Travel Diary: Oregon Coast - Part 1

Hello,

So today I bet you can't guess what I'm writing about...oh? What? How did you know I went camping with my family? We NEVER do that, psh. 

Oh alright, yeah I guess we do. But in my defense, it's not my choice, seriously! My mom forces (yeah, FORCES) us to do this. If it were up to me, I would way rather spend the summer in my room, away from my weird family and cool adventures. Because, like, who really wants to do that. Not me, totally not me. 

Yeah guys, I'm pretty lucky. I love my family and we've been so blessed to be able to travel around the PNW a lot this summer. So yet again, I come to you all today with a Travel Diary. Where did we go this time you ask (except you didn't because it say's it in the title). We went to Florence, Oregon. A cute little town right off the coast with lots of sand dunes, eccentric diners, and freezing wind. 

But this wasn't just a camping trip, it was a road trip. A very eventful road trip. Before entering Oregon, we stayed in a sketchy Walmart parking lot, not the best camping spot, but we made do. BUT GUYS, there were cops everywhere, I was expecting some big scary man to ambush us any second. And then my brother looked up the crime rate, 100% being the safest, the city we were in was at 3%. 3 %!!! Miraculously, we got out alive and unscathed. 

Then another long day of driving began, but this time, we were able to make pit stops along the beach. Even with the intense fog and sand spraying wind, we had to run around a bit and dip our toes in the water. A certain unnamed person (totally not me) got a little more than their toes wet and had to change, but we won't embarrass anyone by revealing who that was.

See those two beautiful ladies right there? Yeah, that's my best friend, aka my amazing mom, and my future sister-in-law, Nichole. That's right guys, my brother Zachary got engaged!! I may be a little excited, besides the fact she's kind of coming into our family and steeling my name, but whatever, I'm getting over it.

There was a car show going on in Old Town Florence, so us girls had a gal date and got some much needed coffee and treats while the men of the family gallivanted around the town in search for cool looking cars. The bakery was such an adorable little place, I'm so bummed I forgot the name, but it had great coffee and their bakery items were delicious.

I was not kidding when I said Florence had an abundance of sand dunes. As Nichole said, "It's like we're in Egypt!" It really was quite the sight. I hadn't even known such a place existed in Oregon until we made the huge trek up one of the sand dunes and emerged at the top to this. It was amazing! Probably one of the coolest places I've been this year. If you ever find yourself in the area, this is a must see, definitely worth the stop. Just be prepared to find sand in everything you brought over the next three years or so.

And that's part 1 of my trip! I have so many more photos to show you, especially of the ocean, so I thought I'd save your eyes and not bombard you with a ton all at once. Look out for part 2 coming soon. In the meantime, have a lovey day!

With love,

Elizabeth

Worth it

it's funny how
the word

life

can make you feel
so many things

joyfulness
hopelessness

excitement

misery

so many stages of

life

once young and oblivious

feeling sad and trapped

being freed and loved.

life

at seven years old

oh what a time that was

feeling the air

rush around me

running free

what a perfect world this is

i thought

life

at twelve years old

i shiver at the thought

trapped

in cold darkness

hopeless

what's the point

i thought

life

at seventeen year old

renewed

loved

by a creator

who has set me free

so what is life?

life is

beautiful

heartbreaking

wonderful

incomprehensible

gut-wrenching

complex

but

our lord

papa 

he is never changing 

always stable

faithful

and that makes

life

   so

      very 

         worth it. 

Mid-Year Book Freak Out

Hello,

So let's pretend it's still June for the sake of this title (and my sanity because SCHOOL, gahhh). The lovely Lilly over from lillywhy and Life: Close Captioned tagged me to do the Mid-Year Freak Out tag. I've seen this going around YouTube for awhile, so I'm glad I finally get the chance to do it! Go check out Lilly's video, and subscribe to her channel because she is hilarious! Now let's get onto the questions.

1. Best book you've read so far

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. THIS WAS SO SO SO GOOD!! Salt to the Sea deserves every single bit of hype it got and more. If you haven't read this, you really need to. I love Ruta Sepetys' writing so much. It's beautiful and raw. Her dialogue between the characters feels so natural and real. Most of all, she really tells it how it is and doesn't shy away from telling the hard truth. This book reads really well and has super short chapters, so even if you're not too into historical fiction, this is a great book to start out with. I'm almost certain you'll enjoy it.

2. Best sequel you've read so far

Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery. Every time I pick up a book from this series, I feel so happy and at home. This is an amazing series and I highly suggest it! The writing is beautiful and I adore Anne, what a wonderful character to read from. And Gilbert, ahhh Gilbert. They're my ultimate OTP, Seriously guys, they're freaking adorable.

3. A new release you want to read

Hamilton the Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter. Guys, I love Hamilton. LOVE. And I own this freaking book, but I haven't even read it. I'm ashamed. So at the moment, this is the book I need to read that's already come out. Hopefully I'll be getting to it soon.

4. Most anticipated release of the second half of the year

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Although I didn't love that first book, I still really enjoyed my reading experience and I'm looking forward to continuing the series. I love that way these books are formatted, it's super unique and fun. So I'm excited to see what's going to happen next.

