Category / My Atlas

Oh, the places I will go! Within my budget and time off, of course.

by LG

4.2.22

I didn’t take any pics during our dinner excursion, really. I have a picture of the restaurant sign because B took one and I borrowed it, and I have a pic of the sunset from the car window. What can I say, I was really in the moment.

We sort of informally landed on doing one thing a day and relaxing the rest of the time, and I really enjoy that cadence.

Yesterday our little excursion was to an incredible Japanese restaurant up the canyon. We had early reservations, but that ended up being a blessing because there was enough light in the canyon for us to see on the ride up. The canyon was much more densely wooded with tall conifers, the kind of landscape I’m most used to. It was nice to see the difference of that scenery from all the others we’ve seen so far while in New Mexico.

Our dinner was delicious and served on smallish plates family-style so we could all share: Ahi tuna tacos, kurobota pork belly tacos, grilled avocado, house-made skillet gyoza, and Wagyu beef ishiyaki. All of it was delicious and plated so beautifully. The ishiyaki experience – cooking the meat on a 500-degree stone set in the middle of our table – felt surprising and fun. All said, it was a fantastic dining experience. I truly can’t believe how much my palate has expanded over the years, and I have really had fun exploring.

After dinner, we drove a little further up the canyon to see more green trees and views. We headed back as the sun set, and it felt like a really lovely way to wrap up the outing.

We ended our night by watching Coda. It’s one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long while.

by LG

4.1.22

Happy April Fool’s Day! Weed is now legal in New Mexico! I woke up this morning just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. We’re staying at B’s mom’s home for the rest of our trip until we fly back out of Albuquerque. It’s so beautiful and peaceful here that it’s hard to imagine ever leaving even though we just arrived.

We got here yesterday evening after a full day of driving around and through Albuquerque, Corrales, and Bernalillo. The drive between there and Santa Fe was absolutely gorgeous with hardly any traffic, which felt fortuitous because I was obsessed with gazing out the window at the changing landscape. Red rocks and soil, hills and mountains, black volcanic rock, shallow canyons and arroyos, all capped off by a brilliant blue sky. The view changed every few moments and felt like a marvel to behold.

We had a nice dinner and a margarita, chatted for a while, and called it a night since we were feeling pretty tapped out from such a busy day. We turned out the lights, and … darkness. No light pollution. No sounds of traffic. Glorious.

We plan to have a simple, restful day. We’re dropping off the rental car now that we’re here, and we have dinner reservations at FIVE. B’s mom likes an early dinner, and the place we wanted to go only had reservations at that time. I don’t mind – an early dinner means I’ll have room to eat that piece of chocolate cream pie I took home from the restaurant last night.

Being here feels like breathing again.

by LG

3.31.22

Top L-R: The gorgeous fireplace in our room, the sitting area and entrance to the bedroom, the gorgeous breakfast rice bowl
Middle L-R: The courtyard of the b&b, a cute indoor/outdoor sitting area, our private courtyard just outside our bedroom
Bottom L-R: The amazing view from our breakfast table, the great room/common area

It takes a little inspiration to write again, and wow – going somewhere new and seeing different things really gives that inspiration a boost.

I woke up in Albuquerque, New Mexico this morning. We flew in yesterday for several days of what I have dubbed “R&D and R&R.” The R&D involves checking out the vibes in different neighborhoods and locations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe because we are working on a plan to move, and this area is at the top of our list right now.

The R&R is inherent in the trip … getting away from the noise and fuckery of our neighborhood at home felt like a priority for my sanity and well-being. We stayed in the East Room at Sarabande Bed and Breakfast, and it was perfect. So cozy and relaxing, with a fireplace that we turned on for a little while before we realized we were roasting – so we opened the door to our private courtyard and let the breeze blow in to cool us off as we fell asleep.

We started our day with an amazing breakfast made fresh for us while we sat right next to the kitchen: hot coffee, fresh fruit, freshly squeezed OJ, a perfectly made muffin, and a breakfast rice bowl. OH and this morning we made tea in the room and paired it with some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that were waiting in the room for us when we arrived.

The bed and breakfast is gorgeous, and I can’t wait to go back when I have a little more time and when the weather is a little warmer so I can enjoy the pool. And now, it’s off to do some fact-finding!

by LG

9.18.20

Gutted.

I don’t know how else to describe the way I feel. Let’s throw in nauseated, too. When our friend texted us earlier tonight saying, “Did you see the news?” I knew it wouldn’t be good. Fuck, I texted back. I think that’s what I said to B, too – I don’t really remember. It’s going to take a while to process what this means, and I think we will see decades of ripple effects. But tonight, we weren’t the only ones who found ourselves mourning and trying to make sense of such a devastating loss on the steps of the building. She wasn’t perfect, but she did what she could. More in the coming days, I guess.

by LG

9.15.20

Navy Yard looks lovely this morning (as seen on my way to pick up breakfast tacos, haha). These trees have grown SO MUCH since B and I moved to this neighborhood in 2013. It’s not our specific neighborhood anymore, but it’s so close and will always feel a little like home.

by LG

9.6.20

We planned to have a physically distanced picnic with a friend today, but sadly she had to cancel because of a relative who has COVID (this is where we’re at these days).

We were already out and about to pick up some things to take with us, so we considered for a moment whether we should go back home. But honestly, it’s a challenge for me to leave the house these days. Part of it is the taxation of taking all the precautions needed to run the simplest of errands, and part of it – if I’m being honest – is just deep fatigue and dread with everything that’s going on. It’s not depression, but it sure feels depression-adjacent. So when that choice presented itself, I decided I still wanted to go because I’d already done the hard work of getting ready and out the door! ON TIME!

We went to the same place we’d planned to meet up, hoping that it would still work out. I haven’t been to that specific spot before, but I didn’t think it was a popular (aka crowded) one. And thankfully, that turned out to be true, even thought we were located between the Tidal Basin and the Washington Monument. We had so much room, so much shade, and all of our snacks and drinks ready to go! We set up our little speaker, laid out our blankets, kicked off our shoes, and just hung out for a few hours. A few other families set up close enough that we could see them playing soccer and cricket (!), but it was nice for all of us to have plenty of room.

We had plans for distanced face time with another friend that night, and for a second I wished we didn’t because the conditions were so perfect to stay another few hours. That just means we’ve found a favorite new picnic spot and will have to go back.

by LG

8.24.20

My grandmother’s maiden name is Hancock, and the family line goes back a looooong way. With that in mind, we made a little stop in Hancock, Maryland, on the way home from our adventure. It’s in the thinnest part of western Maryland and sits on the upper Potomac River and C&O Canal. It was HOT but worth the stop!

by LG

7.18.20

We had to run an errand today but felt so stir-crazy from being stuck home and so happy to be out in the sunshine that after we finished, we just kept driving south on the GW Parkway. We had the soundtrack of Hamilton playing because that’s the only thing we’ve listened to since it got released on Disney+ (it’s a daily question in our home: “So what random song or line from Hamilton is stuck in your head today?”), and we happened upon this sign just as we passed Mount Vernon. We clearly stopped to take a picture, nerded out about it, skipped to “Yorktown” (1781!), and proceeded to drive home along the parkway. We pulled over at one of the scenic overlooks for a moment because it felt so nice to be close to the waters of the Potomac River when LO AND BEHOLD, a GD bald eagle soared by RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. Peak ‘Merica, I tell you.