Well hello there! I’ve missed you guys! For me, putting up just two posts in a week feels like I’m barely blogging, but somehow my final stop in the US — for a long while, anyway — flew by so quickly I barely had time to keep up with the basics. But while I didn’t get much posting done, I did squeeze in lots of quality time with faces I’m not going to see for a long time as well as some pretty fantastic adventures in Southern California.
After our week in Los Angeles, I grabbed my pup and my visiting friend Kat and we hit the road for San Diego, where we checked out beaches, went diving, met up with two of my old friends from college and experienced the joy of travel with a four-legged friend. Four days later, Bearded Bartender and my dad met us in Palm Springs for one last hurrah — one that involved lots of home-cooked meals, pool time, and a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park. It was quite the send off!
It still feels a bit surreal to me that I’m heading back to Thailand, especially as everything has been such a whirlwind lately between my hectic schedule, hosting guests, keeping my head above water with work, and getting myself even nominally prepared for this trip. Normally I’m consumed with a big international departure like this in the week or two leading up to it, but this time around I just haven’t had the luxury of time to dwell. I don’t think it will really hit me until I walk off the plane and feel that Bangkok air hit my face.
With the exception of a one-week detour to the Caribbean I’ve been in my home country since May. I’ve just barely scratched the surface of writing about my summer at home (I have this reoccurring nightmare where I’m still writing about summer 2015 as we roll into next July) but expect posts to start coming at you at a rapid clip now that I’m back to the land of catching up on internet work smiles. It’s amazing how excited I am about simple things like unbroken weeks spent in one location, getting back into muay thai, reintegrating $6 massages back into my daily routine, and drinking coconut shakes and eating mango sticky rice again. I’m looking forward to a hard hit of real life — or my tropical version of it, anyway.
So while I’m working my way through the jetlag this week, I’ll have plenty of posts coming at you from a beloved stateside destination: Martha’s Vineyard! Here’s hoping I can convince a few of you to make a fall trip to one of my favorite islands in the world. But first, a little peek at what I got up to in Southern California…
Photo A
Our Luv Surf vacation rental in San Diego on the left, a local dog beach on the right
Photo B
A flower in the garden in San Diego
Photo C
Belmont Park in San Diego
Photo D
Diving in the Coronados… my first glimpse at Mexico!
Photo E
Exploring Palm Springs
Photo F
Driving through Joshua Tree National Park
Which photo is your favorite?
Bahh stop with all the dog photos! Now that I’m finally staying put for a while I am sooo tempted to just go and adopt a husky already, but then I remember that my wandering ways would make me the worst dog mama ever, sigh.
I know! I’m lucky that Tucker loves my dad more than me, in the end, because it’s the only thing that makes leaving them together bearable.
I’ve been a bitter blog reader the last few weeks as no less than 5 of my favourites have been in California, and I’m so glad you’re all going back where you belong because I can’t stand the envy any more 😛
Photo E is my favourite this week. Safe travels 🙂
Ha, I know how that feels! I can’t stand it when I’m not in Thailand and other people are 🙂
F!
The open road! 🙂
Photo A for sure!
I’m so excited that you are back in Thailand. I’m also so jealous- my heart aches for Thailand and the coconut shakes…. hehehe
Tell me about it! I’ve been missing this place something fierce. It’s good to be back.
Alex, as you’ve put not one but TWO photos of dogs up this week, I am finding it extraordinarily difficult to choose between the two.
Tucker is a cutie but a dog AND A BEACH…!!!!
Have a good flight!
Ha, I know! Had to get as much Tucker love in as I could — last chance for a while!
Oh gosh, I cannot choose this week! I guess I shall have to go with C and D if I HAVE to 🙂 Looking forward to reading about your US travels.
Thanks Kat! Lots of them coming up so… I’m happy to hear that 🙂
Lucky you, I was just writing about Thailand, and thinking how I need to find a way to go back there, but it seems to me it won’t happen any time soon.
If nothing, I’ll follow your posts and daydream about it.
I definitely feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now… that’s how I always feel when I head to Thailand!
Oh, wow, that’s a hard pick – I love how bright, sunny, and happy A is {and bonus, puppy!} but F and the open road are calling to me!
There is something magical about driving with the top down!
This time it was easy for me – I’m a zoologist and I pick D! 🙂
SUCH a cool job!
The second half of photo A – the dog seems infatuated with a certain woman 😉
That’s my friend Kat… and yup, it was mutual!
Gah! I love the Joshua Tree pics. That’s a big big goal of mine someday! Also I want more Alex & Bearded Bartender stories (though I know that’s a bit nosy…)
Definitely not too nosy 🙂 He’s sitting next to me in Bangkok right now, and I’ve got more posts coming up about our travels this summer! Stay tuned…
I love photo D! Composition is great and animals always win my heart 🙂
There are a lot of animal pictures in this collection! I thought the sea lions should be renamed “the cocker spaniels of the sea” — such similar mannerisms!
Ah! Two dog photos, how will I choose? E – dogs with neck scarves, always a winner. I saw a dog with a tie dye scarf yesterday on Commercial Drive (where else?!) in Vancouver. Very cool.
Ha, we even bought Tucker a little red plaid tie to match my dad this trip. We’re full blown nuts.
photo a – just love the look of the rental!
It was such a great house. Only steps from the beach!
That’s a tough one this week, Alex! I think I’ll go with A because I like the cute house and the cute dog! I need to hear more about the diving you did- looking forward to that post.
