Throwback Thursday, Part 5

I'm pretty much convinced that I need a vacation.

My summer will be amazing, given all the trips I have planned...

But somehow it will feel incomplete without a family trip to Yosemite. 

Every 2 years my aunt Linda and her family fly out to California to spend a couple of weeks with us and we inevitably end up spending a few days "roughing it" in Yosemite. 

And by roughing it I mean sleeping in tent cabin instead of 5 star hotel. (Like we normally do)

We've gone many times, but our trip in 2010 is by far my favorite.

My cousins were much older this time, which brought everyone closer together somehow. There was a lot less stress from the adults and a lot more freedom for us kids. 

We were able to walk around and explore on our own, but we didn't want to. Instead, we went river rafting as a family.

The rest of our days there were spent hiking and enjoying the warm weather.

Yosemite is the honestly one of the most amazing places I have ever been to. The air feels cleaner, the people seem happier, and the food tastes fresher.
If I could call out of work, ditch all my classes, and convince TJ to follow suit, I would be Yosemite bound in a heartbeat.
Correction: Less than a heartbeat.

And I'm sure my family would agree.

A Nice, Long Walk

As southern California is finally  providing its deprived citizens with sunshine and warm weather, the only place for us to be is outside. No ifs, ands, or butts about it.

So that is exactly what TJ and I decided to do. As soon as I got off of work I raced home, changed into comfortable clothing, and ran out of the house as if it was on fire.

And so we began our walk through Mission Viejo.

I love to hike. In fact, Yosemite is one of my favorite vacation spots. (Which speaks volumes given how prissy I can be) However, I must admit that at certain times, the walk from my place to TJ's was terrifying. Especially walking over the bridge that connects Ladera Ranch to Mission Viejo. Let me explain:

On one hand, one side of the road provides you with a beautiful view from the top of the bridge... with a loooong way to fall down should you fall over. Obviously the likelihood of falling over the side is, well... not likely at all, but my fear of heights makes all dangerous outcomes seem like a possibility.

On the other hand, there is a busy road on the exact opposite side with cars racing by at at least 55 miles per hour.

In my head that adds up to either death by breaking my neck or getting hit by a car...

And yet, the view was absolutely stunning and completely worth letting my inner scaredy cat show.

Motivation

I, like many others, HATE the gym.
I like to think of myself as an easy going, down-to-earth, happy-go-lucky type of person... but all of that goes out the window when my boyfriend tells me it's time to get our butts to the gym.
Recently, however, I have found my motivation. The one thing that makes me want to go work out and get in better shape.

Victoria's Secret models. Specifically from the Swim catalogs they were nice enough to send me after I signed up for the Angel Rewards card.

While I did happen to fall in love and purchase a bathing suit from the catalog, it quickly became my mission to look just as good in it as the model.

Jeweled Push-Up Bandeau

It could happen, right? Especially since I have about 3 months until my first bikini-required vacation of the summer: a weekend-long girl's cruise to Mexico.

Either way, I bid you adieu. Now that I have more than one reason for going, I want to get this butt in bikini-worthy shape before the start of summer ASAP.