a magical albeit whirlwind january
About a week ago, I got back from Hawaii. [But Rolanda didn’t you already go to Hawaii? Yes, last summer, I visited the island of Oahu and this time I visited the island of Maui]. I figured I better take advantage of A) all the West Coast has to offer before I head back east [for those of you who haven’t seen—I'm moving back New York City] and B) the buy- one-get-one-free ticket deal I got from Alaska Airlines. [#notsponsored, it’s an annual promo they do in partnership with the SF Giants; for my SF peeps, check it out here. If you remember, this is also how I went to Nashville last year.]
Anyways, let me tell you-- Maui was beautiful. We had 6 days of nonstop sunshine. We ate [so much seafood- crab cakes, lobster tails, shrimp...just yumm], we slept, we read [I finished Homegoing- what an incredible story. Have any of you read it?] But perhaps my favorite part was all the natural beauty that we were surrounded by. We saw loads and loads of whales. It was honestly like something out of a movie. So we actually looked into it and it turns out it was mating season which would account for all the flips and breaches we saw. Then, there was the incredible golden and sometimes cotton candy sunsets over the Pacific Ocean, the clear midnight sky freckled with stars like diamonds, the ephemeral double rainbows, and perhaps the most unforgettable, the clear as day blood moon [otherwise known as the total lunar eclipse]. Literally it was just all so magical.
I got back from Maui dreamy eyed from the expansive beauty and almost immediately traded it for the snow capped mountains of Park City, Utah to go to the Sundance Film Festival. [Can you believe it? For the new role— still feels like this is a dream]. And here too, I was I was struck by the quaintness of the small town of Park City, the snow capped mountains, and just the seemingly endless vastness of the valleys surrounding us. This was the first time I’ve ever been to Utah, so truthfully I didn’t know what to expect, but Park City, you surpassed any nonexistent expectations I had. On the way back, I left for the airport before the sunrise, and I have to say it was quite magical seeing the sky change from dark midnight blue to a warm orangey glow all the way lighting up the entire sky by the time I arrived at the airport. It was so different that what I saw in Maui in so many ways, but in so many ways the same.
And now, with the exception of a small pitstop in LA, I’m back in San Francisco- to finish the last of my packing, before I take that one way trip to the East Coast [currently slated for 10AM on Thursday]. In truth, prior to my first trip and partially on my way back from Hawaii I was having my doubts about how I’d be able to do these trips while also trying to coordinate a cross country move...and it actually gave me some anxiety. But, I decided to take everything day by day [literally on some days, hour by hour] and list out what tasks needed to get done on certain days as I often wasn’t in the same city within the upcoming 48 hours. And you know what, I’m so happy I did. Because it allowed me to fully appreciate the magical albeit whirlwind that was January, including 2 trips I’ll never forget!
There are still loads of action items I need to sort out when I get to New York. For both my life and this sparkly space, but I do plan to continue creating and taking you all with me on this next journey. Whether you’ve been around these parts since the beginning or recently joined me during this California stint of mine, I surely hope to see you on the East Coast!
Dress: ModCloth
This post was in collaboration with ModCloth. All styling and content are my own. Thank you for supporting leave a little sparkle.
