Hi my friends, I’m back in town and equal parts happy to be home and desperately missing the tropics! Not a bad spot to be in at all. I’d planned on posting regularly while I was away but when I realized the internet was slow I thought it might be the universe reminding me that we all need to disconnect once in awhile, so I let go of the pressure I put on myself and tried my best to stay present and offline. That time provided opportunity for slowing down and reflecting that I didn’t even realize I needed, but so SO did!
I thought a lot about this site, about where I see it going, about the ways in which I’ve changed that the site doesn’t reflect quite yet. I love it still, but in some ways it feels like a dated version of myself. Like that feeling you get when you look back through photos from a few years past and you think yes, that’s me but WOW DO I FEEL DIFFERENT NOW!!!! Does that make sense? All of this means that I’m going to be shifting the direction around here a bit- more travel, food, health, and wellness. Less fashion and home decor. My priorities have changed, my lifestyle is slightly different, and I feel compelled to share that. This site has always been a reflection of me, and one that I try to make as authentic as possible, so it’s only natural that as I change it changes with me. I hope you’ll like the shift, even if you miss the old bits at times…
Which brings me to the MOST exciting news! Lou and I keep going back to this post and checking in with our guts and we’ve decided WE’RE HITTING THE ROAD IN OUR RV FOR A YEAR TO MEET YOU!!!! I mean, after your sweet responses to that post how could we NOT?! We’re working out the details (mainly, finding long term renters for our house so if you know anyone in San Diego who’s looking send them our way!!!). We’re hoping to be on on the road mid- January or February at the latest. We’re also working on our route which turns out to be the most challenging part for two people who crave sunshine and warm weather, and who worry about hosting outdoor dinners in temps below 65 degrees! We’ll be announcing city dates on our Instagrams as we go (@sarahyatesmora @loumora) and I’ll be sharing the whole adventure here throughout the year. I CANNOT WAIT TO MEET YOU!!!!!!!!!!! And for those of you I can’t me, I CANNOT WAIT TO SHOW YOU WHAT WE SEE!!!!
One of the things we’ve gone back to a bunch in our conversations about whether or not to tackle this trip was the idea that there really is no better time than the present. An adventure like this is something I’ve always dreamed about. And I look back on my twenties and wonder WHY DID I NOT? I don’t want to do that about my thirties. I’m constantly striving to craft the life that lights me up the most, that makes me feel alive and full and excited. I don’t want to miss a beat, I don’t want to do things just because it’s the way it’s always been done, I don’t want to march along in a life that doesn’t feel like it’s the very best incarnation of what I can dream up. And so, we’re tackling this adventure head on!
I can’t say all of that without also saying this: we have major nerves about this, there are moments of fear, there are times when we say to each other WHAT ARE WE DOING?! What if no one really wants to have dinner with us, what if we put it out there and I cook my heart out and no one shows up? What if we’re so homesick in three months that we could cry?! WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF?!!!!!!!! You know how that goes, right? It’s always a sign to me that I’m on exactly the right path. If it’s not a bit terrifying, it’s probably not going to push me to the places I’m looking to go, even if I don’t know where exactly it IS that I’m trying to go.
Last but the very most not least: I really appreciate your support over the years, I’m so grateful to have you on these adventures with me, I’m really looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible. So, if on our adventures you notice that we’re in your hometown and want to grab a coffee (tea for me!) please email us at [email protected] and let’s catch up!!! Instagram (@sarahyatesmora @loumora) will be the best place to get real-time updates about where we are, since I usually post here after we’ve thoroughly exhausted ourselves in a spot and have headed out of town. We’re so looking forward to living this next year offline as much as online, we’re so looking forward to having you in our lives, both on and offline! xx- Sarah
You could do a dinner party here:
http://expohousedallas.com/
It’s made for that kind of thing! AND you could see your friend Tom Maddrey. I would love to attend! Wishing you guys the best of luck!
Yes! I live in Dallas! Plan a stop through here while you’re checking Marfa and Austin off your list.