It was a very cool experience. Unfortunately I didn’t get many good photos (I was way out of my element in a 7mm!) but hoping some of the other divers can share theirs!
I don’t know how to choose…love them all….but….just got out of the water and hit dive #15 so I choose D! Oh….plus as a bonus one your puppy is adorable so it’s a tie 🙂
Aw, thanks Lisa! You know the way to my heart!
Photo D — absolutely stunning! As excited as I am to hear about the rest of your US travels (and to see lots of traveling-with-pup pics!!), I’m even more psyched about your return to Thailand! Will have to live vicariously through you until I make my own return next spring 🙂
I’m so damn happy to be here! Lots to share about both 🙂
E & F! Palm Springs and J Tree are my happy places ♥
I can see why! I was SO excited to show Palm Springs to my crew… hoping we’ll have many weekends there now with my dad in LA.
Photo D is beautiful but I always love a dog pic too and your hound is so cute 🙂 Have fun back in Thailand, all your talk of massages and sticky rice has made me nostalgic for it!
One massage down, still waiting for the first sticky rice 😉
I mean, I’m not calling him fat or anything…but Tucker seems a bit heftier than I think of him in my mind 😉
I need a return to Palm Springs! Can we visit your dad and do a side trip after we’re back next spring??
Ha, I almost didn’t post that photo because I was thinking he looked a little fat in it! I swear it’s just the perspective… people are always telling me how slim he is now! And YES to a Palm Springs visit. Summer 2016 needs to be a repeat of Summer 2015 in terms of Kristin and Alex time.
Photo E — because Joshua tree is so unique and I really, really want to go there. Despite having spent almost a month in California in the last year, we never made it there! It’s a huge state though and there’s lots of good reasons to go back 🙂
There truly are! I’ve just started to discover its magic…
Usually a puppy would win hands down…but hello amazing underwater photo!
Thanks Francesca! It was great to be back in the water!
Ummmm, making me pick between a diving photo (WITH SEALS) and Tucker is just plain mean, so I’m going with C 🙂
Peaceful protest, eh? 😀
Photo D is incredible! Well done!
Thank you! It was a really tough photo to capture!
Ah which dog beach did you go to? Cornado is where I take my lil guy. And I think the flowers are called “bird of paradise” – so precious! But the Joshua Tree pics are my favorite.
They are birds of paradise indeed! They are all over Southeast Asia as well. We went to Ocean Beach dog park and Mission Beach, which was open to dogs on-leash after 6pm.
D! Because yay to diving!
Yay diving indeed! 🙂
I always love your underwater photography; so even though I love dogs and colourful surfboards D is a clear winner for me! You should definitely host the underwater photography and post-editing course you were talking about previously!
Once I’m back on Koh Tao I’m going to talk to some people and see what I can set up 🙂 I’m glad there’s some interest!
I looooouuuurve photo D! Such a great underwater shot! Anxiously awaiting your arrival here in Koh Tao! 🙂
I’m anxiously awaiting my arrival too! Need to get over this jetlag first though… I’m dying!
Did you get a chance to see La Jolla cove? San Diego is my hometown so I’m really excited to read all about your visit there!
Unfortunately I didn’t… always a next time though!
Tucker photos for the win! 😀
Always and forever!
I love road trips so F really appeals to me – especially with those amazing scenic trees! – and photos of Tucker are forever adorable, but I have to give it to B. That picture is just perfection and that flower is gorgeous!
Thanks Marni! It was a great capture after the rain.
Love them all, especially the pup photos! I’d have to go with A, that house just looks so adorable.
It was the perfect base for a weekend away!
I’m plumping for D this week.
Thanks for chiming in Steve!
I love photo C, and the shot of the tree in Photo E! Random question, if you don’t mind me asking – what settings do you think are best for shooting in harsh midday light?!
Ugh — there are none. I try to avoid shooting at that hour completely as the harsh shadows can just ruin everything. Honestly, I’m not much of a technical photographer. I know composition and have a good eye but when it comes to things like settings I’m just winging it and crossing my fingers something turns out!
Thanks – I should probably follow suit! And you’d never be able to tell you were just winging it by looking at your photos! 😉
Well, just winging — and then heavily culling and editing 🙂
I like photo B – Birds of paradise remind me of my time in Uruguay 🙂
Ah, a country I’m dying to travel to!
My dad just moved to Palm Springs, so I’ll be going there for Christmas this year and I’m super excited. It’ll sure be nice to see the sunshine in the middle of winter! As for photos, I’m torn between B and D.
What an awesome place to get to go visit! I’m already scheming a return trip…
Photo B. No one previously had selected it. I like the yellow petals, very quiet and a lot of emotion.
Thanks Lan! I love seeing the dew drops after the rain.
These shots are ridiculous! Thanks for sharing.
Of course! Thanks for reading!
Wow I love all these photos! Joshua tree is so beautiful, you should try and do the drive up the back way sometime! It is an adventure!
Those seas lions look amazing, who did you dive with? Oh and I love Belmont park (did you go on the Giant Dipper?)
Basically, I can’t easily pick a photo because I love them all. For my final random question, do you have an future plans to attend Coachella Fest? 😀
We did a private dive charter — I’ll definitely be writing more about it in the future! We went on this big roller coaster… I can’t remember what it was called 🙂 And no current plans to head to Coachella. It just hasn’t called to me yet the way other festivals have. Maybe one day I’ll change my mind, though!