January + February Travelogue

I started writing these Travelogues back in September as a way to remember the passing time and to show you a little more about what’s going on in my world, beyond the usual recipe and travel inspiration.

And this time, I’ve got big news. February was a really huge month. Chris and I moved in together and I started a new job. I know, I know! Two really huge life changes at once!

I feel like I downplayed them a lot just because that was a lot to coordinate and manage. And between painting, packing/unpacking, and training, I totally forgot to recap January! Guess I’ll settle for a double recap this month.

Our little yellow bungalow is in adorable Belmont, North Carolina, which is a small, historic mill town that’s just 20 minutes from downtown Charlotte. It’s quaint and lovely, and I already have a library card. Pixel is a fan, too.

My new job is with Mediavine, the good folks who manage all the advertising on this site. I’m super excited about the work we do and the awesome team I get to do it with. Working from home doesn’t hurt either.

That means my freelance graphic design business is on hold, for now. And I’m okay with that!

Change is good. Really good. // susannah

Gorgeous place I went:

I have to talk about this adorable town I live in. Belmont is a historic town that is seeing a ton of new growth with foodie spots like Nellie’s Southern Kitchen and Luna Hombre. We invited our Charlotte Food Bloggers friends to our house for a food video workshop last month and it was so nice to show off this cute place1

Podcast I’m adoring:

I’ve really been enjoying listening to old episodes of This American Life. I listened to the Switched at Birth episode recently, which is one of my favorites. So fascinating. Such a good podcast!

Video game I’m obsessed with: 

For Valentine’s Day, Chris and I recommended some Indie Video Games for Couples that we really like. Well, we’ve got one more to add. We just finished Inside, a quirky, sci-fi puzzle game. I really enjoyed figuring out how this one works!

Drink I imbibed: 

I finally made it over to Haberdish for Whiskey Women last month, and it was so good! Colleen is one of my favorite bartenders in town. Whiskey and fried chicken just go together.

Place I’d like to go: 

Asheville, N.C. Chris and I are headed there next week to celebrate my birthday a few days earlier. I can’t wait for all. the. foods.

Dish I want to make: 

I’ve had a tab open for these Best-Ever Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies for a week now, so they need to happen ASAP. (They were beat out this weekend though by these Best Fudgy Cocoa Brownies. So dense and decadent, and I couldn’t make cookies too!)

By the way, the heart-shaped cookies above were delicious basic sugar cookies I made with my mom for Valentine’s Day! The edible silver leaf totally makes them, no?

Thing on my wishlist: 

It’s getting so warm and I’m already planning out all the ice creams I want to make this summer. Except: I no longer have an ice cream maker. I’m eyeing this one and am hoping I can find a shelf for it in our new pantry!

What I’ll miss about January: 

The cold. It snowed exactly once and it was NOT enough times. Please come back, snow! I’ll even settle for a chilly day where I can wear boots, a scarf and a coat.

What I’ll miss about February:

All the change. It’s nice to see life slowing down some, and finding my routine again has been amazing. But there’s beauty in the chaos, too. This was definitely a month to remember! // susannah