Thanks Lynn! Dallas! I love that idea, have only been once and didn’t get to see much of it so hoping we make it back that way on this trip! xx
Thank you Apryl, that spot looks incredible!!! Hope to see you soon!!! 🙂
You will be homesick, you will argue and you will feel alone. But at the end of the day you and Lou will have one another. You’ll have adventure and you’ll have freedom and fun. We left home 3 years ago as newlyweds and it’s been the best time. As our last year approaches we are sad but we also have a baby who travels Europe alongside us making our family our days and our lives the best it could be. Have an amazing adventure!
Incredible Stacey! Thank you so much for the words of encouragement and you are such an inspiration!! xx
THIS IS AMAZING. I support you, I follow you, I keep up with you, and am so happy you both are doing this! THIS is how to live! I’m sure you will have an amazing time and I hope your travels bring you to the mountains of East Tennessee! You have always been my favorite photographer/blogger and I cross my fingers for our paths to cross one day!
Julie, you are the sweetest, thank you! Tennesee is definitely on our list, and we’d be thrilled to meet you!!! Making a note to try to make it to the mountains in the east (that sounds magical, btw) 🙂 Thank you so much for the kind words!! xx
you should put cape cod on your list. you’d love the beaches out here in the summer.
YES!!!!!! Growing up in Maine I know just how magical those east coast Summers are! I don’t know if we’re going to be able to make it all the way East by Summer, but we’ll see! We’re scratching our heads right now trying to figure out how to be in 10 places at once during the months of June, July and August. ha! xx
Hooray Hooray!!! This is the best news! If you come near Austin Town, I’m totally there! I’ve been following your blog for at least 4 years now!
Oh Tori, THANK YOU!!! So sweet of you and we’re definitely coming to Austin so I can’t wait to meet you!!!!
Fun!! Make sure you hit up Marfa, Austin and Santa Fe!
Check, Check, Check!! Thanks Nicole!!
PLEASE say you’ll come to Toronto!!!!!!! I would LOVE to meet you!!! Please say YES! LOL!
haha Jennifer! YES!!! We’re definitely hoping to make it to Toronto! 🙂
If you stop in Arizona let me know….but make sure you take Lou to Montana!
Jennay OF COURSE!!! And I’m dying to go back to that magical state, on our list!!!
OMG! so awesome! I am so excited for you and can’t wait to see all your adventures.
Thanks so much Jennifer!!! 🙂 Can’t wait to share them! xx
What an opportunity of a lifetime! I cannot wait to follow along with your travels.
Thank you Marcia!!! So excited and happy you’ll be following along! Thanks so much for your support! xx
Wow! What a fabulous adventure. Be sure to stop in Denver…would love to have dinner with you all.
We are getting ready to get lots of snow, so maybe you would prefer to visit in the early summer:)
HA!!! We have friends who are traveling through Colorado and getting pummeled by snow right now! I don’t know if we’re tough enough to sleep in a van in the snow?! But would love to make it to Denver and meet you, so hopefully the seasons are kind to us! 🙂
Hi Sarah — I just wanted to say that your blog is consistently one that I turn to when I come home from work, and am freaking exhausted, and just needing to chill out. As I get older, I feel more and more excluded from the designer-turned-mommy-blogger community, and appreciate both your incredible taste (have to admit I absolutely love your decor posts from both palm springs and SD), your voice (particularly the honesty of the one on the amount of money bloggers make versus other successful women in our thirties), the recipe posts, and of course the fact that you have the cutest bunny on earth. Just wanted to say thank you.
Chloe you have no idea how much it means to me to read that, so thank YOU! This blog didn’t start as a financial endeavor, and while it’s been lovely that it ended up there, my true goal has always been to find a way to connect with people, to share my story. So it just makes me so happy to read your thoughts and know that what I’m doing is getting is making someone’s day a bit brighter. Thank you so much for writing that. And also, ISN’T HE INSANELY CUTE?! HA!!! I’m obsessed.
Hooray!!! This is absolutely incredible! Definitely try to make it to the Sleeping Bear Dunes in northern Michigan. I lived in Michigan from 0-22 and didn’t make it there until a trip back from LA for a cousin’s wedding in my late 20’s. I could NOT believe how insanely breathtaking it was…. it was also just voted the most beautiful place in America by ABC I believe.
