Posted by Jill

I read a lot of blogs and right now it's all about the goals and resolutions.  Everyone is recapping 2013 and setting their sights on 2014.  I like it. 

I know the long-time notion that resolutions are abandoned by February, but I love this time of year.  Everyone is all geared up and hopeful for what is to come.  Whether it happens or not, I just like the positivity and determination that everyone has this week.  It's contagious.

I have a few goals for the year, but I also like to recognize what we did well in 2013 too.  I like the idea of continuing what works and improving on what doesn't.  It makes it all feel more attainable.

HEALTH
Overall, I like where we are with our eating.  Sure, we could cut back on the sweets and snacking, but in general we're pretty healthy.  I'd like to continue juicing each day and eating healthy, vegan meals together at home. 

One goal I have for 2014 is to increase our raw food consumption.  We both have raw breakfasts and sometimes raw lunch too, but once the days get a little warmer I'd like to bump it up to 75%-80% raw overall. 

FITNESS
I love that we live in a hiking paradise.  We get out often for shorter hikes, on our days off and after work.  I have no doubt that this will continue, but I'd love to add in more longer hikes and camping trips.  And trail magic on the AT.  (eeks I cannot wait for Spring!)

One of my personal goals is to bump up the resistance and weight training.  Jillian Michaels, come to mama.  I recently signed up for Amazon Prime and they have a bunch of her DVDs available so I plan on letting her beat me up a little.  I toyed with the idea of joining a Crossfit (I've wanted to for so long), but until we have two cars, it's just not feasible.

Another goal is to really sink into yoga.  I practice now, but only a little bit each day and while I love it, I don't really feel like I'm connecting with it like I want to.  I'd like to really push myself and see where it takes me.

LIFE
I'm really content and happy with our life and the people in it.  Last year was so full of changes with the move to NC and us both starting new jobs, this year feels like it should just be focused on enjoying this life we established and connecting with the people we love.  I want to make an effort to see friends and family, and continue to enjoy each day with Serial and Rooney.

My biggest life goal for this year, and the one that I feel will help out so much, is to get organized.  At work, I am an organizational machine.  Everything is labeled, scheduled and on point.  It's fantastic.  At home, I'm so-so.  I start to get organized, and then stop mid-point.  Or I do enough to get by, but not enough to really get ahead of the curve.  I know how to be organized.  Shoot, someone else actually pays me for my skills.  Why don't I d service for my own life and home?  It's silly. 


What are your goals for 2014?  What did you love about 2013 that you're going to continue doing?

Posted by Jill

It's been a long time since we have put up a post.  Frankly, I've missed the blog.  We were away from it for good reasons (work, life, yada, yada), but I find that I really do miss the outlet and the connection with others.  So, I'm back.  Hello!  How have you been?  Let's catch up!

Here's what we have been up to lately. 

The holiday celebrations have been fantastic and hectic.  Both of us started new jobs this year so we hadn't accrued much time off.  Fortunately, I work remotely and just need an internet connection (and some peace & quiet) and Serial was able to get a few days here and there.  So we made the best of it and squeezed in family time whenever we could.

For Thanksgiving, we really went for it.  Full-blown travel craziness.  I flew back to Chicago and spent a few days with my bestie and her family and then went to my brothers to spend the rest of the week with my family.  Serial and Rooney drove to Ohio and spent the holiday with his family, then drove to Chicago to round out the visit.  Then we gathered up all our favorite Chicago vegan treats and beers and drove home all together. 

Right before Christmas, I flew back to Chicago for a super quick visit and soaked up some time with my brother and parents.  Then I flew home to NC on Christmas eve to spend Christmas day with Serial and Rooney.  We went for a hike (it was a gorgeous day) and lounged on the couch with movies and good food. 

After a few quick days of work, Serial's parents came to stay with us for the weekend after the holiday and we got to extend the Christmas celebration for a few more days.  It has been a whirlwind of a holiday season, but oh so worth it to see the people we care about. 

