Last Day in Puerto Rico

February 11, 2017February 13, 2017 / Kelsey Ryan / Leave a comment

Oh, friends. I’m so sad to have to go.

Yesterday (Friday) was our last full day, and compared to the other crazy tourist days, we decided to slow it down and just enjoy the pool and beach.

So that’s just what we did. And unfortunately for both of us pasty fools, the sunburns we’d avoided for the full trip finally caught up with us. 😞

We started our day at the rooftop pool at our hotel:

Bobby is practicing his nascent photography skills. I have a hard time with pictures and can be really critical of how I look on camera (I far prefer to be BEHIND the camera!) but I stepped outside my comfort zone on this trip, and I’ve got to say, I like the result! 😉
Already feeling a little lobstery, we paused to reapply sunscreen and then made our way to the beach, where we set up with an umbrella and two lounge chairs.

We feasted on empanadas and cherry limeade from a beachside stand (DELICIOUS), and Bobby finished his book as I took turns reading and running into the pleasantly cool waves.

(Along our trip, I picked up And The Mountains Echoed, the latest Khaled Hosseini book. Just finished it this morning on the plane back. SO GOOD. That, along with Persepolis, comprised my beach reading material. HIGHLY recommend both!)

In later afternoon, when sand started flying with an increase in the wind, we knew a storm was about to roll in, so we packed up quickly and headed back inside. And no sooner had we done so than the sky opened up, and it poured — the first time it rained for us in San Juan, the whole trip! (We did see rain in the rainforest, so I can’t say it was the first rain of our TRIP. But like… c’mon, rain is in the name.)

We hung out inside for a while, marveling at the quick rainstorm, and then reading some more. Then, we headed back to the rooftop deck for a cocktail!

While sky-high, we watched the rainclouds roll away:

After that, it was time for getting ready for dinner! We headed out to a heartily-recommended restaurant nearby called Ceviche House, and tried their namesake dish. And WOW. So good, I forgot to photograph it.

On our way home, we decided to stroll on the beach, and caught the brilliant moonrise. We stayed on the sparsely-populated beach for a few minutes, just quietly taking in the spectacular sky and standing shoeless in the warm water.

Though the trip was all too short, the ending was just about perfect. I mean, just look for yourself:

After that, it was all packing and final prep, and we headed out super early this morning.

WHAT A TRIP.

Now. Time to start planning the next adventure!

Until next time, friends. ¡Adiós, Puerto Rico!

Old & Bold San Juan

February 9, 2017February 9, 2017 / Kelsey Ryan / Leave a comment

Friends!

It is late(ish) here, and I am beat. (Spending all day on your feet will do that to you!) Nevertheless, I’ll do my best to write up an account of today before I zonk.

This morning, we had plans to get up early and head to Old San Juan, the historical center of the city. After a liiiiittle bit later of a start than we intended (whoops, forgot to set any alarms!), we took a taxi over and started our day.

First up was El Paseo de La Princesa, a beautiful walkway to the sea.

I made a friend:

And we worked our way down the road to the Raíces fountain.

Guys, it was almost too pretty to look at.

We kept strolling past there, and began to follow the fort walls on a beautiful promenade around the bay.

Along the way, we dipped into the city gates (the last one still standing of the original 5!) and saw a bit of the city itself:

We strolled past a dilapidated old building with a boarded up door. Luckily, though, a few of the boards had fallen, and I got this picture:

Doesn’t it make you just want to buy it, just so you can fix it all up and turn it into a hotel? UGH. (So if anyone has a few million lying around… you know where to find me for a cool investment opportunity. 😜)

From there, we kept going on the Paseo El Morro until we got to THE FORT. And of course, the view from the fort was unparalleled.

Tired and a little sore by then, we found our way to St. Germain, a small restaurant we’d read about in the guidebook.

SO DELICIOUS.

Shortly thereafter, we hopped in ANOTHER taxi to take us to our tour of Casa Bacardí, the rum factory!

Though the tour was a little foolish (we went on the “historical tour,” which was essentially 30 minutes of Bacardi talking about how its founders were such geniuses), it was #worthit, if only for the included-with-price-of-admission cocktail and commemorative cup.

