For months, Rob and I have been looking forward to spending a few days celebrating our anniversary in Santa Barbara. It's been a crazy few weeks for us (we haven't been home for a weekend since the end of March!), and even though it felt a little weird to pack up the car and drop Ender off at daycare yet again, it was pretty nice to get away just the two of us with no real plans to do anything but explore a place that was 100% new to both of us.

We decided to drive from the Bay Area so we could stop in Monterey. I've been a Death Cab for Cutie fan for as long as I can remember and ever since I heard the song Bixby Canyon Bridge, I've dreamed about seeing it in person. Then Big Little Lies came out and the bridge was in the opening credits, so I got even more excited about driving over it. It was a little out of the way, but totally worth it, and we stopped for lunch on the water in Monterey, which is always super nice.

The weather in Santa Barbara over the weekend wasn't great (mostly cold and windy with some rain), but we had a great time. Here are a few details:

Where we stayed: the Santa Barbara Inn. It was a bit of a splurge, but the rooms were lovely with big beautiful patios, the pool is heated, and the restaurant downstairs has an okay complimentary breakfast and a really nice happy hour every afternoon. It's right across the street from the beach so we'd take long walks in the afternoon and then go right to the bar for a drink and a snack. We had one sunny day so we spent that afternoon swimming in the pool, which was really fun.

Where we ate: 

• Convivo (the restaurant in our hotel): We were so tired the night we got in that we ordered a pizza and dessert and ate in bed. One other night we accidentally had dinner there because we ordered so many snacks at happy hour that we were too full to eat anything else. The pizzas were really good and they had these delicious lamb meatballs on the menu, which I loved even though I usually don't care for lamb very much. The margaritas at happy hour were $5 and super tasty.
• East Beach Tacos: This is a cute little taco place that's attached to a batting cage. We ate here twice as well, for lunch on our second day and then before we left town on Sunday afternoon. The guacamole is some of the best I've ever had, and you can get any 3 tacos for $9, which was perfect for me and Rob. I had a grilled fish taco the first time and the grilled shrimp on the second visit. They were both incredible. And because it shares a parking lot with the batting cage, they also serve burgers and hot dogs and a kid's meal quesadilla, which I found really charming.
• Brophy Bros: Rob and I were so into this place--it reminded us of a California version of this bar we used to go to in Charlottesville (that's The Virginian for any of you Wahoos). It's small and cozy with a really cool bar, and there's a patio over the harbor that we waited a little bit longer for.
• McConnell's Ice Cream: So good! I got banana salted caramel (that was one flavor) and pistachio amaretto. The banana caramel was definitely my favorite. Rob got a milkshake and he loved it so much that we ended up coming back that same day after dinner for an ice cream sandwich (his) and a hot chocolate (mine). 
• Loquita: I would go back to this place in a heartbeat. We decided to go late on Saturday night and luckily made a reservation--it was packed! Our table was outside, which I would have loved but it was super windy and kind of cold. Luckily they had lots of heat lamps out there and every chair was equipped with a fleece blanket. We were still a little chilly, but it was a nice touch, and it definitely helped. We ordered a couple drinks and shared the chicken and chorizo paella, patatas bravas, and gambas al ajillo. The food and cocktails were amazing and the whole vibe there was super romantic--perfect for an anniversary dinner (although I'd go again no matter the occasion).

I'm sure it's clear to you guys by now that all we really do when we travel is eat, but you can also find us walking 5-7 miles a day, taking afternoon naps, and watching whatever crappy television is on in the room at night. So...yeah, I guess we're just in it for the food.

If you've been to Santa Barbara, what were your favorite spots? I think we'll definitely be back!

Happy Friday from Santa Barbara! Rob and I have had such a nice time walking along the beach, swimming in the pool, and enjoying happy hours in the hotel restaurant, as well as exploring the area a bit (we had some of the best tacos ever yesterday). This is our last time being out of town before we head back and finally get back into a more normal routine, so for now I'm just going to bed early and enjoying the sunshine!

Before I sign off for the weekend, I wanted to share a few links:

• I really loved these thoughts on happiness. So profound.
• When to Tell Daughters About a Genetic Breast Cancer Risk. This is so interesting and important to me. I found out about my gene mutation at age 27 and immediately started surveillance, but I can't help but feel really thankful that I didn't learn about it any sooner.
• Very interesting to hear Caitlyn Jenner defending her vote for Donald Trump.
• This Heineken campaign is really sweet and gives me a little bit of hope for humanity.
• I think this shirt is super cute.
• This one, too. (I think I'm finally starting to come around to the off-the-shoulder trend...is that still a trend or did I miss it?)
• Review: "The Handmaid's Tale" Creates a Chilling Man's World. Has anyone seen it yet? I really want to but I'm worried it's going to totally throw my anxiety for a loop.
• These might be my next sneakers. Does anyone else have a pair?
• Andrew Rannells is just the cutest.
• Bill Gates didn't let his kids have smartphones until they were 14. What do you think? (If you read the whole article you'll learn that Steve Jobs' kids weren't allowed to have iPads.)

That's all for now! Feel free to follow along with the rest of our trip on Instagram (I'm still really enjoying IG Stories). And I'm still snappin' away on Snapchat--my username is flynnmd.

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Three years ago today Rob and I got married.

I landed in Roanoke a week early from a still-chilly Minneapolis and felt completely electrified at the sight of those green hazy mountains outside the tiny plane windows. It had rained all week and smelled like wet spring outside, something I usually love, but I was trying to remain calm about the ceremony and reception which were both planned to be mostly outdoors. 

But then on Thursday the rain clouds cleared and the sun came out and by Friday the ground was dry enough that our heels didn't sink into muddy grass as we walked down the aisle for the rehearsal. It was spring in Virginia--one of the most magical times of the year--and all the people I loved the most in the world were all in one place.

On Saturday morning my girlfriends and I woke up and went downtown to do the Market Run, the quick 3-mile workout we always used to do before a meet. It seemed like the perfect way to start the biggest day of my life, and it was even more special because our beloved coach, Dr. Race, met us and biked alongside us as we ran. We stopped at Mill Mountain for coffee and breakfast to go before heading back to the hotel to shower and caravan over to the venue. 

I sat at a large vanity in a white robe as a stylist did my hair, and my friend Emma re-did my nails--2014 was before I had discovered the magic of gel nails and my regular manicure got destroyed somewhere between the salon and the rehearsal dinner the night before. We drank champagne and took pictures and laughed before finally it was time for me to see Rob.

That first look was the best--I was so thankful for a quiet moment with him before the ceremony and reception, which honestly was a bit of a blur. We kissed and teared up and giggled and took more pictures with the whole group and then it was time for the real thing.

Walking down the aisle was so surreal, but the minute I got my hands into Rob's I felt completely calm and at ease. We worked really hard on our ceremony and I still go back and read it sometimes. The readings, the music, every little detail was so very "us" that it still brings tears to my eyes.

I didn't know at the time that by our third anniversary we'd be celebrating in our third state together. I didn't know we'd adopt a crazy little pit bull pup or that I'd write two cookbooks or that my mom would get cancer again. I didn't know that Rob would get his dream job or that it would bring us to California and he would work harder than he's ever worked, or that I'd be even more proud of him than I ever thought I could be. I just knew we'd be together, and happy; through the good times and the bad ones.

And we really are.

Happy anniversary, Rob. You really are my everything.

Our wedding video, by Jarred Foresman:

More details from our wedding here and here.