Hello Dear Friends,
Brad and I are back to updating our blog. Since our last posting at the end of the September we've been really busy, but we didn't have much to update on ourselves. We were both busy with our jobs and we both had some busy weeks of travelling. So now we'll only update you on the important and fun stuff and leave out all the boring details of our daily life. :)
The main focus of our lives right now is figuring out where we will be moving after our stint in Salt Lake. We have really settled into the city here and we will be sorry to leave our home for the past year, but that doesn't mean we won't be back. Right now, Brad is in the process of finishing up with his interviews. He has gone on several second interviews and he has one more to complete. We think we have narrowed it down to two potential positions - one on the East Coast and one in the West. Once Brad signs his contract, we will let you know where our next home will be located. They are both excellent locations that are full of things to do, so you can definitely plan to pack your bags and come for a visit/mini vacation next year! We will be so happy to host you!
So here are some of the recent highlights of 2012:
- We finally made it to Southern Utah. We went to Arches National Park and had a fantastic time. We can't wait to head back down there when the weather gets warmer for a camping and mountain bike trip in parks like Zion, Bryce, Moab, and Capitol Reef. Utah is truly a spectacular state and for all of you that never considered visiting here - reconsider!!
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| This is a view of Delicate Arch - the famous arch on Utah license plates. |
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| Another view of Delicate Arch |
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| A view from underneath Window Arch |
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| We saw these amazing petroglyphs on our hike. |
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| This awesome family insisted they take a picture of us under an arch and in view of an arch! |
Brad had an interview in Albuquerque, so I was able to meet him there after I got off work on a Friday and we spent the weekend there. I had a great run in the high desert and we also visited Santa Fe. Pictures below are from my run:
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| I saw coyotes at the start of my run! |
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| The beautiful Rio Grande River. |
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| Of course, I had to take a picture of tumbleweed! |
Brad and I also had the opportunity to experience San Francisco together. Brad was invited to present his research on a poster and during a talk at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. His poster won "Best Poster" for the foot and ankle section of the conference and I am very proud of him!! We had some down time to explore the city together and I also got to see the city on my own. On my first morning in San Francisco, I ran through Chinatown down to the water and pier area. What an amazing run I had! I came across sea lions that were the cutest things ever. Some slept on rafts while others played King of the Mountain. They were so playful and adorable especially when they made barking noises. I was so happy to have witnessed these animals. I also got to run through a farmer's market and sampled orange slices and then I ran through an artist festival. I am truly impressed with the city of San Francisco! We did plenty of tourist activities since neither of us had been to the city before. We indulged in sushi and dim sum. We also rented bikes and rode over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito where we took the ferry back to San Francisco. The following pictures are from our adventures:
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| We are about to embark on the Golden Gate Bridge. |
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| The bridge was really crowded with runners and bikers, but we found room to stop and take a picture. |
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| When we looked down into the water, we saw porpoises and sea lions swimming! |
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| A view of the bridge from the ferry. |
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| Sausalito in the background. |
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| The grid pattern of SFO! |
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| A view of Alcatraz from the ferry. |
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| View of Alcatraz from the many hills of SFO. |
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| The painted ladies... |
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| I visited Telegraph Hill but didn't see any parrots, but we did on Lombard Street! |
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| Lombard Street! |
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| Adorable sleeping sea lion! |
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| Sea Lion Colony |
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| Morning yoga for a sea lion |
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| Entrance to Chinatown |
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| Haight/Ashbury Intersection |
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| Former residence of The Grateful Dead |
While travelling can be exhausting, we have really enjoyed our opportunities to see different areas. Brad and I recently counted how many states we have visited together and the number is actually 27! We were able to cross off a lot of states from our cross country trips. Other than travelling, Brad and I have been trying to get up to ski more often. This isn't a great winter for snow for the SLC area, but more storms have been rolling in and dumping a few feet of snow. We try to ski at least one day every weekend, but it's been hard since we were out of town a lot. Fortunately, the month of March tends to be a very snowy month for the Wasatch Mountains, so we are hoping to get in more downhill skiing, cross country skiing, and some snowshoe hikes in as well!
Our goal is to update our blog more often, now that our lives are getting ready to change again. We hope you will all stay tuned and follow along with our adventures!
- Jill and Brad