From there, we headed back into Old San Juan, where we explored the OTHER fort — Castillo San Cristobal. The views from here were just spectacular. Unlike El Morro, which we did earlier in the day, this fort allowed us to see panoramic views of the whole city. And plus, we learned that the fort was used as recently as WWII!

Check out this view:

If you’d believe it, after that it was time to eat again. (All this eating! It’s almost like we need it to live!)

We strolled back to a nearby plaza, where we found a nice restaurant and made ourselves comfortable as the sun set.

(He’s not picking his nose… just an unfortunate placement of his finger. I mean… Bobby! Stop picking your nose!)

After night fell and we finished our meal, we headed back to Paseo de la Princesa for one last nighttime look.

And now, it’s time for bed!

Tomorrow will be our last day in Puerto Rico (😭😭😭), so I’m not sure what the day will hold. Perhaps beach all day long? Maybe a bit of that rooftop pool? Maybe a street fair? ONLY TIME WILL TELL.

Until then, goodnight!

Return to The Island Capital

February 8, 2017 / Kelsey Ryan / Leave a comment

Hello, friends!

Greetings from another day in the Island of Enchantment.

Today, Bobby and I checked out of our country inn, and headed back into San Juan — but not before making the most of our final hours on the east coast.

After breakfast, we packed and read a bit more, then leisurely packed the car and set off. Along the way, we wandered to a beachside restaurant called Rincon Del Faro (Corner of the Lighthouse?), where we had our SECOND fruit-carved beverage — this time, piña colada, my favorite.

After lunch of fish sandwiches (and fried calamari!), we took a jaunt over to the beach.

Not to be sated by just any old beach, and with an extra 45 minutes to spare before we had to head back and return our rental car, I convinced Bobby from here to drive to Playa Luquillo. Guidebooks and other travelers uniformely said Luquillo had one of the best beaches in the whole island, so we figured we’d spend a few minutes strolling the beach and putting our feet in the water.

It was BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE IMAGINED

The palm trees. The cool water. The lack of crowds. The rainforest mountains looming in the background. PERFECTION.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to leave here. If I had had a hammock, I may NOT have left. But leave we eventually did, and we headed back in, exchanged our car, and hailed a taxi to our nearby hotel.

So for this stay, we were a bit tied: because we were using credit card rewards points, we had a number of ritzy high-rise hotels to choose from. We ended up selecting the San Juan Water & Beach Club Hotel, which — no joke — has a special theme.

The theme is just the color blue.

Blue lights in the hallway. Blue lights in your room. Blue lobby. Blue pool. Blue ocean. (Well, okay, I’ll give them those last two.)

So we checked into our blue room, and set about getting situated.

Good beach: ✔️

Blue lights: ✔️

ROOFTOP LOUNGE AND POOL?????? ✔️

We did some loafing and lounging (it IS a vacation, after all), and soon enough, it was time for dinner. Just a few steps from our hotel was an oceanview bar and grill, where we ate MORE fried calamari and tried the mango mojitos and octopus salad.

Except for the guests SMOKING IN FLAGRANT DISREGARD FOR THE NO SMOKING SIGNS, the restaurant was tasty and the waiters were super friendly.

After that, it was time for a bit of nighttime beach sittin’ (the moon is super bright these days!), and then a bit more lazing around before bed.

Tragically, this evening saw the demise of Bobby’s laptop, which means I’m stuck to phone photos for the rest of the trip’s blog posts. In the interim, check out these pictures of pictures of today:

And with that, I’m off to sleep! Tomorrow, we see OLD SAN JUAN and tour the Bacardí factory. Will try to see if I can send samples via the computer to each of you. 😜

A Journey to The US’s Only Rainforest

February 7, 2017 / Kelsey Ryan / Leave a comment

HELLO, friends! Writing now with what little energy I have, after a CRAZY second day on the east coast of the island.

This morning was calm — the first thing Bobby and I did was head up to breakfast, which was simple but quite good.