Now we sit here on New Years Day, at the start of a fresh calendar.  I have a few resolutions and goals, but I'm really just looking forward to seeing what happens in the coming months.  I'm thankful that I have my handsome man and adorably crazy pooch and that I get to share a home with them.  And that I have a great family and group of friends to that I'm able to share experiences with (that includes you, blog friends!). 

Predictably, one of my resolutions is to blog more.  I've even got a planner notebook and some structure around it.  Organization for the win.  I'll share the rest of my resolutions in the coming days.  Until then, Happy New Years, friends! 

Posted by Jill

So many things have changed as I've gotten older.  Most are great & welcomed  - my perspective on what's important in life, my comfort and confidence in myself, my relationships with friends and family. 

And some are annoying - my inability to lose 5 pounds as effortlessly as I once could, my need for more sleep to be functional, my annoyance with crowded bars.  You know, the normal cranky 30 year old stuff. 

But there was one, this one little change, that really surprised me.  And it took the WNC Mountain State Fair to point it out to me.  A few weeks ago, we had heard about a state fair that was taking place right outside of Asheville so we planned to go one night after work.  We were excited to go on the rides, play some skee ball and eat some ice cream.

Serial had his sights on a giant stuffed animal.  I believe his exact words to me were, "I want to win something so big that you say 'what are we going to do with that?!?'"  He even mocked my nag voice, which always makes me giggle.  In short, we were excited and ready to go.

It had been years since I had been to an amusement part and decades since I had been to a state fair.  But I always loved rides and was excited to TRY THEM ALL!  We even bought the unlimited pass instead of tickets. 

Things started off great.  We went on the ski lift that went over the whole fair so we could scope out what it had to offer and where everything was located.  Serial housed some ice cream and we tried out the swings and the ferris wheel.  The ferris wheel was surprisingly scary for both of us.  Should have been our first clue that things had changed.

We should have head over to the games and started winning some of those pointless stuffed animals.  But instead, I dragged us over to stand in line for that used to be called Ring of Fire when I was a kid.  I think it's called Circle of Puke now.  I could be wrong.

This ride is the one that is just a circle, and you literally just go round and round inside it.  We were strapped in across from two boys that couldn't have been more than 11 or 12.  They were crazy excited and had been on the ride many times.  I mentally told myself not to curse, no matter how nervous I got. 

Let me tell you, the only reason I was able to not throw up on that ride was because of those boys.  I repeated in my head, over and over, "do not throw up in this kids face.  do not say anything inappropriate."  So instead I just focused on one of the rusty bolts near my seat and said "oh my god, why" repeatedly until the ride ended.  

We tried to keep having fun and play some games, but both of us were woosy.  Serial puked when we got back to the car and slept the whole way home.  Both of us seriously considered taking the next day off work.  So sad.

What is happening to us??  We aren't old.  We should be able to ride a basic ride, right?  Sigh.  I'll just add this to the crank 30 year old list I guess.  My body no longer stands for being slung around in a circle. 

My man Phil knows what I'm talking about...

More like 18 high fives for Friday this week.  I cannot wait to take a few days off and be outside!  I'm tired of my computer screen view.  I'm speaking of work, not you my dear blog friends.  Alright, here we go!

1. Summertime TV is kind of the worst.  Which makes sense... I mean, everyone is out doing fun things so why waste time producing TV that people won't be home watching.  There are, however, two shows that I've been slightly obsessed with. 

The first is an old favorite - Big Brother.  Serial and I are both pretty into it (not stalking the live feeds type into it, but really excited about new episodes) and we watch every season, but this season is kind of crazy.  There is a ton of racial tension and one girl in particular (cough, Aaryn, cough) is saying a lot of ignorant comments.  So much so that she has lost her job in real life, but doesn't know it yet because she is sequestered in the house.  Drama. 

The second is a Netflix series that has been getting a lot of press, but I managed to not know about until I stumbled it across it in my "Top 10 for Jill" queue.  Netflix, you know me so well.  Except that one time you recommended Toddlers in Tiaras... what was that??