5. Biggest disappointment

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I was really excited about this one. Every single person ever was saying how amazing this book was. The writing, plot, and characters were suppose to be great. Although all those different aspects were good, I feel like all the hype caused my expectations to be too high, and in the end, it fell a little flat for me. I also found the story kind of predictable. Nothing surprised me and I called the ending from miles away. 

6. Biggest surprise

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I tried to read this book back in 9th grade and really didn't like it. I thought it was boring, the writing was bad, and the characters were crappy people. So although the characters are kind of crappy people, when I read this for school this year, I fell in love! The writing is absolutely beautiful and the plot is very complex. I'm really happy I had to read this, or else I would have never known what an amazing novel it is.

7. Favorite new author

Ruta Sepetys. While reading Salt to the Sea, I fell in love with Sepetys' writing style. It's beautiful, simple, and she doesn't shy away from punching you with the truth. I love how each one of her books hold's something personal to her and each story sounds so interesting. It's awesome to see authors taking unknown events and creating such awareness to them in their novels. I cannot wait to read more of her books and see what else she writes in the future. 

8. Newest fictional crush

Gavril from Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong. I read this book in August, and guys, I found a new fictional crush! He's the best, oh my goodness I love him. So far the second book he isn't in and it's driving me crazy. He is so sweet and cares about Moria so much, plus he's sassy and sarcastic. What's not to love? He'll be back and everything will turn out great, it has to!

9. Newest Favorite Character(s). 

Every single character from The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. This book has some of the best characters I have ever read. I love them so much! Each character has their own distinct personality and voice and I really like how Stiefvater made them all so different, but you can still relate to each one and enjoy them. I can't even begin to choose a favorite character from this series, they're all just that great!

10. Book that made you cry

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This book ripped my heart out of my chest, smashed it up into little pieces, stuck it in a blender, and threw it off a cliff. When I finished it, I was nannying and I just sat there with tears running down my eyes. The little boy I watch came over and sat next to me, gave me a cuddle and started crying right along with me. It was adorable. 

11. A book that made you happy

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo. This book is so darn cute! Every time I think about it I smile. It's such an adorable story and no matter what, it is bound to make you happy. You can't help but fall in love with the adorable little mouse and his mission. Go do yourself a favor and read it, please. 

12. Most beautiful book you've bought

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This is my all time favorite book, so when I saw this 10th anniversary edition at Costco, I had to pick it up. Look at it! It's beautiful. I love how simple and clean it is. Plus it's full of bonus material, so of course I had to pick it up. No regrets, none at all.

13. What book(s) do you need to read before the end of the year?

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal. This book sounds so cool! It has one of the Brother Grimm ghosts in it and beautiful writing. I've been wanting to read it, but I've kept putting it off. I'm thinking of starting it this October. It sounds like a good read for that time of year. 

14. Favorite book community members

My favorite book blogger is for sure Cait from Paper Fury. She has so many fun blog posts and I love her reviews. I would highly recommend you go check her out. There are also so many amazing booktubers I love to watch. Check out Lilly of course, and I also love Regan from Peruse Project. 

What bookish things have been freaking you out lately? Any book bloggers or booktubers you'd recommend?

With love,

Elizabeth

Hey There September

Hello there,

As summer is drawing ever so close to the end and the leaves turn crisp under my feet, I continue to refuse that September is here. Not because I dislike fall, I rather enjoy it actually! No, because fall means new beginnings and change coming my way. Although that can be exciting, it is also very stressful and nerve racking. But September is here, and I'm kind of still in a daze. How did it sneak up on us so quick? Yeah yeah, everyone says that, but that goes to show you how true that statement is. Here's what is happening in my life this September.

Currently// Attempting to run around my local high school and community college, trying to figure out how to register for Running Start classes. Trying to find a job to sustain myself. Stressing over how to juggle school, responsibilities, social life, and hobbies. 

Reading// Empire by Night by Kelley Armstrong, the sequel to Sea of Shadows. I've been in kind of a slumpy mood, so I haven't read too far. I'm excited to see the story continue though! And The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Saw this at my used bookstore for $2 and couldn't resist. So far I'm really enjoying it and find it quite unique. 

Enjoying// Elissa's blog post, i am a gossip. Cally's blog post, not too far, and Madyson's blog post, a few words if you feel like you can't make the cut. 

Listening// The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Studio Cast Recording) by Alan Menken. This is an awesome new musical based off of Victor Hugo's book and the Disney Movie. It has some of its own original songs and the cast is so talented. I highly recommend!

Watching// Chopped has become a new weird obsession of mine. I've never been one for cooking shows, but this one is so addicting! It's super dramatic, kind of staged, and pretty ridiculous, but I love watching it. Anyone else? Please?

Loving// Nighttime cups of peppermint tea, browsing stores full of old books, kisses from my dear little puppy, late nights full of laughter and card games with wonderful friends, and smokey campfires by the lake.

Disliking// Driver's who don't use their blinkers (WHY??), charging cords that last barely three months, overpriced coffee when running on only a few hours of sleep, trying to turn left during rush hour, and waiting for my library's audio books to become available.

How are you feeling this September? Please don't say I'm the only one obsessed with Chopped, anyone with me on that?

With love,

Elizabeth