Lake Life in the Fall

If you've been reading, you know that over the summer I fell in love with the lake. Sal and I would go there every chance we got, which would usually be once a week, sometimes two if we cleared our schedules. I became obsessed with the breathtaking views of nature, the colors of summer, the bright blue sky and sun reflecting on the lake, and the sound of a fishing pole being casted and Sal's excitement when he caught a big one! So when the fall season came around, that didn't mean we stopped going to the lake, even though it was starting to get chillier and chillier near the water. Instead, we found ourselves sitting on the porch, sipping on wine and enjoying the changing colors of the leaves on the trees. I didn't think it was possible, but the lake seemed to be more beautiful with the reds, browns, and yellows.

I understood then why so many people leave the bustlin' city, and head to the countryside... why so many authors rent a cabin in the woods to write out their long novels. It's a truly relaxing place that cannot be copied, a place that cannot exist anywhere else ... not in someone's backyard with full views of the neighbors, not in someone's' room with the loud television and computer screen, and not even on a train with tons of people surrounding you. Those can be sanctuaries to some, but it does not compare to being by the lake, in the country, with few neighbors, with few other sounds that the water, the trees moving, and the fish jumping. 

The usual happened... Sal fished, while I read my book. We were together, but doing the things we loved separately, and that just made it perfect. Sometimes he'll stop me from reading to bug me to take a picture, but I secretly love it and am super proud of him when he catches a big fish, even the little fish make me proud... I tend to like the smaller ones better because they're just so cute! He usually always throws them back, unless it's a fish that his buddy can fry up and eat. 

More often than not, we'll leave the lake with our stomach's growling. Sometimes we wait for his friend to come home so we can all have dinner together, sometimes we'll head home and eat when we get back home, and more recently we've taken several trips to a delicious restaurant right down the road called Smokey's, which has proved to have such great food time and time again. Before we know it, we'll be regulars there, and the waiters and waitresses will know our names! 

Without these little getaways, away from the reality of our day to day chores and work, I think I would have lost my sanity a long time ago. Thankfully, the lake is just a short drive away. 

Cowgirl Kristyn & Cowboy Sal

Earlier this year, Sal and I chose to spend our vacation in Florida. My friend, Olivea, was living there at the time for school, and proposed the idea that a bunch of us go down for the Country Superfest. It wasn't hard to convince me to take a few days off to see her in her element, and enjoy country music with good friends. I purchased the plane tickets, and counted down the days till we were on a plane headed to the sunshine state.

The plane ride was a bit uneasy as it was rainy when we left. We hit a little turbulence, though it felt like a lot more being that we were on such a little plane. When we finally got to her house, after what seemed like a very long ride from the airport, we were greeted by Olivea's friend, and a cute note Olivea had left while she was at her internship. Not only did she leave us a note (and a helpful map!), but she also left us towels and shot glass necklaces. We knew we were in for a great vacation. The weather was beautiful, and we weren't about to waste a day inside, so we threw on our bathing suits, and headed to her pool. 

We spent the afternoon laid out on beach chairs by the pool, soaking up the sun and breathing in the Florida air. I was so happy that we had landed safely and we now how the next few days to enjoy this.  I could not stop smiling, and my smile only got bigger when Olivea made it home from her internship. We spent a little while longer out by the pool catching up, and then we decided to head to dinner at Salt Life, on the beach. The wait was more than two hours long, and we grew bored quickly. We decided to walk to the beach, and enjoy the sunset.

By the time we walked back to the restaurant, the sun had gone down completely, and we were still told to wait. Finally, as the restaurant emptied out, and we swore we were going to be told they were closing, we were seated! We quickly ordered our drinks, and placed our appetizer order, choosing whatever the waitress recommended. She even ended up bringing us extra for free, trying to make up for the long wait. When dinner arrived, all I could say was, "mmm!" It was beyond delicious, and was well worth the wait. After many, many laughs, we walked out - happier than we had been before we arrived. We were almost at the door when Sal stopped us to take pictures with the fish tank that was featured on the show Tanked. 

We went home and wound up playing Cards Against Humanity, a game I had never played before. Let me just tell you, I could not stop laughing. Having never played before, made the cards that  much funnier, especially when you play with such great friends - old and new. We went to sleep with our stomachs hurting and our cheeks sore, looking forward to the next day. We woke up early, and headed to the local deli to grab sandwiches before we went to the country music festival. When we got to the stadium, we parked and chowed down. We didn't tailgate, instead we checked out the fan area, and enjoyed the music played by up and coming artists. 

The weather didn't look great, but we tried not to let it get us down. Unfortunately, the Florida weather hit us strong. There was thunder and lightning, and we found ourselves being herded inside the stadium, where it was safe. We were packed for a long time, and as time ticked by, we realized that the show was going to start extremely late. We were tired of standing, and we had all had enough. Everyone was hot and sweaty, pushing up against one another, and I wanted to leave. I wanted to lay down. The rain eventually stopped, as it always does in Florida, and the show began, but not before announcing that Big & Rich would be cut from the line up. Colt Ford came on, Little Big Town graced the stage, and then the two everyone was waiting for - Eric Church & Jason Aldean.   The first night was incredible, and as we walked back to the car, we sang the songs and chanted for the US of A! I could not wait for the following day - we were planning to make it better than today. I mean, just seeing Luke Bryan himself would make the day that much better. 

