Autumn Clothing Budget

Time for another clothing budget update since my last one was back in August...summer clothing budget. I've definitely picked up quite a few staples over the past few months. Also added a few more pieces of outdoor gear to my wardrobe with purchases for recent trips to Alaska and Iceland.

november lately: thanksgiving in iceland

November was definitely my catch-up month with having spent most of it trying to finish up projects for dental school and get my life together before the end of the year. It's been a stressful one but with lots to be thankful for this month. 

thankful to travel to...

I read that only 35% of Americans have their passport. And the statistics of how often those are used are even lower. So on the eve of Thanksgiving, I'm incredibly thankful that I have learned the value of travel. 

the logistics of planning an Alaskan Cruise

Dear Alaska, 

I dreamt of you again last night. Only, I could never be creative enough to dream up anything so gorgeous on my own. You live on in my dreams because you live on in my heart. You keep your beauty hidden and are so hard to gain access to. But I want to share you with the world because "to the lover of wilderness, Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world" -John Muir 

101 in 1001: Update #3

It's that time again! Time to check-in along with a few others on our 101 in 1001 lists. Since my last update in August, I gave myself the goal of crossing six more items off my list. And I'm happy to say that I did that. 

Let's delve right in shall we? 

a day in the life of a dental student: yesterday

Yesterday was the craziest busiest day for me. This whole week has been actually because it's right before Thanksgiving break with finishing up lots of projects. But Friday especially was hectic in the best way. I treated pediatric patients all morning and took my clinical practical on exodontia (pulling teeth) in the afternoon. Did I mention it was on a live patient? eek! 

I realize that it's been a long while since I've shared a day in the life of a dental student. That's because I'm such a perfectionist about capturing all the best photos and writing good descriptions etc. And that rarely happens. But yesterday felt like the best day (I actually felt like a dentist) that I need to document. So here goes....an impromptu day in the life of a dental student.

friday favorites 11.17.17

happy friday all! 

We are so close to Thanksgiving that I can almost taste the turkey. Though if I'm honest, I more excited about the fact that it will give me a few days off from dental school than I am about Thanksgiving itself. I definitely need a break. 

Mexico Road Trip: The Yucatan Peninsula

We're putting the finishing touches on this year's Christmas trip, which got me thinking about last year's trip to Mexico. And while I did share tons from that experience, I never quite got around to linking it all together, so here it is..."the great big everything you need to know to take a road trip around mexico" post. 

Well...maybe not everything you need to know. But at the very least, it includes our itinerary, tips, and budget. 

fall friday favorites: 11.10.17

It's Friday and I couldn't be more grateful because it's been a rough few days in dental school lately. Thankfully, there has also been lots of good moments to hold onto in between and I'm thankful to share them now. 

a few rough days in dental school

These last few days have been a bit overwhelming, an emotional rollercoaster really. The harder you try, the more you care and work towards something, the more difficult it is to deal with the setbacks. And dental school is nothing if not a constant of highs and lows.  

There has been so much craziness these last few days that this has turned into a mini update of dental school lately.

october//

every month, i end up with one these massive collages because it's just too difficult to pick only one photo to sum up an entire month. wouldn't you agree? 

i love doing these recaps and looking back because it really puts everything into perspective. the end of a month always seems so stressful for me with feeling like i haven't accomplished enough, but all these random snaps from the month are proof of just how much i did get done and experience. 

a G-R-E-A-T day in great smoky mountain national park

Despite the torrential downpour of rain, 

the fog obscuring our mountain views, 

and even the snow flurries that were 

proof of how cold it was, we had a great day at 

great smoky mountain national park! 

Believe it or not, the great smoky mountains is the most visited US national park. More than the grand canyon or yosemite or yellowstone. And it also happens to be one of the closest parks to me, so it's crazy that we hadn't visited it yet when it's right in my backyard. We definitely needed to remedy that, but were waiting for the timing to be right. 

autumn road trip: the blue ridge parkway

Tom and I have both been on the parkway dozens of times passing though to here or there. But this time was different. We took the long route and really enjoyed our time hiking, camping, and cruising along the blue ridge parkway. After all, it is America's best drive. 

I think driving the parkway during autumn foliage was the best timing. The leaves hadn't changed too much yet so there was still the perfect contrast of green and changing falling leaves. We overdosed on fall thanks to this road trip with the best stops along the parkway in between.