Huge congratulations for making the decision to take this step. My fiancé’s parents traveled the world for 6 years in their late 20’s-early 30’s and still talk about it all of the time. They traveled all around Europe, worked on a sailboat in Australia, his mom paddled to shore to give birth to his sister in New Zealand, biked across China with her on her back and finally came back home to California to settle down. Their stories are incredible and they made a lifetime of memories – I wish we were in a position to do something like this… maybe one day! Wishing you the best on this adventure and can’t wait to read all about it! xo
Whoah, what incredible stories!!! I love that. Thanks so much for the tips Meg (and thank you for the recs for the Sleeping Bear Dunes, sounds incredible! Googling now. 🙂 And, congrats on your engagement!!! xx
Sarah, you’re amazing. Hope you’ll make it to DC! xo
Thank you Nadya!!! Me too! 🙂
Heya! This is so exciting – I am so happy for you guys, and hope you’ll consider passing through DC 🙂 I’d love to meet you and grab tea (I don’t actually drink coffee either…) 🙂
Thank you Anagha!!! I really hope we make it to DC too! Since we started really getting serious about the route planning I’m realizing we may need 2 years instead of just one!!! Ahhh!
Hello Sarah,
As a longtime follower of your blog, I’ve appreciated all that you share… the fun, the pretty and the personal. You are a blogger that has a voice of authenticity… I’m excited about your new adventure and will be following the blog and instagram in hopes of meeting you some day when you come through the Seattle area. Hopefully we’ll be on your list…. our mountains and lakes make Seattle an amazing destination spot.
How exciting! Will you be starting here in San Diego? I’m a local and would love to join you for dinner before you hit the road.
Puuuhlease make it to Baltimore (or DC). If you make it to Baltimore, I could cook for you and give you a break from camp cooking (though truth be told, nothing tastes better than a meal cooked outdoors over a fire)! What an amazing opportunity for you and Lou. I am so very envious!
Sarah, I love, love, love your blog and love the open way in which you share your joys and your struggles. It would be such a treat to meet you and share a meal with you and your lovely furry family (and your fabulous hubby)!
Cheers and very safe travels,
Maureen
Maureen, thank you!!! So sweet of you to offer to cook for us (and I would never turn down a meal!!!) 🙂 I’m really hoping we make it your way! Thank you so, so much for the kind words and support, it means the world to me!!!! xx
Hi Sarah,
I was just checking in on your blog after a little bit, seeking inspiration from your awesome West Coast travels as my boyfriend and I are going to be road tripping to similar destinations (Yosemite, Big Sur, SLO, San Diego) over the Dec/Jan holidays – and I’m so happy to see your news! I second the vote to come to Baltimore (where I’m currently living). One of the things I love about travel is finding charm and beauty in places that aren’t necessarily “hot spots.”
It’d be great to run into you in San Diego! Best of luck with everything – I’ll be tuned in. xx
Harshi
What a wonderful idea! Here’s to hoping you make it all the way out to DC 🙂
Thank you Zoe!!! Me too! 🙂
Wow…good luck on this amazing adventure. You’re right, there is no better time than the present. If I can help in any way while you are gone, as someone I hope you know you can trust, please let me know. (husband is a lawyer, sometimes that makes me seem even more trustworthy—lol) Have a great time!
HA! Diane, you’re incredible! Thank you so much! Hopefully we’ll be all set but it’s always nice to know we have someone willing to lend a hand! Appreciate it much! xx
This is such amazing news, and when you roll through SF I know plenty of people who would LOVE to break bread with you!
Thank you Jessica! SF is on our shortlist! Looking forward to a meal with you! 🙂 xx
Sarah!
I follow both you and Lou on instagram and love all your posts. I love love love your blog too! You inspire me with every post, to focus on what matters! Health and happiness!
I would love to join you for tea (I’m a tea gal as well) if you ever come to Vancouver Island in Canada! We have such beautiful scenery here! There is also tons to do every season if you like outdoor activities! Personally I love to be outdoors in the summer and indoors during the colder months, cuddling on the couch with a blanket and a hot cup of tea in the evenings.
