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Erratic blogger lately, you say? Guilty as charged, but only for a little while more as I run the last leg of this PhD marathon.. Wish me luck as I check ~487 things off of my to-do list before commencement day (eek!) because I need all of it and more! Having just returned to Buffalo from a thesis-writing-and-job-hunting break in California to tackle this list, I keep revisiting one very pretty weekend K and I spent in Monterey Bay, a peek into which these pictures in today's post provide. :)

One of my favorite things about Northern California is how easy it is to be explorers, be it for an extended period checking out all the different ocean-side towns along the stunning coastline (summer road trip, K? :)) or for a quick night away (sans laptops!) in wine country or at the nearest beach. Having grown used to over-planning everything and being at the mercy of the weather here on the east coast, we really appreciated the spontaneity of heading off on a short drive to Monterey with no plans but to watch a sunset, eat a good meal and sleep in! We chose to stay at the cozy Hotel 1110 while in Monterey and it was the perfect pick- a stone's throw away from the beach, five minutes away from all the food, fun and the famous aquarium on Cannery Row and the best roof-top bar + succulent garden situation in a boutique hotel that one could want. :)

After making a million stops along the scenic drive from south SF to Monterey, we checked in, freshened up and headed to the beach just in time for a gorgeous pink sunset. Needless to say, we snapped some quick pictures of my outfit- a beautifully detailed lace maxi shirtdress that I dressed down during the day with an oversized denim jacket and sneakers.