Anyway, Orange is the New Black was originally a book that I read awhile back, about a woman who is serving a jail sentence for a crime she committed 10 years prior.  I LOVED the book and stumbled upon this show while I was sick on the couch one day.  Needless to say I tore through it.  I think it took me three days to watch the whole season and now I'm desperately hoping they make another.  It has been getting great reviews (here and here) so I'm guessing they will.

2. Rooney is starting doggie daycare again.  Just once a week since I work from home and watch him the other days.  But for real, he needs some buddies.  Yesterday I took him on a mini-hike off the Parkway and he played with two other dogs in a swimming hole.  He was having so much fun and he actually looked sad and let out a big sigh when the other dogs had to go.  Yep, he needs a play date. 

3. Our friends are coming to stay with us for a few nights next week and I am EXCITED.  I miss my Chicago girls and it will be so nice to have one of them here in NC.  I've known her since high school and we went to the same college, plus our boys get along fabulously.  Lots of laughs will be had.  Bonus, she had a baby right before we moved and I can't wait to squish those little cheeks again! 

Speaking of my high school friends, I was digging around in old pics the other day and found some real gems.  We were group texting them and making fun of each others' high school style for a good hour.  Yes, the pictures were in a scrapbook and cut into those shapes to fit.  And yes, I had blond hair.  (Girls, please don't hate me for putting these on the internet...at least they weren't the freshman year pics)

4. Speaking of guests, we are working on the guest room.  The thing is, we had been using that room as a dumping ground for everything.  It looked like we moved in yesterday.  We were initially shopping for sleeper sofas, but then didn't have a place for all of our junk... so we brainstormed and decided to build a daybed instead.  Once with storage underneath.  I'll do a full tutorial on it once we get the mattress and make it pretty, but here is a sneak peak that I posted on Instagram (@atraillife). 

5. Two weeks ago I started the Jillian Michaels DVD, Ripped in 30.  The first week was awesome and I only missed one day (I did Yoga Meltdown on that day instead).  The second week.... shameful.  I only did 3 days.  So.... I think I'm starting over.  Not sure if I want to jump in with week 2 or go back to week 1, but I'm sure as hell not moving to week 3.  Jillian knows, people.  She knows and somehow she will punish you.  I think I just talked myself into week 1. 

I'm not a before-and-after picture type person so don't expect that.  But I did take measurements and I'll report back on any changes.  If you're interested in before-and-after pics, Holly is doing a link up at the end of the month for anyone doing a Jillian 30 day challenge in July. 

That's it - High Five for Friday!!  Head over to Lauren Elizabeth and check out all the other #H54F link ups!

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, BlogLovin or RSS!

Whoa.  Where is the summer going??  I'm still having trouble making sense of how it's mid-July already.  We've been so busy with life and work lately.  What have we been so busy with?  Well, let me tell ya... it's High Five for Friday time.

1. Asheville was pretty much rained out all day on the 4th and Serial worked a long day, so we didn't really do much of the typical 4th celebrations.  I did manage to squeeze in a little hike with Rooney though, in between storms.  And I was able to run out and buy lumber for the new storage daybed we are building in the guest room.  I call that a win. 

It's been raining on the daily here and it was the wettest June on record.  Crazy.  The French Broad River is super high and fast now.  I feel like we live in Florida.  Each day is warm with random patches of rain at some point.  At least an hour here or there. 

2. We've been going to a lot of weddings this summer.  Thankfully, they have all been close to home and we've been able to see some really great friends at each of them.  The two most recent that we went to were both "farm weddings" and man were they beautiful.

The first was one of our really good friends (that's her above in the gold dress).  She hiked with Serial in '07 and lived in Damascus for a few years before she moved to the country in VA.  Now she lives on a farm that's been in her family for years. It is BEAUTIFUL.  It's the kind of place I could only dream of having.  She had her wedding at home and it was perfect.

