queen mary connection

Well...the word of the day was definitely, by far, AWESOME. We started the day off exploring the amazing Balboa Island. What. A. Place. The picturesque little island is home to some of the most beautiful all american type beach homes that spell out: relaxation. Being surrounded by yacht clubs, marinas & harbour store fronts made for just the kind of vibe we were looking for. Afer breakfast at Wilma's Patio Diner, we took the ferry over to the peninsula and enjoyed the weather that even the locals were saying was nicer than most of their summer days last year. At one point it even got up to 80 degrees. You know what the calls for: a hat to protect my pastey skin. I bought one of those floppy hats that made me say "these...are the days of our lives." The houses that lines these shores were pretty amazing in the price range of $5 million and up. One can dream. As we trekked on...we got back onto the #1 hwy, went through one beach town to the next...all with their own look, crowd & vibe. Surfers. Hippies. Travelers. Locals. Joggers. Bikers. Tourist. Wanderers...and many moreeeee. Newport beach. Huntington Beach. Long Beach. Santa Monica. Malibu. All very amazing. We stopped for a while at Long Beach for Thai lunch and made our way for a photo op at the Queen Mary. There is a picture of my grama and papa w at this very spot several years ago very much in love and in their traveling glory. I found the exact spot they stood and even lined myself up with the very fence they posed against. I took in the moment with wonder. The moment made me so very full of love & gratitude. I felt grateful for where I've come from, who I've become & where I'm going. I felt grateful for having the opportunity to do the things I'm doing with the amazing people that have come into my life. I felt grateful for being clear on what my values in life are. For me its all about living a grateful life. Traveling often. Experiencing the world. Talking with people on a new kind of level. Living a life on PURPOSE. So can you tell I've been in california for 3 weeks??? Haha...and to think that 6 days in Sonoma wine country talking about living a life on PURPOSE is still to come. Oh the excitement of all the growing I'll be doing is unreal. Suppose I'd better finish this gushy blog post up...signing off from quaint as ever, Santa Barbara. Xoxo

lucky lady in laguna

What a magical day it truly was. The skies were blue without a cloud in sight. From the moment we started our journey on the open highway we knew it would be a day of wonder. We stopped in Laguna beach at the Montage. What an unbelievablely beautiful place. The ambiance of that place is like nothing I've ever experienced before in my life. People are relaxed and taking in the joys of life. The birds are singing lullabies to everyone who walks by. The palm trees dance in the ocean breeze. The dolphins...yes we saw dolphins...were playfully making themselves seen. The creativity of the artists painting a spectacular view of what was before their eyes made me smile. The laughter of children, the hand-holding of loved ones and the constant music of the waves added to the magic. The perspective of life changes when you're in this space. We ate lunch with a stunning view, walked along the cliff-lined coast and finished off our time at the Montage listening to a grand pianist while sipping iced tea. Glorious! We walked along the artisan streets of Laguna Beach and took in the most beautiful sunset! Looking out at the ocean really does make me think about the wonders of life. How big this world is and how very blessed I am to be having these experiences. Living this California dream. I had to pinch myself a few times today. How did i get here? This is one of my favorite things about travel. Getting a glimpse of life in a different place. Thinking about things that are beyond my imagination and more. Taking in the people, the sounds, the sights & the smells. Being curious about everything around me. I'm one lucky lady.

coastal road trip

up the coast we go!!!!! san diego - sonoma - in 4 days

 mary & carly's road trip adventure

 "riches through knowledge, knowledge through travel" - edward j hogan