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summer's end, new adventure



the weather's been getting chilly here, and although autumn is an amazing time of year, i can't help but feel sad about summer's end. it's like an old friend has come to stay, and the reunion is so sweet that you forget that they're only visiting. and when it's time for them to leave, it's just as painful as the last time they left. it never gets easier. the end of summer will never get any easier for me.

and i'm not gonna lie, it's been tough. back in may when i graduated, the promise of an adventurous summer kept me hopeful. but now that the air is cold and summer is fading, it's harder to stay positive about all this change. my classmates have all left for college. in a new town, with new people. and yet i'm the one who feels alone.

as bleak as it may sound, God has shown His love for me in little ways. one of my friends just returned from a trip to ireland. She brought me back a claddagh ring--from ireland. how legit is that? i was so touched that she thought of me enough to bring me back such a thoughtful and beautiful gift, especially since i take such pride in my irish heritage. i wear it every day and every time i see it i think of her. i'm so incredibly thankful to have her as a gap year buddy.

it is then that i realize summer isn't a season. summer is a feeling; it's a state of mind. and just because the season of summer is over doesn't mean that the feeling has to be over, too.

the weather's getting chilly here, but i'm slowly becoming okay with it. i feel excitement in the cold. i see adventure in the turning leaves. i hear promise in the whistling wind. because when i realize that life is changing, and my old friends have gone their separate ways, and i don't have new classes to look forward to, it's not the end of summer. it's the beginning of a new adventure. 

here's to new adventures.

xoxo, 
kate

up north 2015 - lake michigan


Last week I spent three days camping up north by the shore of Lake Michigan. We were at the same campsite as last year, so we had the same beautiful view! Everything is so beautiful up north, it's like a completely different state. It's hard to believe it's only a couple hours' drive away from home.


family and the beach = peaceful.


Our first day we visited Mackinac Island. Despite the crowds, it's honestly one of my favorite places.


The ferry that took us to the island and back. We sat on the top and got soaked! 


The ferry took us under the bridge!


We saw so many cute cottages on the island, I didn't know what to do with myself.


We also saw Tahquamenon Falls--or, as my dad calls it, the upside down root beer float.


Lake Michigan at sunset...stunning.


The cutest little corner store we passed in the upper peninsula.


Nothing beats those sunsets.
xoxo,
Kate

mix tape, vol. 1: summer road tripping


I went up north for a couple days of beach therapy. My parents were already there, so that meant a mini road trip with the big brother! Of course I made us a nifty CD with some of my favorite songs...

01. What Did You Do // Gabrielle Aplin
02. Dime Store Cowgirl // Kacey Musgraves
03. Sugar // Maroon 5
04. I've Got This Friend // The Civil Wars
05. A Sky Full Of Stars // Coldplay
06. You Make My Dreams Come True // Hall & Oates
07. Collar Full // Panic! At The Disco
08. New Romantics // Taylor Swift
09. Young Dumb And In Love // Mat Kearney
10. Talk // Tori Kelly
11. Uma Thurman // Fall Out Boy
12. Katie Queen Of Tennessee // The Apache Relay
13. My Type // Saint Motel
14. All Night // R5
15. Ready Or Not // Bridgit Mendler
16. Restart // Sam Smith
17. Tenerife Sea// Ed Sheeran
18. The Middle Of Starting Over // Sabrina Carpenter
19. Electric Love // BØRNS

These are the moments that make life lovely.

xoxo,
Kate