V’s To Do List

A good start, but many more adventures to come!

Guess which one is about to get checked off the list?…

Nature’s Tinsel, Eureka Dunes, and a Happy New Year

Dear Family and Friends,

Full disclosure: Christmas is my favorite holiday. While toffee and pie wage war on the waistline and inspire optimistic resolutions, I relish the corny holiday songs and extra helpings.

The misty redwoods of Humboldt county

A white Christmas was not in the e-cards for Tahoe, much to the chagrin of 60,000+ pairs of skis. Matt and I were granted a gray Christmas Eve walking in the misty wonderland of Redwoods covered in spider webs, nature’s tinsel. The crackling of crab shells filled the Robertson house last night, as we all devoured the candy of the sea. The evening faded into the living room by a raging wood-stove fire, wailing along to my talented boyfriend as he serenated his wonderful family.

Since our return from the Spanish land of wine, cheese and lisps, Matt and I have put our sleeping bags to work with regular camping trips.

2013’s List

I got to check off a few more “To Do in 2013” items off my list hanging in my bedroom (literally a 3×4’ list of goals): a bike ride through the golden aspens along Tahoe’s famous Flume Trail and biking up Tioga Pass (Yosemite’s east entrance).

The stunning Eureka Dunes of Death Valley

Matt and I celebrated the national day of thanks amidst the vast beauty of Death Valley. We battled the tryptophan long enough to gawk at nocturnal astronomy shows by my favorite artist – nature. My camera could not quite capture the magical glow of Eureka Dunes rising above the valley floor protected by snow-capped peaks

Last week I traded the -14 degree evenings of Lake Tahoe for 86 degree days in Los Angeles. Both sets of parents were in the same city, and I jumped (or rather flew) at the opportunity to celebrate an early Christmas with them. Family, food and shorts kept me smiling and hugging in the massive metropolis.

Although a broken back has kept the running shoes off my feet for six months (an unfortunate record), the wanderlust has not been quenched. I’ve been wondering HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD, and I think I’ve found an opportunity to do so. A Fulbright National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship proposal to examine the global perspective on the spirit of volunteerism has been on the forefront of my mind. If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or connections to places to volunteer internationally (or want to hear more), please let me know.

Trinidad, NorCal

On this most wonderful of days I am sending you hugs as sweet as Grandma’s sugar cookies. You are the ornaments on my tree of life that shine beautifully on every branch of my being. Wishing you a joyful, healthy 2014!

Love,

V