Anniversary Tradition

Kensington Palace

Sometime around our wedding (already a year ago June 15th - where does the time go?!), Adam and I decided that we would start a tradition to celebrate each anniversary in a different location somewhere in the world. This goal sounds lofty, and expensive, at first; but we both acknowledge that somewhere "different" could be as simple as somewhere in Texas, or as grandiose as halfway around the world. We rang in year one in London, which was a great way to get things started, as it's where Adam is from originally. I'm not sure yet where June 15, 2015 will take us, but I'm excited to start obsessively planning already.

We ate dinner at Adam's favorite childhood restaurant: Geales

Something fancy for the hubby... (not exactly paper).

Big Bend: Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive

At first, taking a scenic drive through a national park seemed like a bit of a copout to me. You're surrounded by breathtaking hiking trails through nearly untouched landscapes, and you go for a drive on a paved road instead? Weak. However, after I really got a grasp on the sheer size of Big Bend, I realized that the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive really was the best way to see as much of the park as possible in just a few days.

Starting from the Chisos Mountain Lodge (the only place other than campsites to stay inside the park), the drive is about an hour long, but with many overlooks, short trails, and things to see along the way. After beautiful sights like the Sotol Vista overlook and Tuff Canyon, the drive ends at the Santa Elena Canyon on the border of the US and Mexico. We had so much fun seeing as much of Big Bend as possible and will remember this day forever. The car's air conditioning didn't hurt either.

Our New Apartment

Some may wonder why I would open a post about a new apartment with a picture of Oliver. On the other hand, most will realize that this is only appropriate, as he is basically the center of my universe, and all life decisions revolve around his happiness. Anyways... Adam and I moved into a new apartment this weekend! We are really excited about the place, and about starting a new adventure together.

We are definitely city people, and cringe at the idea of living far from downtown, so we thought we'd take a stab at living in the real heart of downtown Austin. The location is truly unbeatable, and the apartments are cool and unique. Most importantly, they have finished concrete floors that are always cool for Oliver to sleep on (his favorite thing), and a balcony that faces a lively part of the city where he can spend time outside and people watch (two of his other favorite things). We also didn't want to be in a high rise, again for Oliver's ease and enjoyment, which is tough to find downtown. Oliver, Adam and I all love the new spot, and I can't wait until I have some "after" pics to share.

I forgot to take pictures first thing, then remembered to quickly snap some early on in the move!

That's us right above that corner courtyard!

The scene of  Adam's welcome to America party next weekend!

Seriously, have you ever seen a more handsome face?!

Big Bend: Balanced Rock

Earlier this month, Adam and I decided to take a road trip to the most remote national park in the continental US. In fact, Big Bend National Park was the most remote place either of us had ever seen, let alone park. We drove through hundreds of miles of isolation to reach our west Texas destination in just under eight hours (including a Dairy Queen stop, naturally). While the drive was long, the end destination was even more beautiful and impressive than I had imagined.

A giant dessert on the Texas-Mexico border may not seem like it warrants more than one post, but I just couldn't bear the idea of cutting anything out. Also, when I was doing my classic pre-travel research, I couldn't find reliable information on what areas of the park were worth seeing, and which hikes worth choosing when limited by a long weekend's time; therefore, I wanted to share some photos from each of our adventures.

The first short hike we did was the Grapevine Trail, which led to an impressive geologic formation called Balanced Rock. The actual hike was a quick and easy two miles round-trip, which provided an awesome starting point for exploring. 

Chipotle Ahi Tuna Tostada Bites

While scrolling through folders of recent photos, I realized that without even noticing it, I must be on some kind of kick lately. After making Chipotle Shrimp and Guacamole Tostada Bites and Sesame Ahi Tuna Tartare, apparently my brain went into subconscious overdrive and decided that the next logical step was Chipotle Ahi Tuna Tostada Bites. As it turns out, I'm thankful I took this step, because these were so. freaking. good. Really, you can't go wrong with a bite-sized app that includes seared Ahi tuna, fresh crispy veggies, sweet potato chips, and a chipotle drizzle. In short, these are little nibbles of Tex Mex-Asian fusion perfection.

Chipotle Ahi Tuna Tostada Bites

Ingredients

1/4 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/3 cup bean sprouts
Asian dumpling dipping sauce (grocery store bottle, or recipe)
2 oz. Ahi tuna (I cut a 1x1" column from the side of an Ahi filet)
Sesame seeds
1-2 T. liquid from can of chipotles in adobo
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
Trader Joe's sweet potato tortilla chips, or any tortilla chip
Cilantro, for garnish.

Directions

1. Combine peppers, sprouts, and Asian dumpling sauce. Can be made ahead and refrigerated for an hour or two before serving.
2. In a pan over medium-high heat, quickly sear all four sides of your "column" of tuna, just until outside is lightly browned. Remove from heat and coat with sesame seeds. Allow to cool to room temperature, then slice to desired thickness, about 1/4" slices. 
3. Mix together mayo and chipotle liquid until desired level of spice achieved. I put the sauce in a small Ziploc bag and snip off one corner to drizzle through.
4. Spread tortilla chips out on serving tray. Top with a pinch of slaw mixture and a slice of tuna. Drizzle with chipotle sauce, and top with a leaf of cilantro.

DIY Succulent Arrangement

Succulents have been trendy for a while now, but I never fully appreciated them until moving to Texas. Here, they're not only trendy, but ubiquitous thanks to the year-round warm and dry climate. Both indoors and out, cacti and succulents make for amazing, nearly maintenance-free arrangements. I snagged my supplies from the adorable Pennsylvania-based store Terrain, but you can use any inexpensive vessel and found rocks; just make sure you use cactus/succulent potting soil.

The directions are painfully easy. Start with a layer of rocks on the bottom, which allows for water drainage, then a layer of soil. Make indented wells in the soil and settle the succulents into these wells. Choose succulents in a variety of shapes, colors and height; odd numbers of plants are more visually pleasing. Cover the soil with a pretty layer of decorative rocks. Allow soil to completely dry between waterings, and add only a miniscule amount of water at a time. Last step: enjoy having plants that will at least take you a long time to kill.

Yet to Discover

Big Bend National Park, Texas

As an insatiable travel addict, I have an ever-growing Pinterest board called Yet to Discover; it serves as a visual collection and reminder of the many corners of the world I'm longing to see and experience. When traveling, I am not the type to bounce from place to place. It's of utmost importance to me to be able to spend time truly experiencing a place. This ideal, however, can be problematic when you hope to engulf yourself in approximately one million locations across the globe and you are not a socialite heiress to a considerable fortune.

My Pinterest board allows me to keep track of the many places I can't wait to check off of my bucket list, so that when I do plan a trip, I can be organized and purposeful in spending some serious immersion time in each location. I'm giddy over the fact that over the next six months I will be able to move some amazing places from "Yet to Discover" to "Boxes Ticked".

P.S. Keeping a Pinterest board called Boxes Ticked is an unbelievable way to look back at the many places you've been fortunate enough to see, and reminisce about places other than your office. Not that being at work isn't the best thing ever...

Kew Gardens, England

McWay Falls, California

Marfa, TX (so excited!!!)

Ojai Valley Resort & Spa (ever since it was on RHOBH)

Hamilton Pool, TX (just outside of Austin!)

Napa & Sonoma

San Francisco, California

Oxford, England

Driving Highway 1 (Road Trip!)