grit as it spins against the palm of your hand, and the muddy splash of clay that coats everything in it's path, made this class addicting.  we both fell in love.

i really enjoyed learning to throw pottery and also found myself getting exciting to trim and glaze all the pieces i made.  in my opinion, that's where the magic is made or not made, in some cases.  that's the thing about glazing, you really don't know what's going to happen in the kiln.  for example, i wanted to make a mug with an organic feel.  i found a glaze that best represented the look i was going for and dipped my mug.  the final product, despite having that earthy feel, wasn't what i was expecting- but that's okay, because apparently, that's glazing.

time & again, many of my tall pieces collapsed on the wheel and to salvage them, i ended up making some shallow dishes/cups out of the remaining remnants.  once glazed however, they turned out so much cooler than i thought they would.  all said and done, i walked away with 4 finished pieces & still have 2 or 3 more bowls that i need to glaze sometime after work.

this class was so worth while & if i had the time to commit to it for another six weeks, i would have signed up immediately.  i found 6 weeks was just enough time for me to start getting it so i'd recommend an 8 or 10 week class for anyone looking to learn.  if 4 or 6 week classes are the only options, definitely sign up.  it's so much fun & so worth while.  plus, there's nothing cooler than drinking out of a mug that your created.

photo walk // spring.

photowalking: the act of walking with a camera for the main purpose of taking pictures of things that the photographer may find interesting.

getting outside is by-far one of my favorite things to do.  there's nothing quite as cleansing as being in nature.  & at times, when i'm out walking, running, or biking i'm blown away by the beauty that nature delivers.  recently, while walking radley & inspired by the gorgeous spring blooms, i decided to take photos of some of the sights along the way.  

this was a fun exercise.  and while researching the idea of a photo walk, i found that there are meetups and annual events focused around the concept of a photowalking.  very cool & very inspiring.  i look forward to doing one of these again and quite possibly with a local meetup. 

please note, all photos were taken with my iphone.

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.

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.

christmas 2013.

christmas this year was magic.  

a. and i picked up our tree on a random tuesday night.  

we decorated our home.  

we visited brightly lit neighborhoods and ventured to festive events throughout the month.

we received holiday cards from loved ones near and far.

we made homemade kielbasa and wrapped presents.  

we celebrated christmas eve with our annual fondue fest.

we bonfired often.

we basked in amazingly warm san diego weather.

we surrounded ourselves with family and friends.

we opened presents.

we laughed.

we loved.

we celebrated.

christmas, you're my favorite, one million times over.

13.1 miles.

on sunday, a. and i raced in our very first 1/2 marathon.  this race took place along the sliver strand, a strip of highway in san diego that connects coronado island and imperial beach.  i won't lie.  i was nervous.  like, am i going to be able to do this thing, nervous.  luckily i not only signed up with a. but also with my sister-in-law and a friend and his daughter (both of whom do races like this all the time and convinced me that if i stick to my training, i'll be fine).

early into my training, i decided this race wasn't about time.  it couldn't be.  this race, my very first 1/2 marathon, had to be about finishing.  so i adopted a motto to keep me focused: chug-a-lug.  i'm not sure when or where i first heard this, but i loved it immediately.

after a cloudy and cold couple of days, we woke up on sunday to the most beautiful, sun-soaked, southern california weather.  the morning was cool and refreshing and as we stretched and the sun rose, the day just got better and better.

the coolest part of this race is that in addition to the 1/2 marathon, they offer races for rollerbladers (this is what my sister-in-law did--actually, she's the one that peer pressured us into doing this in the first place), hand-powered equipment, a 10K and a 5K.  there is literally something for everyone.  plus, the entire race is flat...the perfect course for a bunch of novices or speed racers.

during the race i had a great time.  i ran solo and enjoyed listening to the various coaches and other people's conversations while taking in panoramic views of the pacific ocean and san diego bay.  it wasn't until mile 8 that i started getting hot spots on my feet and had to adjust my socks and shoes.  at this time, i also decided it was time for music.

during the race, i divided the course into four 5K races with 1 mile remaining at the end.  this helped me break down the race into manageable pieces and not get overwhelmed with miles and miles of road ahead of me.  while slow, i stayed really steady and finished strong.  so strong in fact, that i definitely could have ran longer if for some crazy reason i decided i wanted to.

as for 1/2 marathoning, i now have a time to beat and another goal to set my sights for.  i'll definitely do another one in the recent future and plan to continue to keep long runs as part of my overall training.  the entire process, while initially unnerving, was a lot of fun, totally gratifying, and made me so proud of our exciting accomplishment. 

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.