We then took a minute to tend to the wild animals. And by wild animals, I mean this ferocious beast, named Caspar.

After breakfast, we took a walk around the property that the inn was on — and we came across a banana plant, which I decided to grab a banana from. It was delicious.

After that lazy start to the day, we hopped back in the car and headed towards our major activity for the day: EL YUNQUE, the only rainforest located in the United States. I’d never been to a rainforest, so I had very little sense of what to expect.

When we drove in, we stopped at the visitor’s center to get acclimated. And right away, it was clear: the air was THICKER here than elsewhere.

Once we had settled on our trail for the day (La Mina Trail), we made our way up the mountain and began.

IT WAS AMAZING. We took a well-worn path through the heart of the forest, which hugged the creek for several kilometers, until it dropped and turned into a beautiful waterfall with a swimming hole beneath. I jumped right in — and BRRRRR, it was chilly.

Because the trail was steep, I didn’t take any pictures on my phone. (I did, however, focus on my real camera for this hike!) Once I’m back to a place with more consistent internet, I’ll add in some visuals.

The whole venture out and back took us a few hours, so when we got back, we decided we’d have a few drinks at a roadside stand. But before we did that, we strolled up to this overlook to catch a few more glimpses of the mountains.

The view from the top of the tower:

Phew! All that walking was enough to make anyone thirsty for some cold coconut water.

Thoroughly spent, we drank our weight in coconuts and then hit the trail back towards the inn.

AND THEN YES, WE WENT FOR A SWIM.

We stayed poolside for a few hours until it got dark. Then, we grabbed a few things and headed out for dinner!

Bobby had heard of this great food truck near where we had gone on the bioluminescent bay tour last night, so we made that our #1 goal. And the joint, called Bistro Del Mar, did NOT disappoint.

Bobby’s dish, a chicken stuffed avocado with coconut rice.

My meal, a classic Puerto Rican food called mofongo. (That’s mashed plantains.)

I am still SO FULL and SO HAPPY.

It’s been a good day today. Tomorrow, we head back to San Juan, and perhaps spend some more time on the beach or touring Old San Juan. Later this week, we’ll be visiting the Bacardí rum factory.

Hard life, you know.

From The Beach to The Mountains in 1 Hour

February 6, 2017 / Kelsey Ryan / Leave a comment

Waking up this morning felt like waking up to find that a good dream was real.

Bobby and I were headed out from The Dreamcatcher early to pick up our rental car and then drive out to the east coast of the island. But first, we ambled down the stairs to see what the chef was cooking — in this case, pancakes with almonds, fresh bananas, homemade tamarind and honey syrup, and fresh coconut-and-orange juice.

Just as good as it looks!

After that, it was time to hit the road!

We journeyed along the road closest to the beach, which was pretty quiet, and got to take in views of the beautiful El Yunque in the distance. And then, all of a sudden, in the not-so distance.

We stopped for lunch at a rooftop restaurant rated #1 on TripAdvisor, and were treated to an excellent lunch with a view.

And after that, it was time to check in to the hotel! Our inn is a small one located at the top of a mountain, and once we got there, the host let us know that we were some of the only guests they’d seen in days. They introduced us to their 3 dogs, which they said loved to go on walks with guests, and they encouraged us to let them walk with us when we wanted to go wander around.

And then we got to take in THE VIEWS.

And see THE POOL

I’m going to be completely honest with you: this afternoon, we did not make the most of this pool. (I know, I know.) Worse still, we took a NAP instead. But that was necessary, because of our evening plans.

Tonight, we ventured out, grabbed some kebabs from a street vendor for dinner, and sat by the beach… and THEN…

WE GOT TO SEE THE BIOLUMINESCENT BAY!

Guys. I don’t know how to describe this to you. I couldn’t take my cameras aside from my GoPro, so I will have to upload something later, if the footage even turns out.

BUT GUYS. We got the chance to see REAL LIVE GLOW-IN-THE-DARK ORGANISMS. Right in the water. RIGHT IN OUR HANDS.

