Right now I’m sitting in the empty claw foot bathtub in my bathroom, eating kale chips with ranch dressing and reflecting on the past year. The kale chips are clearly just a vessel for the ranch, but you already knew that. 2015 was a weird one. It was a lot of fun, but also really different than any other year I’ve ever had. I hope you guys all had a good holiday…apologies for the lack of posts around here. I missed writing, but needed to take a break from it for a while.

Over Christmas Trey’s grandfather (who he’s named after) passed away. Trey was really inspired by him, especially the engineering work on a NASA mission he did that Trey says influenced him to become an engineer too. So, Trey flew back to the east coast for the holidays to be with his family and sent me some pretty amusing text messages about riding in a mid-sized sedan with his mom, dad, sister and brother for 5 hours while driving from North Carolina to the funeral in Tennessee.

While he was gone, I took the dogs and drove down to LA. Los Angeles is one of those cities that’s big enough to feel lost in. There’s an anonymity to it that feels good. I spent a lot of time thinking and talking to friends I hadn’t talk to in a while. I had told Trey I felt tired mentally, especially these past few months, but didn’t really know why. It was frustrating to not feel inspired or motivated about life, especially when there was nothing identifiably wrong in my life. I didn’t talk about it much here because the last thing I wanted to share with the world was my personal onset of jadedness and melancholy. I’m more of the self destructing type. I’d rather go for a long drive and blast music with the windows down, or self medicate and forget about everything. I’m not recommending that or anything, I’m just saying that’s usually just what happens.

There were a lot of times this year when I felt restless and claustrophobic. I function best in chaos. I like complicated. Intensity is exciting. When everything gets routine, that’s when I derail. This past year was a lesson in sitting still, something I hadn’t done in a while. I added it up the other day and since leaving home after high school I’ve been to 46 states, driven across the country 5 times, lived in 7 cities/towns, and been to 10 different countries. I got good at being that friend/girlfriend/daughter/sister who texts and emails from afar because I was off doing things. I perfected the art of saying goodbye. It was a formula – go out, get drunk and stay out late, look them in the eyes and kiss their face and tell them how much you love them, then leave in the morning.

Moving around and traveling a lot has its perks. Everything is new and exciting, all the time. It’s fun, really fun. It’s sharing a bottle of liquor on an overnight train with a stranger, it’s exchanging a mutual smile with someone that says more than any word in any language ever could, it’s losing yourself to the moment and abandoning everything you thought you knew. There’s no time to think about the past or worry about the future when you’re so intensely focused on the present. But there are downsides too. When you’re moving around all the time, you don’t build personal relationships with people, or get to experience the stability that comes from having a place to call home. It’s sitting alone in a hotel room during the holidays, it’s your old best friend finding a new best friend, it’s finding out you missed your grandma by a day in the boarding line for a red eye flight home, it’s nothing ever being the same when you get back.

In 2015 something changed for me. I realized that I’ve spent a lot of time and energy running – from people and places I didn’t align with, from the status quo, trying to escape from a past that happened so long ago. This was the year when I got tired. This was the year I learned I didn’t have anything to run from anymore. When Trey got back, he told me he felt the same, for his own reasons. I think that’s why we have always worked…we both left the same small town and never looked back. But, traveling takes on a new meaning for us now. Getting to grow roots in San Francisco and finding the joy in the everyday things life has to offer here is really fun. It’s that barista who always gives you an extra shot in your latte just because, it’s that old guy at the dog park that’s always there with his irish wolfhound, it’s dinner parties with friends, it’s having a place to come home to.

I don’t know what the year ahead is going to bring our way. I’ve gotten it wrong enough times in life to know not to predict anything or plan too much anymore. Either way, good times are gonna be had.  Thank you for continuing to follow along with us here. I love reading your comments and hearing your stories. Thank you for sharing this space with me. Here’s to good vibes in 2016.

Cheers.

nic

Christmas is coming (I said that like Jon Snow, god Nicole GET OVER IT). Perhaps you’re looking for ideas for that special someone on your list that’s outdoorsy, or likes well designed things, or both. Stanley is a built-to-last outdoor brand that offers a lot of good products that are great for that. I grew up with Stanley brand products. I still have an old lunch box that Trey and I use to this day to carry dog food in when we travel. I love how their products blend hip style and design with outdoor functionality. It’s great for those people on your list who appreciate products that last. There’s no going wrong with a good thermos to help them keep food and drinks warm, or a good flask to tuck into a jacket pocket during a hike through the woods. My new favorite is the cocktail shaker for making camp fire cocktails, and the vacuum growler to fill with your favorite craft beer and share with friends. Trey’s favorite is the vacuum pint – he fills it up with ice water every night, and it’s still icy water in the morning. You know, it’s the simple things in life.