We went to bed, or fell into bed, exhausted. We woke up early the next day, and prepared. We got there early, and immediately lined up for the meet and greet. We were able to choose to meet Joe Nichols or Easton Corbin, and we ended up choosing Joe Nichols. I was excited, but again we waited. It seemed we did a lot of wasting, but in the end it was well worth it every time! He signed my ticket, and snapped a picture with me. It was Father's Day, and these artists who are dads had to spend their day putting on a show - I made sure to wish him a happy father's day, and for that I'm sure he appreciated. 

When the concert started, we heard Joe Nichols and Easton Corbin, Florida Georgia Line, and then Miranda Lambert, and finally Luke Bryan. When Luke came on, I nearly died. Even though I've seen him in concert before, he still stunned me. He's such a great performer. During his time on the stage, Jason Aldean came back out, as well as Miranda Lambert, and Joe Nichols, although I'm pretty positive Nichols was drunk, and had no clue what he was doing. We thought he was going to sing, but he just came out, stumbling and hugged, no it was more like fell into Luke's arms. The second day was definitely better, and it shines brightly in my memory. 

The next morning, some of our friends would be leaving, and I was glad that Sal and I had chosen to stay an extra day so that we could relax, something that we couldn't do the past two days. It's funny because you'd think that being on vacation, you would relax, but sometimes adventure calls me - more often than not. We still woke up early, we wanted to see the sunrise together. It was absolutely breathtaking, and to see the sun rise with people you care about, is such an incredible feeling. We walked the beach, saw starfish, all while waking up with the sun.

We left, and enjoyed lunch at this delicious local place, Mango Mangos. We ordered Pina Coladas, and I'm not sure why, but drinks like that always taste better near the beach, in the hot weather. For lunch, I ordered mahi mahi over salad. It was so fresh, and I ate every last bite. 

We hung out by the pool until Olivea came home from her internship, and then we got ready for dinner. It was just the three of us, taking on the town. After we enjoyed dinner, Olivea showed us around the town that she called home for the last two years. We explored the shops, the streets, and monuments from wars that happened long, long ago. We came upon the kissing tree, and Sal and I sealed our love underneath with a kiss. The night ended when we got our ice cream, because how else can you end a perfect day?

The next day was the day we were leaving, but we weren't about to leave without exploring the town on our own, and checking off more adventures off of our bucket list. I booked a later flight, so we had the whole day to wander around. Olivea had left us her bikes, and we grabbed them and rode around. Though we had a GPS, and Olivea's directions, we still found ourselves going the wrong way. Luckily we found what we were looking for - the lighthouse. I don't think I had ever been in a lighthouse before, and I was glad I was able to do so with Sal. We climbed the stairs, and I tried not to look down. It's not the heights I'm afraid of, but falling. I don't let fear stop me though. How could you, when you only live once?

Afterwards, we rode our bikes across the street, and chose to go zip lining over the alligator farm. Okay, Sal chose this, and I tagged along. I had always wanted to zip-line, and when I thought zip lining, I thought through the jungle on some island, not in Florida, but I am so happy that we did. With Sal lined up behind me, I wasn't frightened. I knew that I could do it, lead us. We zip lined over the alligators, and afterwards grabbed a bite to eat and walked around, enjoying the birds and alligators up close and personal.

Before we knew it, we had to go. We rode our bikes back, and quickly showered up. Our ride arrived, and we were on the plane before we knew it. Heading back home, heading back to reality. I was so happy; we had had such an unforgettable vacation, and even though I didn't want it to end, I'm so glad it happened. 

Lake Life

If you didn't know from my previous posts, Sal and I would choose the lake and country side over the city anyway. Our getaways are always to states like Pennsylvania and upstate NY for wineries and hiking. We prefer a slower, quieter way of life and although I'm not sure when that exactly started, I'm pretty happy it did. Ever since Sal's friend bought a house on the lake, we've been there almost once a week. We make sure we head to CKO bright and early, head home to shower, pack our bags and then we're off. It doesn't take too long to get there, but enough to ponder what's for lunch. Often we grab food to make at his house, but more often than not we stop for sandwiches at a little place up the street. Before we know it we're putting our chairs out to bask in the sun. Okay, I'm basking in the sun, while Sal fishes. 

When I first went to the lake, we walked around it, and I realized there was a small beach - how perfect, I thought. Since that day, I haven't spent any time on the beach, aside from a stroll here or there. I would much rather stay near Sal and watch him fish, honestly. I'm not sure why, but I always have such pride when he catches a fish, and I love being the one to photograph it, even though I complain to no end. While he's got his fishing pole in the lake, I'm buried in my NASM Personal trainer books, studying for the big exam. Aside from the occasional wind, it's a perfect place to study. I take study breaks occasionally, to just breathe, and once, I even caught my own fish! You could just imagine my excitement. That rush when you feel the tug on your fishing pole, and you reel it in, knowing that you've caught a fish, it's indescribable - and at that moment you get why your boyfriend loves it so much. Don't worry, I threw him right back, but not after I made Sal the photographer!