We went on a guided tour with a tour group, and paddled out to sea in our little kayaks, 2 to a boat. The moon was rather full (which usually means decreased visibility), but we still soldiered on. We kayaked through a dark lagoon, all in a straight line, barely able to see in parts, with dense mangroves all around us. And just as we started flagging, the trees opened up and we sailed out into the Laguna Grande, where the sparkling, glowing organisms live.

Our tour guide, Javier, was a trained marine biologist, so he waxed poetic for a while about the phenomenon. Apparently, these organisms are plankton, which glow as a defense mechanism. They can be seen in very few places around the world — including a few places in Puerto Rico.

We passed around a bucket of an example of the organisms, and each of us saw the electric lights — kind of like twinkle lights, or fireflies. And then, we all pulled a large canopy over our heads to better block the moon, and ran our fingers through the water.

IT WAS SO COOL.

We stayed in this area for some time, playing around and exploring via kayak. And then, it was time to travel back through the mysterious Jungle Book-like mangroves, until we popped back out in the ocean, and wandered back to our car.

Guys. It was so neat. The world is a very, very cool place.

Here’s one look as we prepared to get on the boats:

On the way back to the hotel, we made a quick pitstop for snacks and juices. Here are our spoils:

SOURSOP! Peach! Tamarind! Guayaba! I LOVE JUICE.

Tomorrow, we’ll be taking it extra slow. (Like, “naps by the pool” slow.) You won’t want to miss any of the action. 😜

I love Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico, You Lovely Island

February 5, 2017February 5, 2017 / Kelsey Ryan / Leave a comment

Hello, friends! I’m back! And just in time to go away again… but this time, I’m taking you with me.

And because it’s chilly and grey up north, let’s head further south. Maybe somewhere tropical. Perhaps a place where we can go to the beach? Or to the mountains? Or visit a rainforest? But let’s not spend too much, and let’s not leave the US.

DONE. Because this week, I’m coming at you from Puerto Rico, US territory since 1898. AND I AM SO EXCITED.

About a year and a half ago, my boyfriend Bobby and I traveled through the San Juan airport en route to another destination. As we were descending into the airport, Bobby and I took a few quick looks out the window, and both agreed that San Juan was too beautiful, and we should try to visit if we could ever get the chance.

Months passed, and every so often, I would come across an ad that screamed JOIN US IN PUERTO RICO. I stumbled across pictures on Instagram of sparkling lagoons and bright blue waters with mountains in the background, with little captions reading, “FAJARDO, PUERTO RICO.” On one of my favorite travel blogs one December day, I saw a stunning guesthouse in San Juan called The Dreamcatcher, which, to my shock when I looked it up, was affordable.

Still, it was a pipe dream — tickets and hotels and food all add up quickly, and there was never time in my schedule.

That is, until Bobby and I were taking a closer look at our schedules this year. Bobby’s still in school, so we were plotting out what our calendars would look like… when he mentioned he’d likely have a week in February after he finished an exam. “We should take a trip!” he said. “Use some of those points I have from my credit card.”

Half-jokingly, I mentioned we should go to Puerto Rico, because I had just seen these ads on the Metro that were advertising “cheap” flights to San Juan.

We started browsing destinations and adding up figures… and lo and behold, those “cheap” San Juan flights really were cheap.

And the more we looked, the more excited we got. And things started to fall into place: hotels booked through points and work bonuses. Flights handled from our travel fund.

And that is why on February 5th, we woke up at an unnecessarily early hour to catch a plane, and then another plane… and by lunchtime, this was our view.

We’re HERE! From the airport, we went straight to our hotel — and yes, this is the very same guesthouse I saw a year ago on that blog. It’s called The Dreamcatcher, and they had ONE room available for our first night in town, so before we head out of San Juan to do some exploring, we’ve made this our home base.

The Dreamcatcher is SO BEAUTIFUL, guys. We walked in and were ushered into this fabulous living room waiting area, with fresh iced tea and Puerto Rican coffee and a gentle smell of incense. There were fountains. Outdoor showers. And… an outdoor… kitchen?

YES INDEED.

After a short while, our rooms were ready, and we rushed up the stairs to the suite. And THIS WAS THE VIEW.

