C O L O R A D O

BUCKET LIST #26: go to colorado. 

To put seeing Colorado for the first time into words is ultimately impossible. It was a 10 hour road trip divided into two days. The map led us through Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. Places that were new to the eyes and each state had more and more to take in. As the mountains began to peek out in the distance the excitement only built. The peaks were nothing but awe-inspiring and I could not get enough of them over the course of our seven day stay. 

We (my friend Morganne and I, plus her family) arrived at the cabin in Cuchara, unloaded everything and placed it the cabin and then all the fun began. The view was something that I cannot even begin to describe. Mountains on every side. White peaks in the far distance. Mountain life everywhere you turned. It was peaceful and rustic and much more than I had ever imagined. 

Our days began and ended late, because thats just who we are. But almost everyday contained some sort of adventure. Whether it was climbing up sand dunes, eating elk burgers or traveling down the backroads of the mountains for photo opts. Morganne and I had several "jam sessions" in the cabin while the snow fell outside. Seeing as both of us are music majors, we had to earn out keep by performing obviously. I don't remember a night that we went to bed before one or two in the morning. The late night hours were either filled with many episodes of LOST or life talks. But this wasn't anything out of the ordinary, because thats how our nights were at school. But everything seems better when you are surrounded by mountains.

Visiting Colorado made for a fantastic spring break. One I will never forget. Colorado was everything and more. If you've never been, start planning now, you won't regret it.


full photo set: colorado
instagrams from the trip found at: @marissakayann

home.

HOME.
It's an interesting experience to go home after being away two and a half months. It's almost like I never left, yet it felt like I'd been gone for so long. It was as if I had been picked up from my life in oklahoma, and put down in my life in Iowa and I just picked it up again. Megan and I stayed up late talking like the good old days. I missed talking to that girl. She's pretty cool.
I took my camera out for the first time in weeks and it was like we'd never been apart, we'd just taken a break for a while.
I was able to meet up with my friend Krista for coffee, which was beyond wonderful. I've missed good coffee.
The fact that it actually looked like November in Iowa made me love the seeing the state. Bare trees, cloudy skies, the land waiting for snow. Oklahoma still looks like September, and cloudy days are rare. I loved seeing Iowa again. It might be ugly to some people, but I love it.
I really can't wrap my mind around being at home. It was strange, yet normal at the same time.

-m.

road trip: st. louis

[ ALL OF THE ABOVE PHOTS WERE TAKEN WITH IPHONE 4S. ]

St. Louis has a special place in my heart. As a youngster we would always pass by the arch city on our way to visit family in Missouri. We always left in the evening after dad got off of work. I would keep myself awake just so I could see the city at night. It was always my favorite part about driving. Once, about four years ago, we took a three day family vacation to St. Louis. Spending the whole day at the science museum and another day at various other museums since the rain cancelled some of our other plans (like going to the zoo). This year we decided to repeat our trip to St. Louis, only it was different than before. I drove my own car, with Megan as a companion, while our family drove ahead of us, leading the way. It was a blast. We sang along to songs on my twelve hour playlist. We ate way to many teddy-grams and to much snapple. We accidentally got lost once, because I missed the exit. We drove into St. Louis at night and it was as if I was a kid again looking out the widow. The lights, the buildings, the cars going along the interstate, it was all beautiful. And "beth/rest" by bon iver was the perfect song to drive in this city with. We all knew this was going to be a fantastic road trip.

xo.
--m

p.s.- notice the new design? That was down my megan. She's pretty cool. 

pss. I don't know what happened to my scheduled posts.... for some reason they didn't work...