In A Perfect place

That's how I feel about Bend. Lo and I took off for a long weekend a few days after I returned from Maui. Usually if it's just us I stay with our friends, but they had another family staying (and still invited us to stay), but after traveling so much I was craving some alone time with my girl. I found this sight through VRBO http://www.bendcottages.com/ , I was inquiring about the Broadway because I had seen it the previous time across the street from our favorite restaurant Jacksons Corner, however late snow sold it out so they offered me the Modern Mill at a ridiculously reduced rate because it was last minute (the week before). I highly recommend it. It was a half mile to the Old Mill and hooking on the Deschutes river trail, 1/2 mile to 10 Barrel, less than a half to Altlas, around the corner from Jacksons and just over a half mile to CRUX. AWESOME!

Some photos from our home ish away from home

 

Morning stroll to coffee

 

 

Did I mention Bend is VERY Dog friendly? Joey accommodated us everywhere

 

 

 

 

Along with eating and drinking my way through, I did start every morning with a sunrise run. Such a treat, and ended every evening with friends.

 

 

 

Lo and I managed to score a house sitting gig down there so we get to return in a couple of weeks, and already looking forward to it!

 

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Retreat!

Ok I can't possibly do justice to the yoga retreat I went on. So here's a short video Bridget and Dakota (my yoga studios owners) made. They do a much better job of describing it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jdx9hKp6Ufk&feature=youtu.be

 

Just so you know everything in that was truly that amazing and wonderful, if not more!

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Outdoor Space

I crave it in a home. I lived in a super cute "cottage" in East Wenatchee for 9 years. It was 1600 square feet and had the greatest back yard that bordered the canal and a 5 acre cherry orchard. Every spring the back yard became and extension of our home. It's where we spent our days, ate our meals and often slept out there. When I moved downtown I gave that up, for my dream old home. It's not that the potential wasn't there, it's just I never did it. We had plans, but two years later my husband left, then I was busy renovating the basement bedroom and bathroom so the funds were just not there. Through the new owners, I've been able to see how cute it could be, they've already done such amazing work and makes me so happy!

This morningThis place, the house is gorgeous with an awesome layout, but it was the deck that sold me instantly. The warm weather has started and I have already maximized it.

 

 

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Vacations

It's ended up being the year of one on one vacations. Not intentially, but it worked out quite nice. By last June I knew my son and I would be heading to Iceland in November, and I had already paid for my Costa Rican yoga retreat with friends for February 2016, in Septemebr of last year I was itching to get to NYC for a long weekend, so Lo and I went in October. I got one of those timeshare deals in the mail for the 5 nights 6 days to Maui, room, car and resort credit for $599 (my miles card for my business is Hawaiin Air, so flying to Hawaii doesn't cost anything) seemed like a fun extended weekend for Rick and I last week.

Keep in mind each trip I offer the entire family to come along, however the scheduling logistics for my kids now that one child is in college, to travel together is near impossible unless I travel peak travel in the summer, personally I like home in the summer and I don't like the crowds or cost of peak travel. I can talk Rick into getting on a plane once, maybe twice a year. It's not his thing, everyone else has more of a problem with this than I do. I'm ok with it. I'm not going to stop traveling because he doesn't want to go with me, just like I'm not going to insist he goes. I prefer long weekend or 5-6 day trips. Any longer is a lot of work to arrange for work, I have payroll to do twice a month, bills and rent to pay on time, everything has to be scheduled around that, plus short trips are cheaper, I can go on more trips for less time!

I loved all of these trips this past year equally. Each was a unique experience to spend one on one quality time with the ones I love. Each vacation was catered to exactly what we wanted to do, instead of comprising for the group.

Our time in Maui we spent hiking a lot. It's something we both love and my kids will do it, but certainly would not want to do it each day of vacation. We ate great and explored different parts of the island I had never even seen.

 

 

 

 

 

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