As someone who has a strong dislike of hot weather, experiencing a winter in Florida has been a rather strange one. I keep expecting it to be cold, but it's not. Outside is a balmy 80 F day with sunshine and a few clouds. I miss crisp, chilly days where I can wrap myself up in a warm sweater and scarf and drink a cup of hot tea without breaking into a sweat. But now that we're in the full swing of winter, it hasn't been that bad.
I've come to appreciate the beautiful weather and the calm days. Back in the Bay Area, a visit to the beach in winter would have been an insanely cold, grey affair complete with aching fingers, wind-bitten ears, and no thought of going anywhere near the water. Here, a walk along the beach is quite pleasant and relaxing. Even the water is warm enough to enjoy. We're heading down to the Keys pretty soon, and I have no doubt that there will be a few more beautiful beach days ahead of us. Wherever you are, I hope you're finding ways to stay warm and cozy.
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Florida has these amazing pockets of forests, called hammocks. They're densely packed with hardwood trees and ferns. Here are a few photos that I took in the Oak Hammock Trail on Merritt Island, which is near Cape Canaveral. There was a boardwalk built over the swampy parts, so we were able to get a good look at trees growing up out of the water. We saw plenty of zebra longwing butterflies, which is Florida's state butterfly. I'm looking forward to walking around more hammocks as we travel through Florida.
We're on our way our next spot. But I thought I would share that I'm doing my best to take photos every day. Luckily the spot we were in had a sweet little pond full of reeds and lily pads. I've always enjoyed using creative, artistic lenses rather than the standard camera lenses. The first two photos were taken with an old Russian lens, the Helios 44. I love this lens since it's so easy to use in low light and gives a beautiful bokeh and velvety focus.
The second set of photos were taken with a Lensbaby Composer Pro with a Edge 80 optic, which you can find out more about here. I love this lens for its creativity, but there can be a bit of a learning curve in using it. Every time I put it on my camera, I have to get reacquainted with it. But it's so worth it for the blurry edgework and unique look. I'm planning on using these two lenses a lot more in my travels. Our setup at a KOA in south central Florida. Happy New Year! It's about time that we sent 2020 out and welcome in 2021, which I sincerely hope will bring in better things for all of us.
We first started exploring the idea of traveling across the country in an RV this past year, the last thought on any of our minds would have been a pandemic that shut down various parts of the country. All the events we planned on going to were cancelled, one by one. The reality set in that we would need to shift our focus and adjust our plans. We delayed picking up our RV for several months. Instead of planning on going to events, we decided to keep to ourselves and look for activities that allow for safer social distancing. Instead of exploring downtowns, we now go to nature parks and wildlife preserves, with the occasional visit to an art museum, if health safety protocols are in effect. Instead of going out to eat, we are cooking with the occasional splurge on take out or outdoor dining. Hello and welcome to my first blog post! I'll be sharing our journey across the US in a Grand Design Momentum RV Travel Trailer, which I share with my fiancé James and our 20 year old kitty named Miss Puff Puff.
We just started our travel journey back in late September, but we bought our RV trailer back in March, right when states starting shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our trailer sat in storage until early fall when it was somewhat safe to travel (at least by car) again. We picked up a heavy duty truck in Texas and then picked up our trailer in North Carolina. It took a few months to get the trailer set up to our liking - we had to move our desks, art supplies, kitchen utensils, and other possessions all the way from California to the East Coast. Now, we're just starting to enjoy life in a home that is completely mobile. I'll be sharing more about our journey, as we not only travel through the US but also work on creating art, think deep thoughts under the stars, and work on rediscovering ourselves. Honestly, the work of rediscovering ourselves was the main purpose of going on this long journey across the states. Travel has always been one of my deepest loves, because I have the heart of an explorer, the need to discover and understand other points of view, other ways to live. And even more important to me is the idea of how to travel mindfully, with the idea of how travel can make me a better person and a better citizen of the community I'll eventually live in. Welcome to our journey! |
About MeHello! My name is Kat (she, her, hers), and I'm here to tell you about my travels in a Grand Design Momentum 5th Wheel Travel Trailer with my better half, James and my kitty, Miss Puff Puff. ArchivesCategories |