After that we went to a wedding of another hiker friend, this time on a farm outside of Boone, NC.  The groom hiked with Serial in '08 and he and his wife housed us for 2 nights when we hiked last year.  They're a gushy, adorable, romantic couple and the wedding was Pinterest-worthy.  Down to the last detail, it was the perfect rustic, farm wedding.  Gorgeous. (I forgot to take a bunch of pics... I was having too much damn fun).

3. Another big thing that happened - my bestie's daughter turned ONE!  It's amazing to me how quickly that first year went by.  She's such a bright, happy and SMART little beeb - I can't wait to get back for a visit and see how much she has changed.

She was born while we were on the trail last year and the pic below is from the first time that I got to meet her.  It was love at first site.  With her and her tiny jean skirt.

4. Speaking of love.  By bestie and her husband sent us a Target gift card as a housewarming present.  Target is my fav (honestly, who doesn't love Target?) and it was really sweet of them to think of us.  I got a coffee and spent 2 hours just wandering around and trying things on.  Bliss.

I got a few practical things, of course, but I also got a few fun things for each of us.  Rooney got some new squeeky tennis balls (his jam), Serial got some mini beer glasses that fit in flights so we can host a pot luck and do beer tastings (they are so cute and in the dollar aisle), and I got awesome coasters and 2 lamp bases that were on clearance, for the office.  (and an US Weekly). 

5. We've also had visitors, which we LOVE.  My parents and brother drove the RV up for a visit and I got to see them many times over a two week period  It was fantastic.  This month Serial's parents are coming for a visit and our friends Mel & Ryan are bringing their adorable newborn to stay for a few days.  Exciting stuff.  (also why we are building the storage daybed!)

And that's about it, kids.  High Five for Friday!!  Head over to Lauren Elizabeth and check out all the other H54F link ups!

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, BlogLovin or RSS!

Last weekend was the Trail Days festival in Damascus, VA.  If you aren't familiar, it's a really large gathering of hikers and vendors that love the Appalachian Trail.  Thru-hikers from all years, including the current class, come back to celebrate.  It's an awesomely fun time and we look forward to it every year.  This year was especially fun because we hiked last year and moved away from Damascus afterwards so the trip back was a reunion of all kinds.  Good stuff.

So on Friday, we packed up and drove from Asheville, NC to Damascus, VA.  It's such a beautiful drive and we soaked up all of the views. 

We pulled into Damascus and went straight to the brewery to meet up with friends.  One of our friends, Firecracker, opened The Damascus Brewery and his beer is really good - go check it out and tell him we said hello. 

Saturday morning we just walked around town, saying hello to old friends and checking out some of our favorite booths in the town park.  Tons of vendors, both large and small, set up in the town park and out at tent city.  You can check out all of the latest gear, pick up a souvenir or grab a snack. 

Two of our favorites are (THE) honey candies and Jewelry by Wonder.  I'm not a big shopper and I don't get excited about buying new stuff, but I look forward to getting new earrings each year.  It's the one time I buy earrings and I get 4-5 new pairs each time I see Wonder.  Her stuff is so earthy and cute - I just love it.  There's a giveaway in the near future, that's for sure.

After that we made our way to the parade.  Unfortunately, if you've read anything about this year's parade, you know that there was a terrible accident in which a man suffering from a stroke drove his car into the hikers who were walking in the parade.  You can read more about it here.

Serial and I were walking in the parade when it happened.  We had just passed our local Damascus friends (who had soaked us with water guns) and we were making our way towards downtown.  We had been separated from our hiker friends a little and were walking with a group we didn't know well.  Very suddenly, we felt a commotion behind us and before we could process what was happening, a car had hit several hikers to the right of us and then stopped on top of two of them.  It was far enough away (5 ft? 8 ft? I don't know) that I didn't feel like we were going to be hit, but close enough that we saw and heard what happened. 

