A Little Life Update

Well, it's been a while since I've written here.

My last post is from July 2020 and there are several reasons I stopped writing. For one, Amble + Toast started out as a travel blog which has developed into a travel and hiking blog. But when the world got locked down, we did our part and traveled less. So, I felt I had less to share. But the reality of it was that my anxiety paralyzed me from continuing to write and share the beautiful corners of the world. My anxiety took over me, often keeping me on the couch. On the days I wasn't full of debilitating anxiety, I was soaking up every precious moment with my then fiance (now husband, but more on that later) and family in my childhood home in San Diego. Yep, you read that right. We all lived together during the pandemic. It was a full house, but togehter we made those stressful days more bearable with laughter, creating memories, and making the most of living through a pandemic. I will cherish that last year in my childhood home forever.

Since July 2020, Tim and I have gotten married. We had to replan our wedding three times due to the pandemic and California wildfires, but we made it happen. Tim and I exchanged our vows at sunrise along the PCT and then married alongside our parents', Tim's daughter, and my brother as the officiant. It wasn't what we originally planned, it was better. Our small fall elopement was the perfect day.

We then left for a two-week roadtrip honeymoon! We spent most of our time in Utah exploring National Parks and offroading before heading north to Washington. We camped along the way and enjoyed some of the most beautiful scenery.

And then, we moved to Bend, Oregon. We experienced our first snowy winter and skied through the streets. And let me tell you, we've been taking full advantage of living this close to so many trailheads. This spring and summer has been filled with hiking. We took our first backpacking trip together and have many more planned. We're not sure where we'll be in five years, but for now, we're soaking up everything good about Bend and making it home.

And then, my family sold the home I grew up in and also moved to Bend! My parent's have been talking about moving to Oregon almost my whole life and they finally did it. I'm so proud of them. It's been so nice having them nearby too. Being able to pop over for a cup of coffee, a beer, or having game night has helped us all with such a major transition.

So, a lot has happened. A lot has changed. We're not doing a lot of long distance travel these days, but we have a lot to share about where we've been lately. So, stay tuned for more guides, helpful tips, and lessons learned along the way. And as far as my anxiety and working through the struggles of the pandemic, I'm still working on it. This second wave has felt like a step backwards in so many ways. We've had our own personal losses and have dealt with grief. But, I'm thankful for the memories made over the past year. I hope you have found moments of joy during the pandemic and have gotten outside as much as possible. We could all use a little nature therapy.