Bali

Bali Indonesia has been on David’s and my collective bucket list as long as we’ve been dating. With about 33+ hours of airport lines and plane seats (everyone’s favorite, right?) before even arriving, it was always a little hard to find the time we were able to dedicate to the travel alone. When considering options for our honeymoon, it was the obvious choice.
Our typical travel style is adventurous and gritty, spending very little time in our lodging, and probably ruining at least one pair of shoes on any given trip. This one was a little different, and it was perfect. We rented a villa near Singaraja for the first 5 days, and the thing had everything we could have possibly wanted from a private infinity pool, to open air dining (open air everything if I’m being honest) with an insane view of the sunset. We took our time on this trip, enjoying each other’s company, the space we were in, and the local area without worrying about how much we could fit in or how many photos I should take. We had amazing food, swam in banyumala falls, and visited a coffee plantation complete with tasting.
The last few days, we ventured south to Seminyak, enjoyed yet another awesome villa, the city life, and the Bali Sea. I wore next to no makeup the entire time, and loved every minute of it.

Things you should know about going to Bali:
- The roads are insane. Most are actually paved better than Michigan roadways, but with curves, three or four abreast scooters, and narrow lanes, we were beyond grateful that our driver knew what he was doing, and we didn’t have to.

- The food is excellent, and you should definitely go for spots off the beaten path. David’s favorite dish was nasi goreng, a fried rice dish. Mine was definitely cap cay, which is a soup filled like heck with amazing fresh vegetables. Order with satay for sure.

- It’s okay to be where the tourists are, but feel free to explore some of the lesser known areas. Our one wish was that we had more time to seek out the less popular waterfalls and views, there is so much to see!

After the hecticness of the summer, and all the work that never seems to seem less than urgent, it was an incredible time and I got to spend it all with my favorite person, and my lifetime adventure buddy.

Until next time Indonesia, thanks for the memories.

Montana

If you follow the blog, you'll know David and I don't stay in one place too long. We love Kalamazoo, and call it home, but there's way too much of the world left to see, so every so often we plan an adventure. 
This one had been in the works for over a year, but I had no idea just how special it was going to be. David had lived in Montana for a bit previously, and had been compiling a list of must-see places since we first started dating, knowing someday he would be able to show me around Kalispell and the Glacier National Park area. When wildfires halted our plans last September, we decided to try again for June of 2018. 

It was everything I could have ever hoped. The natural beauty was every photographers dream, but the company was the absolute best. 
We started the trip off with his favorite breakfast spot in Kalispell (Split Rock Cafe) and then toured a few the top breweries (Bonsai Brewing Project was pleasant as heck), and finished up on Flathead Lake, boating with one of David's best big sky buddies. 
 

Day number two held things I didn't see coming from a mile away. 

David took me on a hike to Holland Falls, knowing the entire time I would want to take photos at the top, so we packed a tripod and remote (on top of that, I looked like a hot mess, hiking with a boots/sundress combo that I swapped out for flip flops when the walking was done.... for the photos sake of course). 
We had been planning on shooting frame-able photos at some point this trip, so I thought nothing of his insistence I make absolutely sure to have the wireless remote in the bag.

Once we  fought off the invasive ground squirrels searching for snacks (note that close up shot was not taken with a telephoto lens) we set up the tripod and took a few shots. 

And then he surprised me. 

I had no idea he had been planning the proposal ever since we booked the first trip that got rescheduled, and had kept the ring a complete secret all this time! I've been on cloud nine ever since, this man is my best friend, and my biggest supporter. Life is such an adventure with him, and I can't wait to start the next chapter of it. 

He planned it all perfectly, and even got us THE most beautiful Airbnb in St. Ignatius to spend our first engaged night.

After all that, we spent the next few days camping, hiking, and getting overall publicly unpresentable. One of my favorite hikes from the standpoint of feeling so accomplished when we finished was definitely Iceberg Lake, but there wasn't a single bad day and not one hike I regretted. We spent loads of time outdoors away from cell reception, and it was perfect. 

I have no doubt we will be back to this other-worldly place. Bears and ground squirrels included, there is something special about Montana. 

New Orleans

New Orleans has been on our bucket list for as long as I can remember. 
I was raised on a healthy diet of hot sauce, and everything I heard about this place gave me the indication that the food alone would win me over. 

Well it turned out to be the food, the people, the atmosphere and goodness knows my travel company. It was both everything we expected, and nothing at all like we pictured. 

We ended up finding the cutest hotel of all time right in the French Quarter called Hotel St. Pierre that had courtyards for days, and not only one, but two pools to warm our frozen Midwestern hearts. They serve exceptionally good coffee in the lobby 24/7 but their amazing staff also puts out fresh cookies and milk every afternoon. The lodging bar is now raised for me.

Among our favorite foods spots were definitely Cafe Du Monde (not exaggerating when they say the best beignets in the city), and the sweet selections over at St Roch's Market. No matter what you're craving, they will have a fix for it. 
Also try: 
Oceana Grill - Crab cakes and Rum caramel bread pudding
Redfish - Redfish bisque
The Praline connection - The "Taste of soul" platter (OH MY GOSH)
Felix's Restaurant & Oyster Bar - Oysters... fresh as heck.
The Courtyard Brewery - I would have to recommend the beer

The city itself has so much to see, from historic architecture to the riverside and all with an energy that is completely infectious. I love this place.