fall at the morton arboretum

This fall I’ve been leading outdoor educational programs (aka field trips) at the Morton Arboretum, an enormous outdoor tree museum in the Chicago suburbs. Most of the leaves have fallen by now but a few weeks ago I got out to snap a few pictures of the scenery! I’m so grateful that I live in a state that experiences a gorgeous autumn, despite the horrendous winters that follow.

 

                     

It’s been extra dreary and dark here now that Daylight Savings has taken effect and I’m trying to motivate myself to tackle some inside projects, since it feels like our apartment will NEVER be completely organized. We’ve been living here for three months now but still have the “junk room” full of random crap that drives me crazy. Oh well, it will all get sorted out eventually, after a few more trips to IKEA to stock up on shelves and bins. I’ve also been trying to get back into posting more regularly on the old blog (a constant battle since I left grad school), so thanks for still reading this :) I hope your fall has been splendid!

a week in sunny Mexico

 

Ben and I just got back from our honeymoon and I'm having a pretty hard time transitioning back to reality here in rainy, dark, late-fall Chicago! We spent a week at a resort tucked into the mangroves on the coast between Cancun and Playa del Carmen on the coast of the Yucatán peninsula, aka heaven on earth. It was everything we could have dreamed of...spending entire days laying by the pool, endless fruity cocktails and as much delicious food as we could eat. It's off-season so the place was weirdly deserted and quiet, which I guess served our purposes well. The staff kept trying to convince us to check out the amazing beaches of Playa del Carmen and this apparently baller nightclub called Coco Bongo but we were there to relax and be as boring as possible! Check, check.

 

Highlights included

-snorkeling and kayaking in freshwater springs called cenotes

-Mayan liqueur and tequila tasting

-spotting dozens of the most adorable lizards everywhere

-brunch buffet with make your own mimoa station every morning

-hot hot sun so bright I lost the edge off my whiteness despite sticking to the shade

 

Next time we go (because there will obviously be a next time, someday...) I want to explore a little more and check out the Mayan ruins nearby. I'm also inspired to learn Spanish! Traveling abroad as an American is always kind of awkward and humbling for me because it's assumed that everyone knows at least a little English while I can't speak their language.

 

It was a perfect week and just what we needed to recover from the crazy stress of moving, Ben's new job, and of course the wedding. I'm looking forward to some calmer days, clearing out the endless pile of moving/wedding boxes in our living room, and settling into our life here before the holidays hit!

 

 



we're married!!

{photo by my cousin Corey Smeaton}

We did it! The last month of planning was the most crazy and intense month of my life, but I would do it all over again to re-live the overwhelming joy and love of our wedding weekend. I keep re-playing all the details in my head while I'm awake and dreaming. We're back to "reality" this week until we leave for our honeymoon in Mexico on Saturday! Yeah, we're pretty excited.

 Here are a few sneak peeks from our amazing photographer Christy!