Vacation already?

You know how you're often looking forward to a vacation thinking about how many weeks away it is and then all of a sudden... BAM! There it is. Well, that's how we're feeling about this vacation in T-minus 10 days. Granted, we are so excited and ready to be in Europe, but seriously, what happened to all those weeks I had to prepare at work and home?

Shockingly, I only reserved our London accommodations yesterday. Uh, yeah. That left us with few options and having to stay at two different spots, but that will just make everything more exciting, eh?

It was interesting to see that London is nearly double the cost of what most of our other hostels or hotels will be in other places. Oh well, it will be worth it when I'm sitting in a little pub grinning ear to ear.

Since we last spoke, I've decided that my weekend summer wardrobe requirements consist of a comfy Tar-get t-shirt (Merona vintage V-neck) and a pair of bright shorts (these are Gap).

What else happened since we last spoke? Well, some workouts for one. Last week I really got my bike on, which was fun for a change.

Week in workouts:

Monday - 26 mile bike ride w/ the manfriend. Highlights were the cows and a beast of a hill, but I was smiling nearly every second!

Tuesday - 11 mi roundtrip bike commute + power yoga

Wednesday - 3.25 a.m. miles + 23 mile bike ride w/ the manfriend

Thursday - 3 mi lunch run testing out the new Altras*

Friday - 3.5 mi neighborhood run + 20 min HIIT strength

Saturday - 10 miles on the Ridgeline Trail with Laurel. I forget how long runs always fly by with friends!

Sunday - 12 solo miles of road + hilly trail. Right hip was pretty cranky with me for the next 24 hrs. 


We also got to see the Oregon Coast (Newport, OR) on Saturday for a friend's wedding party. I made a point to put my feet in the sand even though we didn't have a ton of time to hang out.

There's just something about the feel of warm sand between your toes and the sound of waves rushing in and out. 

So much squinting

And finally, my favorite eats as of late (next to the fresh Ahi at the wedding party) have been these little appetizer plates I've made for dinner the past few nights; one night paired with a salad and another night a little egg scramble. 

Mmm... cheese. 

Do you have any rituals you do when you get to certain places? Do you plan things far ahead or are you more of a go with the flow kind of traveler? 

*Disclosure: I've been wanting to try out a pair of Altras for a while now. They offered me a discount on my purchase for a review in return. So keep your eyes peeled for a review in the near future!