A very happy Bobo takes in the sights in his fun shirt.

The PORCH with an outdoor shower (yes, fully private, and not something we have to share!), and TWO swinging seats.

After we’d had some time to settle in, we decided to take a good look at the map that the guesthouse owners had made for newbies in town. We found a sandwich joint nearby and headed that way for Cubanos.

Funny enough, the restaurant that we stopped into was none other than Kasalta. This bakery has the distinct honor of being the place where President Obama had lunch on his trip to Puerto Rico in 2011 (the island’s first presidential visit since 1961!). They take great pride in this fact, as evidenced by their giant banners… and the large plaque on one of their tables.

While we were waiting for our sandwiches (one Cubano and one of the “president’s choice!” sandwich), we got lucky, and the Obama table opened up. So naturally, we sat right down, and got the chance to sit where HISTORY HAD BEEN EATEN.

Plaque roughly reads, “On the 14th of June, 2011, President Barack Obama ate at this table.” Wow.

After lunch, it was time to take a walk towards the beach. The Dreamcatcher is only TWO blocks from a semi-public beach.

Not having worn swimsuits to the restaurant (I mean, we didn’t want to offend the memory of the president’s sandwich!), we just decided to walk the beach, shoes in hand.

IT WAS SO NICE.

In the background here, you can see the larger buildings of the “downtown” area of San Juan.

The beach was crowded but not terribly so. Most exciting was the abundance of unleashed (and VERY well-behaved) dogs.

After the nice beach walk, it was time for a nap. (Especially for those of us who woke up before 4 to catch a stupid plane….). Luckily, those hanging chairs were just the ticket…

After the nap, we didn’t plan for much, so we got to watch the sun set as other inn guests did yoga in the main common area outside our windows.

The view from our balcony, looking over at one of the windows, with the night sky in the background.

Then, once the sun had really set, we got a quick dinner (ceviche and a chimichanga) and strolled back to read and swing in the hammock and luxuriate in all this ridiculously warm weather.

(And also try not to go crazy with the coqui frogs singing their INCESSANT songs, all afternoon and night. It’s cute and definitely gives us that tropical vibe, but it’s also driving me batty.)

It’s kind of crazy to me to be taking a trip just for the sake of relaxation and fun. Usually, I’m ALL SYSTEMS GO, so this will be a test of my ability to let myself chill. We’ll see what comes of it! (:

Tomorrow, we’re heading off to the East Coast of Puerto Rico. We’re also taking an adventure there that I can’t even describe, but I will HOPEFULLY get good pictures to share. STAY TUNED!

Kelsey

Blizzard2016: Thanks, Snowbama!

January 25, 2016 / Kelsey Ryan / Leave a comment

If you’re anywhere in the mid-Atlantic or north, you know that a historic blizzard has blanketed us COMPLETELY in white in the past few days!

Thanks to the wise forethought of my boss, kind telework policies at my office, the convenient snow schedule (Friday afternoon through Sunday morning!), and of course, the snow (which hit 3 feet, according to some calculations), I’ve been stuck in the house since Thursday night. But there’s a sneaky benefit of that:

PHOTOGRAPHY. COOKING. CRAFTS. AND GAMES.

Over the course of #Blizzard2016, my housemates and I have made 3 soups, snow cream (8 cups snow, 1 cup milk, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp vanilla, and then some Bailey’s if you’re feeling wild), nearly 30 cups of tea, kale chips, granola, half a scarf, part of a dress, several waffles, 6 bowls of dinosaur-egg oatmeal, and 4 large hashbrowns. I learned how to play Lords of Waterdeep; I finished two books, finally pulled the trigger on a winter coat after my old one crapped out, and shoveled half the walkways in and out of the house. It’s been a successful Snowpocalypse—and frankly, I have no idea where this productivity came from. Usually, I’ll spend half a day lazing about reading, but the sheer thought of being cooped up has me ANTSY.

The progress of the snow:

Friday 2PM, Friday 4PM; Saturday 2PM. Positively buried under!

Snow can be magical: it transformed our normal street into a magical mysterious wonderland.

