weekending: the ocean!

This weekend was such a blast, we took advantage of the extra day off and headed to the ocean!

When we arrived on Saturday afternoon we walked along the beach and through some of the little shops in town. We watched the sunset on the beach and then went out for a fancy dinner for Valentine's Day.

On Sunday morning we got up and headed to Cannon Beach, known for their famous Haystack Rocks. We walked along the beach for a while, it was so nice to just walk and talk and enjoy the scenery and the sunshine! I must say we lucked out with weather. It was sunny and unseasonably warm, lower 60's, all weekend. It was amazing. :)

Sunday afternoon we played some games at the local arcade and then enjoyed happy hour in a bar with a view of the ocean. We watched the sunset again and it was a breathtakingly beautiful.

It was such a simple weekend but it was so special because it was just us, we were someplace different, and we were making those memories together. I loved every minute.

Linking up with Meghan! 

Five on Friday

I am linking up with Darci to join in the fun of 'Five on Friday!' Today my edition is the five top things from my vacation. It seemed too short but I also was excited to come back home and start getting ready for the school year! Anyways, my top five!

1. Getting Tan! I came home considerably darker than I was when I left. I attribute this to a couple days on the beach and my devotion to soaking up the sun. Even though it was 90 degrees with high humidity I sucked it up in order to get some color.

2. Walking the Boards! I was nervous to see the Boardwalk after it was devastated by hurricane Sandy bur surprisingly a lot of it was up and running again. It was heartbreaking to see where the pier was that is completely washed away. Also my favorite arcade was swept into the ocean. It's weird knowing it isn't there anymore but I love the memories I have from that place.

3. Pontoon boating! My dad rented a boat for the day and we went out with my cousins, aunt, and grandpa. We used to do this when we were younger and at my Uncle's Cabin in Upstate New York. It was always a blast then and I am glad that it was just as fun this time around. It was a gorgeous day to be on the water, laugh with my family, and swim in the bay. We saw so many gorgeous houses, I wish I could live on the water someday.

4. Harvard! This school has so much history and touring the campus was the coolest thing. Plus our tour guide was awesome and gave us so many fun facts to take home as trivia tidbits.

5. Family! Nothing beats getting together with my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandpa who I haven't seen in a year. It's amazing that even though we are apart for so long we always pick up right where we left off and have an amazing time together. I am so fortunate to have such a loving, fun, and supportive family.

That's my five! Off to visit my boyfriend for the weekend!

Boston.

My brother and I made a little trip up to Boston for a couple of days and it has been a blast. I haven't been here before and since I am such a history buff it is really cool to see all of the sights. I have picked out some of my favorite pictures to tell a little bit about our journey. 

In Boston we traveled along the Freedom Trail which is genius. They literally have a trail of bricks (or red paint) that you follow the entire way. It's great because then you don't have to have your map out and constantly be checking it. We were able to leisurely walk it and enjoy looking up at all of the architecture surrounding us. I bought those sparkly silver shoes yesterday and I LOVE how they look in the picture. To the right is Paul Revere's grave. We also went in his house and visiting the Old North Church where he hung the lanterns to warn the colonists that 'The British are Coming!" 

Before we got to Boston we stopped at Yale! I am a sucker for visiting colleges (even though I'm already done with college) and exploring their campuses. We didn't spend a lot of time at Yale but we stumbled upon a copy of the Gutenberg Bible (circa 1450) and a dining hall that looks just like the one that Rory eats at in Gilmore Girls. I'm not going to lie, I spent most of my time at Yale trying to picture scenes from Gilmore Girls and I wasn't too successful. I'm not convinced she actually went to Yale. 

In Springfield, Massachusettes there is a Dr. Seuss Memorial Garden and we couldn't resist. They had statues of Horton, Sam I Am, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and the Cat in the Hat. It was cute. 

           

As I mentioned above we love college so of course we went to Harvard. It was absolutely beautiful. I was amazed by the brick buildings and how pretty the entire campus was. We went on a tour so we got to learn about some of the history and that really made the campus come to life. I decided that I definitely liked Harvard more than Yale (the campus was easier to navigate, it was in a better location, their color is crimson...haha jk) but maybe I'm biased since we didn't do a formal tour at Yale. Regardless I'm glad that we visited.

Tomorrow morning we have a little more sightseeing then it's back towards my Dad's for a couple more days before we return home. I don't want to leave, vacation is too much fun.

What I'll be doing for the next 10 days...

• Walking the boardwalk, eating salt water taffy, new york style pizza, and sno cones. 
• Laying on the beach for hours soaking up the sun and working on my tan! 
• Catching up with my dad who I only get to see once a year since he lives on the other side of the country. 
• Seeing my grandpa, step-sister, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephew who I haven't seen since lasts summer. 

• Eating way too much yummy food that is not nearly as good where I live. I'm already looking forward to bagels, dunkin donuts, sweet corn, chinese food, and frozen yogurt. 
• Road-tripping to Boston with my little Brother 
• Reading a new book
• Relaxing and enjoying some time away.

I'm off to the east coast for the next 10 days! I might have a few updates but I'm not sure. I hope everyone has a fun filled middle of July!