Is This Real Life?

Sit in that six-lane backed up traffic
Horns are honking, I've about had it
I'm looking for an exit sign
Gotta get out of here, get it all off my mind
And like a memory from your grandpa's attic
A song comes slippin' through the radio static
Changing my mood
A little George Strait 1982

And it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home
Put a little gravel in my travel
Unwind, unravel all night long
Makes me wanna grab my honey
Tear down some two-lane country
Who knows
Get lost and get right with my soul
Makes me wanna take
Makes me wanna take a back road.

I've been cooped up, tied down, 'bout forgotten
What a field looks like, full of corn and cotton
If I'm gonna hit a traffic jam,
Well it better be a tractor man
So sick and tired of this interstate system
I need a curve and wind-a-twistin'
Dusty path to nowhere
With the wind blowing through my baby's hair

[source]

Take a Backroad - Rodney Atkins

Six months ago, whenever this song came on the radio, I would cry. I was commuting an hour or more each way to a job I didn't like; I had somewhere to be every single night after work; I didn't get enough sleep; I didn't exercise; I had no time to do anything I wanted. All of my commitments were things I didn't want to cut out though, so I felt stuck. I was leading Young Life, and the coordinator for that school, I was part of a bible study, I wanted a social life, and to spend time with my extended family. None of those things are anything to get rid of, but they all take up time, and in my case it was taking all of my time.

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Today as I drove to the post office, I literally got teary eyed thinking, "WOW.. this is real life!". I had country music blasting, the windows down, sun shining, breeze blowing, not a car in sight as I overlooked the valley and saw the ocean in the distance. All I could do was tell myself - I actually live here. This is my real life. I am sooooooo happy!

So I took some pictures to share :) And, I love visitors. 


All photos from my iPhone; all photos unedited - if you can believe that.

See the grocery store way down there?!

Just imagine what this looked like in person. Breathtaking.

Weeeee! [ok maybe this one is a little edited]



Bottom Line: I am BLESSED!

The Magic Behind the Camera: Holson Photography

Ever wondered where my incredible 'blogger profile pic' came from?

Please, allow me to introduce you to the darling Heather of Holson Photography.

She just happens to be hilarious, beautiful, and most of all super talented! I wish we could've done our engagements in Seattle so that we could have used her for those too. It was super important to Zach to do them in Marietta (his hometown) so I respectfully obliged like a good wifey.

We didn't want to see each other before our ceremony because we're all traditional in some ways, which btw I am SO glad we didn't! It made walking down the aisle so so so special. We decided that since we wouldn't have unlimited time between ceremony & party for pictures, we'd ask Heather to do a "trash the dress" a few weeks after the wedding. I had never heard that term before asking her and when she said it I about fainted. She quickly reassured me I didn't have to actually trash my dress. [here's us]

Anyways, where was I.. Oh yeah, Heather! Check her out if you're in the Seattle area because she is seriously amazeballs!! [whenever anyone says that word, I always think of her cus I heard it from her first. True testament to her awesomeness]

One day I'll share our day-of wedding photos, because those are pretty stellar too :)

Thanks again, Heather!