winter.

Last night we got at least a foot of snow.  

I'm in a funny place, where I can't say where I'll be in a month.  Classes will be ending in one week and I only have two more weeks in my apartment.  These deadlines are holding me and before I know it everything will be different.

s n o w

Went to bed with barren trees and grey land to see, and the next morning looked out my window to see a world quite different. 

road trip road trip.

A 4 day weekend and a spontaneous new friend led to a road trip to the interior of British Colombia!  Caroline and I had both heard all of these wonderful things about Nelson, B.C. which usually ended with the person saying, "honestly, you won't want to leave".  So, we arranged for places to stay and hit the road.  It was an 8 hour trip, but the journey ended up being just as beautiful as the final destination.   We meandered through small mountain towns, valleys, prairies - one moment we would be surrounded by dry and grassy plains with the sun beating down on us and the next there was only evergreen with rivers running through it and a covering of snow.  The only constant was the endless layering of mountain ranges, more beautiful than I'd ever seen.  Caroline is Brazilian, so it was fun to watch her get so excited about seeing snow, which had become sort of became commonplace for me, coming from Vermont.  Looking out the window, my eyes never got bored, and really with all of the sun, and no road troubles to be had, there was nothing to do but to look up and be thankful.

snow.

The first serious snowfall of the season led us to go see what Bingham Falls looks like when it's covered in snow.  With no people to be found and a quiet winter wonderland only for us - it was magic.  

vermont.

I can't believe that nearly 6 months have passed that I've been living in this beautiful state, and before I can fully play in all the mountain snow I'll be heading off to begin my first baking internship.  What will I do without my grandmother's house being so near?

indoors.

As the temperature drops in Vermont I've been spending more and more of my time cozied up in my little apartment.  Since my artisan bread making class has begun my days start so, so early and I leave each class with a quiet, tired, contentment.  Upon starting the class I imagined that once I got out for the day I would savor how much daytime I still had to go adventuring around, but I've really just done the exact opposite.  Instead I'm learning to appreciate the side of myself that really just loves to wrap up in a blanket with soup and a book.  It's ended up being a healthful acceptance, as someone who berrates herself for not constantly 'doing things',  I've found that taking lengthy moments to sit inside, enjoy a friend's company, or share pancakes, without some form of guilt afterwards, has ended up being one of the best things for me.  I appreciate the moments when I am outside much more and I'm more attentive to things like my neighbors indoor window boxes.  My place has a new, 'lived-in' feeling to it and coming back to it I can soak up smells from whatever the last meal I made was.  It's nice to occasionally tell the part of your mind that's buzzing with all the 'productive' ways you could be spending your time to quiet the heck down.

And, a couple of days ago I woke up to a window filled with falling snow c:

montreal, canada

...where all the surrounding areas look like a Wyeth painting and everything is in French.  My favorite moments were the little ones - like eating the infamous poutine whilst playing Uno, or driving up to the tallest point in montreal with peanut butter on graham crackers and 80's music in the background. Even just this bookstore may have been worth the trip.  Plus, I had the best road trip companions - montreal wouldn't have been nearly as fun without them.

++probably more photos coming

st. johnsbury, vt

It's everyone else's winter break, so i've taken this time to pretend that I don't have finals next week and am joining them on a crazy winter road trip to the north.  Our first stop was Melissa's new home - St. Johnsbury, Vermont.  It's a small little Vermont village filled with rustic diners and friendly people.  The stay was so cozy with fresh bread awaiting us when we arrived and a peaceful little tour of her new home.  She never really ever fails to prove why she is my most cherished friend.

...and soon we will be in Canada!

a farmhouse sleepover.

I was invited to a new friends' family's farmhouse for games and playing in the snow.  The house was built in the 1800's and had secret rooms through bookshelves and all the little rustic things I love (i.e. woodstoves).  I can't stress how nice it is to get out of the city sometimes, especially when it means seeing snowy new england, border collies, and eating the best (blueberry banana) pancakes I've ever had.