Vacation Slides

We've only been back a week and a half, but it already feels like forever. Work is really, really busy right now (the main difference between my old job and my new one- no one even hinted I should not be going on my vacation last week and my blackberry stayed behind on the kitchen counter at home). I'm en route to NYC to conduct some witness interviews and I'm so excited. It has been WAY too long since I've seen the Big Apple- the big city, the lights, the walking, the friends (both bloggy and law school related) I'll get to see while I'm here. Oh, and the fact that I get to be the woman in charge instead of the woman carrying binders- it's going to be a good three days. I love Manhattan; sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake when I picked UChicago over NYU and Columbia. But then I think about how much I adored Chicago, the wonderful friends I made there, and the (comparatively) large apartment we were able to rent (which enabled us to have room for the Lanman), and know I probably made the right decision, but it's fun to walk around the city streets and ponder the what ifs.

While I'm doing that, here's a quick look back at our unglamorous, but super fun trip to the Ozarks, because one day I'm probably going to make a book out of these posts and our Summer Vacay 2012, in which we hiked and whittled and searched for monkeys, deserves a page.

Cue projector:

Devil's Den Falls

something is missing...


Miss Independent. NO assistance accepted.


I was allowed to spot on the climb at the end
(also, this is why she's usually in a carrier)

Devil's Den trail, morning 1:

Ready to hike!


caves


balance beam


Devil's Ice Box (it's freezing in there)

Yellow Rock Trail, day 2:

more of the balancing


spot the Landon


making mommy nervous through the camera lens

Misc.

honey badger


Badger was PISSED when she found out how cold this water was


chillin


s'mores (within the guidelines of the drought-induced burn ban)


puzzling

It really was a great little vacation. It came about in May when JP was about to have a nervous breakdown and I was completely irritated over how much he was working. He thought he could make a break in August and I immediately thought of this state park I'd loved growing up. I called, they had one cabin available for one weekend, at the very end of August. We carefully starting setting aside $500 for the trip, and including gas and our one big dinner out in Fayetteville, spent exactly $520. Not bad for 4 days of hiking, fun, and relaxation. And by keeping me away from the Targets, Costcos, and the internet generally, I figure we saved at least half that in purchase avoidance. So, by my sound economic logic, we saved money.

We hope to go back in the Spring when there's usually water. There were so many dry waterfalls and creek beds we hiked over- it was still beautiful, but I can't wait for JP and the kids to see it in all its waterfalled glory.