STRESS LESS.









lately, we are working on stressing less.
most days are spent working out of the room.
we are both still adjusting to a new job in a new town.
and with all of the rain and long hours, we haven't spent
as much time outdoors as we would like. so when we found
ourselves with a few free hours last weekend, we decided to
spend the day in pittsburgh. we drove to mount washington
where we grabbed drinks and a late brunch at bigham tavern.
they have a great menu and in carter's opinion, the best bloody mary.
afterwards we walked around southside before heading back over to west virginia.


since then, we have worked like crazy to tie up any loose ends before the weekend.
tomorrow we are heading back to knoxville to spend carter's birthday with his family.
i can't wait to squeeze our little nephews and visit with some of my favorite places in town.






LIFE ON THE ROAD, PART I.







this past month has been such a rewarding experience. 
i could have never anticipated what i would see or how i would be affected. 
like the feeling of the wind whipping through my fingers with the windows down.
somehow, it is different every time...

i guess i expected to be sharing my travels through here or instagram constantly.
but what i've learned is that some of these moments are more meaningful when unplugged.
i am still learning to adjust to life on the road, to balance my time and to take in each moment with every mile. 


here is a bit of our travels. 
thanks for following along. 




afoot and light-hearted i take to the open road, 
healthy, free and the world before me, 
the long brown path before me leading where i choose. 

- walt whitman







WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA.










we crossed the state line into pennsylvania in search of somewhere new.
after driving down a windy back road, a small city appeared in the distance.
washington is cozy. the main street lined with old buildings, my favorite. we
parked next to the courthouse and walked around the block, reading historical
markers along the way. the clocks reminded me of something out of harry potter.
we stumbled upon the end of the whiskey rebellion festival and it was getting dark.
we headed back to our little exit off the highway for dinner and drinks where i found
the best summer cocktail, a mix of strawberries, spiced rum and gingerale.



afterwards, we sat on the side of the road, watching the sun set over the valley.
remembering to appreciate the little things in life. the world can be a monumental beast,
but in small doses, it is the most beautiful thing you'll ever discover.




BARKCAMP STATE PARK.









we packed a cooler, grabbed the hammock and headed to the lake.
we found this state park in the nearby town of belmont, ohio. they have
campgrounds, hiking trails and a beautiful lake that reminds me of radnor.
we fished for hours, checked out the pioneer trail and the log cabin general
store. but my favorite part was finding that beautiful red barn. i can't wait until
we make it back. there will be canoeing, a night of camping and smores in our future.




EXPLORE NASHVILLE || 02.









i'm back in west virginia after ten days at home in nashville...

i love this city. and i love being able to come home to it.
catching up with family, friends and my favorite spots in town.
coffee dates at barista parlor, lunch at whiskey kitchen and visiting hey rooster general store.
listening to the beatles with my dad, watching movies with my mom and laughing with my little
brother about our dog's funny haircut. the week went by too fast and before i knew it i was boarding
the plane to head back north. so until next time nashville... you will always be home to me.







WEST VIRGINIA.









the next stop on our adventure is west virginia.
we've been here now for about two weeks and i am loving
it. we are surrounded by rolling hills and historic neighborhoods.
last sunday, we got to explore downtown wheeling. most of the
buildings are abandoned and it's just sad. they are so beautiful. we
walked across the ohio river on the suspension bridge. my legs were shaking most of the way.
i'm so excited to see more of west virginia. i'm actually missing life on the road.




Follow on Bloglovin

PITTSBURGH, PART II.








while driving around pittsburgh, i couldn't help but feel a little at home.
although i love nothing more than the woods and country side, being in a
buzzing city is familiar to me. we sat in traffic while driving through downtown
which helped us take in our surroundings. the streets changed from historic to modern
with every other block. we found the best place for lunch near southside, the bicycle cafe.
carter was in heaven and is ready to go back. we also drove down to the pirate's stadium to
check out the area. we're planning an over night trip to catch our first baseball game together
and spend the night over the allegheny river! we also stumbled upon the modern cafe one afternoon
where we had the best rueben sandwiches. they even won an award for them! i can't wait to explore more of the city.
if you have any recommendations, let me know :)


check out part one of our visit here!





Follow on Bloglovin

A MORNING IN MEMPHIS.








before leaving for the north, we had to deliver a trailer outside of memphis, tennessee.
neither of us had ever been after living most of our lives just a few hours away. besides the blues
and barbecue, there's nothing else that appeals to me. luckily, good tunes and food is all this girl needs.
we packed up and hit the road, driving across the entire state and arriving in memphis around bed time.
after a good night's rest, a breakfast buffet and a stormy friday morning, we made the delivery with time to spare.
we decided to check out historic beale street. thankfully, it was early and the streets were bare. we wandered throughout
a. schwab for almost an hour. the store is 137 years old! and they have every thing you can imagine there. i also loved finding
a record shop. we grabbed an early lunch on beale before driving down to the riverfront. the mighty stinky mississippi. the optimist
in me tried to give this town a fair chance, but the morning storms left dreadful humidity and a lingering stench.
memphis, we will try this again sometime...




Follow on Bloglovin