Hikers and rescue workers stepped in very, very quickly to lift the car off of the trapped hikers and to provide medical care for those who needed it.  It was an amazing thing to witness and no one hesitated.  There was confusion and anger (at this point no one knew if it was intentional or accidental), but mostly care and compassion.  Everyone was helping to make sure that the EMS crew could do their work. 

We made our way to a friends house and listened as medical helicopters made their way to town and transported the victims to nearby hospitals.  I'd be lying if I said the mood was anything other than dark and sad.  It was all still very confusing and facts weren't available yet.

Some time later, when word got out that the hikers would be okay and none of them were in life-threatening situations, we all breathed easier.  It was confirmed to be an accident and not an intentional act.  Things were feeling a little less heavy. 

On Sunday, we decided to join our trail friends in the Grayson Highlands.  We parked at Massie Gap and walked a little ways in so that we could see some ponies and take in the scenery.  The Graysons are a magical place for me and even though it was foggy and rainy, it was a fantastic trip and the perfect end to the weekend.

I'll leave you with one last image.  Well, three actually.  These portraits are hanging in Mojoe's Coffeehouse and are part of a series that Michael Wright is currently shooting, that captures hikers and locals.  He's the owner of Mojoe's and Sundog Outfitter and he teaches photography at Emory & Henry.  The man knows what he's doing with a camera and I can't wait until he turns these portraits into a coffee book. 

So.... who can name these hikers and trail legends?!

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, BlogLovin or RSS!

It's official - we've moved to Asheville!  A few months ago we started playing around with the idea of moving back to the Southeast and implanting ourselves in the mountains yet again.  We weighed our options and finally decided to go for it. 

Now that we're here and in the process of getting settled, we wanted to do a quick recap of how the move went.  Overall, we definitely had a couple of hiccups along the way, but it all worked out and in some cases it was a total blessing in disguise. 

We went back and forth on using a moving service or driving everything down ourselves.  We don't have much in terms of "stuff" but we couldn't fit it in our car like last time we moved (we massively downsized before the trail).  Sooo we researched options and found that I get a hefty work discount on ABT Relocubes.  They're basically like Pods, but a different company.  It was cheaper than renting a truck and we don't have to drive a truck through the mountains?  Sold!

The idea is pretty simple - you have 3 days to load a Relocube at your starting destination, then the company takes 3-4 days to drive the cube to your new home on a semi.  The cube is dropped off in your driveway and you have 3 days to unload the cube.  Then the empty cube is picked up.  Chicago is weird and won't allow cubes to be delivered in the city so we had to load it at the terminal, but if you lived in a different city you could do door-to-door service.  Awesome, right? 

So last Wednesday, 95% of the stuff that we own was loaded into one cube and shipped off to NC.  Then on Saturday, we packed up the rest of our stuff, crammed into into the car, and started the drive down to NC. 

We stopped a few times along the way, for snacks and to explore state parks.  We always do this on road trips, which turns a 10 hour drive into a 13 hour drive, but it's roughly 200% more fun that way.  One of the parks we checked out was Big Bone Lick State Park in Kentucky.  Go ahead, take a second to fully appreciate the name. 

It was a cool area and definitely had locals there enjoying the day and fishing.  I bet it's packed in the summertime.  We just wandered and let Rooney burn off some energy, nothing too time consuming or difficult, but it gave us an energy boost to keep driving. 

The drive was actually really nice and we arrived in Asheville sometime around 11 or 11:30pm.  We grabbed dinner and excitedly made our way to our new home.  Serial had never seen it (Jill was the one who viewed it and signed the lease, while on a work trip) so we were excited to check it out together.  Remember those hiccups I mentioned?  Right, so this is where the first one popped up. 

The keys weren't in the mailbox as planned.  Our landlord forgot and she wasn't answering her phone (it was about midnight now).  We went to her house (she's our neighbor) and she didn't answer the door.  Blerg.  There was no room to sleep in the car and we didn't have a tent (not to mention our energy levels were low and our annoyance levels were high) so we made our way to a motel for the night.  Remember the blessings in disguise?  We got to sleep in a bed and our landlord reimbursed us - it was actually a lot better than crashing on the floor of our new house. 