Can you find the SmartCar? Hint: it’s hiding behind the car you CAN almost see!

Before it got too deep, my housemates and I made a trip outside. Dog and I posed for a few elegant snow photos. (Snowtos?)

After that? All the snow. All the time. More more more. Every time we looked out, it was pouring snow. It piled up faster, faster, faster… and then our back door froze shut. (Dog sure wasn’t a fan of that.)

Once the snow finally stopped Sunday morning, it was time to dig out.

Don’t tell anyone, but I think I love shoveling. I may be sore today, but I spent a good hour in total shoveling, and I FELT SO ALIVE. The cold! The exercise! The fun noises that you make! I think I may be inclined towards colder weather, but HOO. BOY. It was sure nice.

WE DID IT.

Digging done, it was time for Dog and Roommate and I to take a few glamour shots. (Dog was very thankful to be let outside.)

Run, puppy, run!

Li’l tongue!

So handsome!

Ah, the snow is too much for my little heart. I love it. I LOVE IT. (And Dog loves it too!)

Today (Monday) has been much about melting, repairing, and preparing for the rest of the week. It was a work-from-home day for three of us four housemates, the metro is still struggling at half speed, and we’re running low on supplies—so we may have to soon take a trek out to the grocery store.

But I for one am thankful for the extra day: it’s allowed me to pretend that the snow is still coming down, that the world is allowed to be silent and white and sleepy a little while longer. It’s almost like I’m back in grade school, where a snow day pressed pause on our reality, and didn’t release us until the snow had turned to slush. And since there’s still beautiful white powder outside my window, I don’t think it’s time yet to get back to the real world just yet.

Shhhh…. let me keep my snow day dreams.

Hope you all are warm and cozy where you are!

2015 Resolutions: The Results

January 2, 2016April 3, 2016 / Kelsey Ryan / 1 Comment

Goodbye, 2015… and hello, 2016!

In 2015, I did something I’d always talked about: I made resolutions I actually intended to keep.

Now sure, I’d always made a resolution here or there, but they weren’t things I even was convinced I’d keep. Exercise more. Say yes to more things. Make new friends. Lose weight.

But while those are nice ideas, they have no plan of attack. They’re not SMART goals — they’re not actionable or measurable. They’re “feeling” goals, not “acting” goals.

I wanted 2015 to be different. And so I decided on three actionable, time-bound, goal-oriented resolutions that I believe I could accomplish, but that would

Here were my 3 goals:

Run 5 miles, and enjoy it.
Read 55 books by different authors (following the 2015 Popsugar Reading Challenge)
Commit to writing at least 1 blog post per month that you can be proud of.

How’d I do?

FIVE MILE FUN RUN:
This past June, I signed up for my first 8K, which totals roughly 5 miles. My father traveled in from out of town and we did the race together, encouraging each other on the unbelievably muggy summer day.

I won’t tell you that that race was so terribly fun, but being together with my dad, exercising and joking and sharing the day, it was meaningful, above all else.

And moving forward? This June, I’ll be participating in a duathlon, so this one has really stuck! YAY FITNESS!
READING CHALLENGE:
YES. On December 27th, a few days before the end of the year, I finished Book 55, for the challenge. I had read a few other books here and there that weren’t part of the challenge, but that’s only because ROBERT GALBRAITH and WORK BOOKS sometimes pop up unexpectedly, after they won’t fit in any remaining challenge areas.

This challenge was made more fun because I had two friends working towards it with me. Though only two of us finished before the new year, we had an amazing time cataloguing our progress together on our Book Bros Blog, and decided to make the challenge a yearly thing. This year, I’m trying to read only (or mostly) books by authors who aren’t straight, white men. You can track progress of this next year’s challenge on bookbros.tumblr.com!
BLOG POSTS:
Have you seen this blog?! (:

I’ve loved blogging my way through the year, at least once per month — and while my posts occasionally lag behind my actual experiences (sometimes I don’t think to blog until a week later!), I’m proud of the progress I’ve made. Hoping that 2016 is even better!