For some good deals on Stanley products like the ones above, head right this way.

This post was sponsored by Stanley. Thank you for supporting brands who support Wildlandia.

This past weekend we went to the tree farm and cut down our Christmas tree. We returned to the same farm as last year to keep the tradition going. It’s fun to drive through the woods and walk through the rows of trees until you find the perfect one. The dogs ran around, darting through the trees like it was one big maze. Every now and then I’d hear a kid yell “doggie!” and look up to see Jack standing in front of a little kid wagging his tail. It’s fun to watch Jack interact with little humans. He’s so intrigued and wants to lick their faces off. I think it’s because he’s so smart, and they are about his size. After we found our tree, Trey cut it down, and we tied it to the top of Lola. Then it was time for some lunch. We stopped at Val’s diner for some burgers and french fries. It’s such a charming little spot. The older guy seating us told us to take “the fourth booth on the left…but walk slow cuz’ they’re still cleaning it”. Afterwards they give you little Andies chocolates. Then we drove home and strung lights on the tree and put up the stockings. I love this tradition we’ve got going. Just us, the dogs, and a 5 ft Douglas Fir poppin’ a squat in our living room. Tis’ the season!

Around this time in the 7th grade Trey and I first kissed. Since we’ve never had an exact date for an anniversary, we just randomly do sweet things for each other in November and December. The other night we were digging for christmas decorations in the closet and came across an old chalk board we used to write notes to each other on. It must have gotten buried the last time we moved. “Should we hang it?” Trey asked me, holding it against the wall above the dish rack in the kitchen. “Of course”, I told him. One morning last week I went to get a mug off the rack in the kitchen, still wiping sleep from my eyes, and saw he had written something on it… “I want to be your Jon Snow”. Then I noticed, wedged into one of the corners, was a note. “To: Nicole  From: Trey”.

O hello,

I’m starting to put together some gift guides for this holiday season. First up is one for your boyfriend, husband, dad, or good guy friend who loves the rugged look and being outdoors.

1. A beanie for staying warm on cold days.
2. A good watch that he’ll wear for a long time.
3. A waxed canvas duffle bag for him to carry all his gear in.
4. Persol sunglasses to give him that Steve McQueen look.
5. Red Wing boots so he can feel like Ryan Gosling in Drive (or so you can feel like you’re dating Ryan Gosling from Drive).
6. A Stanley flask for drinking whiskey around the campfire.
7. A good key ring with tools, just in case.
8. A pair of sturdy work gloves for working on his bike.
9. A coffee table book about surfing, to look at until the water warms up a few degrees.

This post was sponsored by Stanley. All thoughts are my own. We only recommend brands we have used and love. Thank you for supporting brands who support Wildlandia!

Our bedroom is one of the brightest spots in our home and is easily my favorite place to hang out. It’s high up and our neighbor’s tree is right outside the windows so it really makes you feel like you’re sleeping in a tree house. You can also see the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate bridge too (west coast sunsets are the best!). Since moving in over a year ago, we haven’t really done much to the space besides put sheets on the bed. For the longest time we’ve told ourselves it was just “minimal”, but really we just never tackled it. We were so excited to be sent a new mattress from eve, the UK’s much-loved mattress that’s now being sold in the US. It’s made of three different types of foam – including luxurious memory foam – and feels like we’re sleeping on a cloud. We’ve already talked about how when we move into a bigger place with a guest room, we’ll get another eve mattress. Their design is so hip and simple – eve is basically the hipster mattress of mattress companies. With a business model similar to that of Warby Parker, they take the awkward showroom experience out of buying to instead allow you to choose a size and purchase completely online. Then the mattress is shipped to you for free to try for 100 days and if you aren’t sold on it, you can return it hassle-free. We’ve slept on ours for a few nights now and it’s a winner! It’s just the right amount of soft and firm. The dogs seem pretty stoked on it too!

Along with our new bed, we got a new rug, a couple new indigo pillow cases, and mounted a large framed print I took from the back of a Washington ferry to go above our bed. In the corner, I put a tee pee with a little sheepskin rug in it for Mila cat, and hanged a plant since it’s a good spot with lot of sunlight. I also put up a dream catcher we brought back from Tulum, Mexico. I love how airy the room feels and how “us” it is -minimal, cozy, with wild elements. I’m glad we finally finished this space! 

Eve is offering $100 off one of their mattresses by putting your email in here. This post was sponsored by eve. All content and opinions expressed here are my own.  Thank you for supporting brands who support Wildlandia!

Welp, Lola’s in the shop until the middle of this week when the air pump can be replaced. It’s an easy fix, but we had to wait for the part to come in for it to be fixed. Can’t wait to have her back!