The Grandest RV Adventure of Them All!!!!

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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 hello@ahouseinthehills.com 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

Grilled Veggies with Pan Fried Chickpeas and Chimichurri

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These are my favorite kind of meals to eat as we adventure around California- colorful, healthy, easy to throw together and so, so delicious!  And all of these veggies messily piled on top of each other and then topped with the chickpeas and chimichurri- it makes for a fun casual dinner!  I’m starting to get more comfortable with the grill and am even preferring it over our stove (and for those of you not camping- a grill pan in your kitchen would cook up this feast just as nicely, as would any backyard bbq).  You could also swap out any of these veggies for those you prefer more- I’m certain there isn’t a vegetable that doesn’t taste amazing grilled and then topped with chimichurri.  Recipe below…hope you love!  Have a great weekend my friends!  xx- Sarah

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Lake Tahoe Adventures!

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Hi friends!  Sorry for the radio silence yesterday, we arrived in Yosemite and haven’t had much luck on finding cell reception- which is to be expected (and embraced!) of course.  It’s beautiful here, I’ll share more on that later.  But for now, photos from our time in Tahoe!  I’m sharing too many photos and details on our adventures for those of you who are planning a trip (and for those of you who are living vicariously…)  It’s an incredible place with so much to do and see, I know we’ll head back there again.  Hope you love!!!  xx- Sarah

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Be Wild and Free

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One of the things I love about our life on the road is that it requires us to simplify in major ways.  My closet in the RV is 18″.  I have a couple of small cubbies besides for the closet that I can store clothes in.  So it requires me to be highly selective in my packing, and to create a sort of capsule wardrobe for the road.  And there’s something beautiful about having so little to choose from- and something fun about mixing and matching every which way I can.  In this situation I find that simple pieces, paired with a few choice accessories, allows me to feel effortlessly well-styled.  And these black jeans are getting ALL of the wear.  We’re off to Yosemite today, but here are a few snaps from Tahoe (I have a backlog of Tahoe snaps to share, so look forward to more soon and another recipe post as well!!) Until then….xx- Sarah  {photos: Lou Mora}

Shop this outfit:  denim: Madewell, vest: Levi’s (similar) shirt: James Perse, hat: Rag & Bone, sunnies: The Row

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Fig and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

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Hello my friends, happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  Our was pretty magical-  hopefully you’ve been following along on my Instagram where I’m sharing all the incredible things we’re seeing!    We’re still in Tahoe- I don’t want to leave!  Saturday we hiked Rubicon trail- and since our RV is too long to be allowed in the park and we had to walk in to the trailhead, it ended up being a 17 mile hike.  I’ve never walked that far before- my legs ached and there were moments when I was so walk-weary that I thought I might rather sleep in the forest than take another step. Which made for an ENORMOUS sense of accomplishment when we made it back to our home on wheels!

All of that brings me to this meal- a fig and cheddar grilled cheese with a simple green salad. AKA the best thing I’ve eaten in weeks.  Food tastes great when eaten outdoors and even better when your legs feel like they’re going to fall off, apparently.  HA!  But seriously, if you haven’t cooked a grilled cheese on an actual grill (this was my first time) DO IT!  Do it now.  Figs are going out of season, so snap them up and make this sandwich, I promise you’ll love it.  Until tomorrow…. xx- Sarah  PS- yes that is me wrapping chocolate in roasted marshmallows with the biggest grin you’ve ever seen.  I’m quite happy here on the road, in the forest, beside campfires, and most especially when eating grilled cheese and marshmallows.  Life if good.

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Lake Tahoe Style

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Hi my friends, happy Friyay!!!!!  Our woodsy adventures are continuing in Lake Tahoe- it’s insanely beautiful up here!  I’ll share photos of the landscape soon- we’re wandering around taking a million photos today.  In the meantime, a quick style post for you.  I think I mentioned it before but I’m the nerd who wears plaid camping- always.  And I snagged this warm jacket since I own almost no winter clothes after years of living in the desert.  I’m having fun getting bundled up for the cold- we woke up to 40 degrees today!  Brrrrrrr!!!!  The dogs couldn’t wait to jump in our bed this am!  Hoping it’ll reach 68 by the afternoon so we can get out on a stand up paddleboard.  fingers crossed!   Have a great weekend, more soon…. xx- Sarah

{Shop this post:  jeans: Rag & Bone, jacket: Penfield, shirt: Madewell, boots: Plomo (old), bracelet: Miansai}

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