Now. Unsure what 2016 will bring, but I think I’m ready. BRING IT ON.

Will keep you updated as I go along!

Places I’ve Called Home

October 28, 2015 / Kelsey Ryan / 1 Comment

To the places I’ve been lucky enough to call home, if even just for a few months:

Oh, how thankful I am for you.

Thank you for connections and reconnections, for a point of comparison, for all-embracing acceptance.

Thank you for grounding me. Thank you for warmth and love and foundation.

Thank you for growth, for seasons, for failure, for success.

Thank you for rivers and belltowers and history and ruins. Thank you for the joy of hard work with my hands.

Thank you for narrow paths, for independence, for reduction, for direction. Thank you for hard-won proof that I am getting there.

Thank you for opportunity, for expectations, for introductions.

Thank you for horizons of big possibilities, and greater things ahead, for stretching and stepping up, in all its forms. Thank you for daily surprises. Thank you for being home right now, for the foreseeable future.

With each move, I trade a bit of myself for each location I leave. And I’m better for it.

Autumn, You’re All Right: A DC Fall Weekend

October 6, 2015October 12, 2015 / Kelsey Ryan / Leave a comment

Living in DC means it takes almost too long for it to get cold, once summer is over.

Okay, so before you get angry, hear me out—as a season-loving fool, I get really dialed up towards the end of each season, because the NEXT ONE IS ALMOST HERE. Yes, I’m one of those people who thinks that a September hike will maybe, just maaaaaybe have a few colored leaves, because hey, I’m already excited about Autumn, so why isn’t Nature?

Nevertheless, it’s finally October, and our days are FINALLY cooling off. I dusted off my slippers and my puffy vest the other day, and yes, it was glorious. (Reunited, and it feels so good!)

Last weekend, I was host to my sister and her boyfriend, as they came into town for a few days. I prepared the most DC-Fall weekend imaginable, with mulled cider, roast chicken, pumpkin patch visits (Taylor Swift cornmaze, anyone?), and Founding Farmers brunches with hot tea.

Although the weather wasn’t always beautiful, it was so great catching up with family, and exploring parts of town I don’t enjoy nearly enough. (Don’t let the blog fool you!) On Sunday once the rain stopped (FINALLY), before my sister left, she asked us to take a Metro ride down to the monuments. So of course, off we went!

No trip to the Mall would be complete without selfies with the Washington Memorial:

This was my sister’s boyfriend’s first time in DC, so we made sure to document the event properly.

After the grey skies and blustery wind on the Mall proved they weren’t letting up, we decided that an hour out-of-doors was quite enough for the day, and came back to the house to start on some more classic fall activities.

Including, of course, pumpkin carving. We spread cardboard boxes all over the basement floors and dug out some knives and got straight to work.

For those of you wondering, yes, we turned on a very terrible Christmas movie (that’s another story entirely) as we carved. And so, we let Daniel Baldwin (yes, the fourth Baldwin, ladies and gents) take part in the pumpkin carving action.

My sister is a very talented pumpkin artist, and had hers fixed up in no time.

Look at his gleeful grin!

I managed to carve a very lopsided Jack-O-Lantern friend pretty quickly. But as I turned him around, the rest of the group just started to laugh at his droopy mouth and foolish teeth.

So I carved him angry eyebrows in response. (And let’s be honest; that didn’t change his face much.)

Snuggly little dog just wanted to be in the action, and occasionally tried sniffing pumpkin debris we scattered all over the room. Clearly, though, he wasn’t too wild about pumpkins, as he soon after settled down on the couch in prime viewing spot.

Pumpkins finished, it was time to roast the seeds (for which I have found the BEST recipe—it includes boiling the seeds first in salt water, to give them a better, fuller taste!).

Winding down the night, I demanded everyone stop for just ONE SECOND SO WE COULD LIGHT THE CANDLES IN THE JACK-O-LANTERNS. And we did.

And it.

was.

so.

nice.

Not so silly all lit up, is he?!

One last one before we go….

Happy October, and Happiest of Halloweens, y’all!

Kelsey Ryan

Strategic Storyteller for Social Good

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