The next day we slept in a little then met our landlord at the house.  Serial loved the house (yay!) and we were excited to start moving our stuff in.  But wait, another hiccup.  The house hasn't been cleaned and the prior tenants dust/garbage/general grossness was still lingering.  Our water wasn't turned on.  The lawn was overgrown and there was a good amount of dog poop in the backyard.  Sigh - this house was not ready for us. 

In defense of our landlord, who we really like, she quickly remedied the situation by arranging for her nephew to come mow the lawn and by reimbursing us for the cleaning that we had to do ourselves.  Hiccups gone!

OK, so we got the water turned on and decided to just go for a quick drive & hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway to clear our heads before we started cleaning and unpacking.  GREAT IDEA.  We love the BRP and it's right in our backyard - we're once again feeling fantastic about our decision to move here.

Monday morning we got our internet up and running so Jill could get back to work.  Serial kept cleaning and basically did all of the grimy work.  Rooney played in his new backyard and met his new doggy neighbors.  We were waiting for the cube to be delivered and ready to start getting our furniture set up. 

Hiccup.  The cube never arrived and we called to find out where it was.  Turns out it was sitting at the terminal and they had the wrong phone number for us.  *sigh*  We work out the details, but they aren't able to deliver our cube until Wednesday now.  No biggie, it gives us more time to clean and prep for the big stuff. 

So that's where we're at now - exploring our new city and living in a relatively empty house.  Life is good and we're excited to start making this home our own.  We'll be back this week with pics of the house so stay tuned!

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, BlogLovin or RSS!

We have some exciting news to share with you guys!  We have a new milestone to add to our timeline - we are moving back to the mountains!! 

Anyone who knows us will know that it's never an easy decision for us to leave the Midwest.  We both grew up here and majority of our family and friends are still here.  For me (Jill), leaving my brother yet again is the pretty much the worst part.  But at the same time, both Serial and I have close ties to the people we love and we know that a little distance won't change that.

Our hearts are in the mountains and we are happiest as a little family unit (yep, Rooney gets a vote!) when we are in the mountains.  We crave the fresh air, ample space and endless trails.  We like to spend our free time wandering the forests and exploring national/state parks.  We love big cities, but there is something about the peaceful mountain life that calls to us.

We knew we wanted to go back to the Southeast and we knew we wanted to be close to the Appalachian Trail again, so we explored a few different cities in NC and VA.  Ultimately we landed on Asheville, NC! 

Here are some of the amazing things about our new home in Asheville!

• Walking distance from the Blue Ridge Parkway and a just a short drive to SO MANY TRAILS - the city is actually IN the Pisgah National Forest
• Asheville has 20 farmers markets, nearly 250 independent restaurants (many vegan!) and 7 local breweries
  
• 2 hours from Charlotte & Winston-Salem (important for my work)
• 2 hours from Damascus (so many friends there)
• A quick flight and a manageable drive from Chicago & Detroit (our homes)
  

We're excited to get started on this next adventure!!  And you know we'll have lots to share with you along the way!

If you like what you read, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!  It's fun to get feedback and it helps us create future posts.  And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, BlogLovin or RSS!

This Pic of the Day was taken yesterday during a day trip with Rooney and an AT friend of ours Guy Line to Indiana Dunes State Park.  Located just south of Michigan City, IN, the dunes are one of our favorite places to go with the dog because we can always find a nook or cranny where no one else is. Rooney loves to run in the sand and splash around in the water when the waves are too crazy. Yesterday though, we stayed mainly on the dunes themselves and got quite a workout climbing those things!

Check out what else is going on at A Trail Life!

This was one of Rooney's first hikes.  He was still pretty little and his joints were still growing so we didn't want him walking too much.  He would hike for 20-30 minutes at a time and then we'd carry him in that little messenger bag to give him a break.  It was pretty dang cute.