Whenever I go to the lake, I feel myself breathing deeper, easier. It's as if I am finally able to relax, and I feel all of the tension leave my shoulders. I take in deep breathes, and let them fall out of me. I say this every time we go to the lake, but it never gets old for me. I swear I see myself living there, though I don't think they have any hospitals in the countryside.

When his friend comes home from work, we make sure we either have things for him to grill for dinner, or know he's stocking tons of burgers in his freezer. Grilling after a day on the lake - what could be better? We hang out on his deck, that overlooks the lake, and admire the sun going down. We talk and we talk, listening to his friend play the guitar, take in the smell of the steak or burgers on the grill, and watch as the stars pop up one by one. It's truly incredible how many stars you can see when you're in an area without lights and buildings; I swear I could stare at the stars all night if I could.

If nothing else...

When Sal & I go on mini getaways, we, or should I say he, usually plans them extremely well. He asks around for good towns to go to in other states, he checks hotel websites and reviews, and always looks for things for us to do around the town. I have to admit, I'm a very lucky girl. It's not that I don't like looking for new places to go, but I must admit usually everything I plan turns out pretty bad - like buying amazing seats to see the Jets (well really Brett Favre at the time) and it DOWNPOURING, and I mean  down pouring like I've never seen. Now after spending all that money, we weren't about to leave the game, so we battled through. So since then, I'm not the planner of any getaways.

A few weeks ago, I had a longer weekend off from work, so Sal and I figured we'd go away for a few days. He suggested a few places we had already been to, but I like going to new places. So after talking we decided to go someplace close (2-3 hours away), and eventually ended up choosing Connecticut. He found a town near a wine trail and we thought we were set. We had planned to spend some time outside hiking at state parks, and enjoying wine at the different wineries. We are suckers for wine trails. Well it turned out that wineries are not open this time of year, apparently it's not the right 'season.' I get that it was early spring, but come on. We couldn't understand it, and after I groveled for a few minutes, sal was able to cheer me up. We were together, away, and that's what I needed to focus on. 

He looked online and found a state park nearby, with a waterfall, of course, so we decided to go on a hike. We wandered through the woods, forgetting our water bottles in the car, trying to figure out the trail map (we didn't, we just kept walking). We chatted and explored as if we were the only two on the earth. If nothing else, we found several water falls, and Sal got to use his GoPro to document it.

Once we found our way back to the car, making a complete circle, not forcing ourselves to go back through the same set of woods, we were starving and probably dehydrated. We decided to head back to the inn, and grab lunch at a local deli, which ended up having the best wraps, served with a piece of their homemade cake on the side! I had never seen a cuter lunch, and it was delicious - I don't know if it was because we were starving, or because they really were so delicious. We went back to the room to relax until dinner at a local Mediterranean spot, deciding to try it because we had never had that type of food before. It was interesting to say the least. We made sure to bring a bottle of wine with us.

We headed home and ended the night like every night should end - in each other's arms. 

The next morning we grabbed breakfast, and I headed to the hotel gym, while Sal hung out in the room and read. I love working out in hotels, especially when you're the only person. They have everything you need and I could look up ((Tone It Up)) workouts on my phone. We quickly got ready afterwards, and headed out to the store. We picked up salads for lunch, and found a scattergories card game, which made the afternoon fly by.

At the store we thought, "If we couldn't go to a winery, we were going to make our own, in our room." I can't take the credit for this - it was all Sal. We bought three different wines to 'taste' and picked up prosciutto, cheese, crackers, and fresh bread. We got all dressed up - i wasn't  about to let a nice outfit sit in my suitcase! Sal set up our table - made a reserved sign, put together out plate settings, and even found a tablecloth (okay, it was a towel, but you couldn't even tell)! We ordered room service, and put music on. That awkward moment came when the room service came and the guy walked in and basically told us that we were in a town that no one comes to visit... ever. If nothing else, we had our own wine tasting.

The night slipped away, and before we knew it the morning came, as did the snow. It was beautiful to the point of wearing short sleeves the day we arrived, and now on the day we were leaving, less than 48 hours later, it was snowing! It had snowed while we were sleeping, but we were still determined to get one more hike in before we left. We drove a bit, but found an incredible place to hike, well really climb the stairs right against the waterfall that seemed to be never ending. It was so icy near the waterfall, and the snow covered the ground, but we kept at it until we made it to the top. If nothing else, we built a snowman (we may have referenced Frozen).

I always get upset after vacations and mini getaways. Sal and I spend such little time together when we're home since we don't live together, and so during vacations I treasure the time so much, that I don't want it to end, but I guess that's with anything you love - you never want it to end.

If nothing else, we visited a new state. 

If nothing else, we were together.