But please!! If you both come this way come for a visit and I’d love to show you around the island!
Sincerely,
Mandy Dugas!
@MandyDugas19
http://www.MandysHealthyLife.com
Mandy!!! Thank you so, so much! We definitely want to come to Vancouver, so hopefully we’ll be seeing you this Summer. Will definitely take you up on the offer to show us around, nothing better than a local friend when traveling!! Thank you so much, please give me a shout when we get close!! xx
Glad to hear the adventure is a GO! Wishing you the best…I’ve always wanted to do the same, one day! Hope you make it to the coast of NC! We would love to meet you. I enjoy your blog..Keep us posted if you plan to make it to Topsail Beach!
This is so exciting, I can’t wait to follow along via instagram and your blog! While it’s mostly not warm and sunny, we have nice summer weather–you should really consider heading to Seattle/the Pacific Northwest! It’s so beautiful up here! Maybe ring able to ride ferries around to the islands would make up for cooler temps? Can’t wait to hear your stories and see pictures.
Sarah, this is super exciting! What an adventure. I have a dream to be able to do something like this one day. I don’t have a job that currently allows for this but maybe one day…. until then, thanks for sharing your experiences and journey with us all, your “virtual” friends. On that note, I might also add a HUGE THANK YOU to you for your recent post about living in a day where social media allows us to be more connected, but also making us more lonely. It really resonated with me, and I’m sure most people because humans crave connection and belonging. Connecting over the inter-webs doesn’t fulfill what we as humans truly need. Would love to share in your journey. I’ll keep my eye out for your posts when/if you head through Utah and Arizona. xoxo!
I love the photos from your trip! Looks amazing! My family and I are doing a road trip in the South Island of New Zealand very soon!
I would love to do something like this with my husband some day, it sounds like so much fun!
And I really hope you guys make it out to Denver! I would love to meet you! Don’t let the snow scare you off, we still get beautiful, sunny days even in the dead of winter 😉
Sarah, bravo for putting yourself out there and acting on this wonderful adventure!! I live in NH (yes, it is COLD in the winter but absolutely breathtaking in the summer and fall) and I am already looking forward to meeting you and chatting! Also, Pepito?! I have a King Charles Cavalier but have now decided I need to add a bunny to our family!
Wow! The adventure and memories that’ll await you guys… I guess it will be an experience of a lifetime.
I’d say, come over to Belgium (we have two adorable bunnies who could be friends with Pepito Mora!), but that would be a bit out of the way, I guess!
Can’t wait to see all the places you visit. I’ll be sure to check on you guys through Instagram!
I’m excited to hear that you’re planning to feature more recipes on your site — they’re always some of my favorite posts! If I might offer one suggestion … would you consider incorporating a recipe index on your site? I personally would find it so helpful to see your recipes categorized with a small pic next to the main title of each recipe. I know this is not a small task though!
you are going to love it. josh and i traveled the us a ton in our twenties and had the best time. not one regret. not one. our friends used to tease us that we were retired. the road is the best. i can’t wait to follow along.
Hi Sarah!! I hadn’t read your blog in awhile and I happened to be in need of some inspiration this morning and I knew i would find it on your blog. I think that this idea of traveling around for a year is so brave and exciting. Though I will miss all the great design, fashion and food post, I look forward to what you will share when your adventure is done. Safe travels to you both! Maybe when you make it back to San Diego, we can meet over coffee and you can share your adventures!
I’ve had a crazy busy month or so with my family and haven’t had a chance to catch up on my blog reading for a while, but am loving this news. I really appreciate your new direction on travel and wellness and have made changes in our family to focus more on those areas (sometimes tricky with a young family!). The health information and views you share are especially interesting to me as my youngest son has extreme food allergies so I’ve shifted our diets hugely over the past 5 years – I use a lot of your recipes.
And count me in for one of your cook outs on your travels – I’d love to meet you and share your great food.
Are you going to put your RV on a barge and come to KAUAI?!?!?!?!? PLEASE!
We have warm weather ; )
As our last year approaches we are sad but we also have a baby who travels Europe alongside us making our family our days and our lives the best it could be. Have an amazing adventure!
Thank you for sharing this post.