Happy Friday! 

We're expecting rain here in Northern California (finally), which means maybe there is hope that California won't turn into a fiery mess this summer--fingers crossed! I have plans to take advantage of the rain and maybe--hopefully--get some homework done. That said, I also have grand plans to venture out to the movies in my rain boots because I'm in desperate need of some movie theater popcorn.

And while I'm excited for the rain, it will be sad not to get out and about like I did last weekend. My mom and I hiked the Berkeley hills on Sunday and spotted some fantastic houses and beautiful yards. 

We both looked ridiculous, squatting and trying to capture the perfect picture of this blue house because that gorgeous tree was in the way. 

I peeked over this house's fence to snap this shot of their backyard, which looks like it's straight out of Dwell. 

Another week…

I'm excited to share some more Italy photos later this week! Until then, enjoy your Tuesday.

Let's Start in Rome!

Rome was gorgeous, hot, and filled with 50,000 German children! Literally, 50,000 who were visiting Rome as part of a combined church group trip. We would run into them with their little matching hats everywhere, tourist season was definitely in full swing in Rome.

This was my second time in this city and I spent the majority of the days doing less touristy stuff with my family whom I was visiting there. Though, I did still manage to revisit some of Rome's more exceptional sights like the Pantheon and the Villa Borghese--a baroque-style house in which every conceivable inch was covered in decoration. As we climbed above Rome's main streets, I was able to capture one of Rome's many domes in the picture above. From up there it wasn't quite as blistering hot and we could stroll more peacefully and marvel at the gorgeous rooftops.

Sadly, I forgot my camera on our main sightseeing day, so I only captured a bit of my stay in Rome. I have more pictures of our day trips to Venice and a hill town called Gubbio.

Victor Emmanuel Monument (the "Wedding Cake")

View from theVictor Emmanuel Monument

Panorama from on top of the Victor Emmanuel Monument

Trastevere at Sunset 

New City, New Posts

I'm back!--after such a long break. Why was I gone so long? Partly because I really was applying to graduate school and working full-time. But really, I think I was at a crossroads and not sure where I was going, let alone where I wanted to take this blog.

Now, I'm excited to be back and I'm living in a new city full of potential adventures. A lot has happened since my last post! To name a few things: I started graduate school, lived in DC for a summer, camped in a national park, photographed cats in Rome, and ate cheesecake in Berlin. I look forward to catching up and will be sharing pictures and stories soon!