Hi Reader!

Today we're covering some of my favorite things: scenic drives, dogs, and sleep. 🌲🐶😴

Let's get into it!

Adventures

I covered Washington and Oregon in previous newsletters, so it only makes sense that we touch on the final segment of my road trip with California. We didn't spend a lot of time exploring our state since my boyfriend and I had already visited many places we were driving through. We did, however, make a point to stop in Redwoods National Park.

These gigantic trees are a must-visit any time I'm passing through the area. It's one of the most magical places I've ever seen and somehow it never gets old seeing those unbelievably tall trees. There are enough trails and viewpoints to keep you busy for quite a while. Hiking wasn't an option since we had Pico with us, so we opted for some scenic drives instead.

The most famous of these drives has to be Avenue of the Giants, which runs alongside Highway 101 for 31 miles. We followed this road for several miles, but actually preferred another option father north: Howland Hill Road.

This detour brings you along six miles of some of the most scenic forest road. It's unpaved, but we had no problem covering its entirety in the Prius. The road varies in width and features lots of sharp curves around blind corners, so drive slowly and watch for other cars, bikers, and hikers.

There were so many picturesque places to pull over and admire the beautiful trees. The popular Grove of Titans trail is also along this road, making it a great place to spend a few hours. If you're on a tighter schedule, a leisurely drive through will still give you plenty of opportunities to take in the redwood giants from the comfort of your car. The way the sunlight filtered down through the branches made me feel like we were driving straight through the setting of a fairytale.

There's nothing quite like an extended trip to make you appreciate the luxury of being home and sleeping in your own bed. I'll be reminiscing about my time on the road for some while still, but the familiarity of home is bringing me joy as well.

Shoutouts

My shoutout is a little different this week and goes to my friend, Zara of @zee_lalaland. We first met on TikTok before bringing our friendship into the real world! Her content is perfect for all the corporate girlies looking for career advice and a supportive community.

I'm seriously so impressed with everything she has been sharing. It's exactly what I would have loved to have had when I was working my office 9-to-5 job.

Munchies

I don't know if it's the change in seasons or if the air is extra dry right now, but I have been sooo dehydrated, especially when I first wake up. I've been making sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day and my boyfriend confirmed he's feeling the same. To help supplement my water intake, I've been reaching for some hydration packets and want to share my favorites.

Cucumber mojito (seasonal) is my favorite flavor so far, but this is the next one I would try.

I'm a long time lover of the classic Liquid I.V. We've found the best deal for these is at Costco and we always snatch up a bag when they go on sale there. These have seriously saved my behind on many backpacking trips. They make such a big difference, so I've started reaching for them at home too when I'm in need of a hydration boost.
A new contender for us has been Mortal Hydration. The salted mango flavor in particular is seriously delicious. I like that you can choose between regular and salted versions depending on your needs. As of now, I've only seen them available at The Feed, but I'm hoping they pop up elsewhere soon.
Most days, I'm reaching for Waterdrops to throw in a big glass of water. These aren't hydration boosters in the same way as the first two options; these contain vitamins and natural fruit flavors that encourage me to drink more water. I wish I was naturally a plain water enthusiastic, but I need a little more motivation to get my ounces in. My water consumption has gone up dramatically since starting to use these a few years ago.

These obviously aren't necessary for staying hydrated, but they've helped me stay on track with water intake and I love being able to switch up my flavors from day to day. Maybe one day I'll be a water purist. For now, I'll enjoy my fruit-infused beverages.

On My Mind

I'm embarrassed to admit it has been years since the last time I've spent any time volunteering. Since my schedule is almost entirely flexible now, I figured it's the perfect time to find an opportunity to give back to my community.

I spent a few hours over the last week researching no-kill dog shelters in Los Angeles, applied to volunteer at one, and started going through all the training materials. There are a bunch of videos to finish before going in for my first in-person training, but I'm so excited to start heading in soon.

My hope with this shelter is that I'll get to help walk, train, and socialize the dogs. I even saw they're in need of people to bring the more active dogs on hikes and adventures, which would be right up my alley! In the long term, I'd love to foster dogs and eventually adopt another to be Pico's permanent play buddy. That's still a ways off, but one can dream.

As much as I'm looking forward to getting out of the house more and doing something I know has a positive impact, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about it too. It feels kinda like starting a new job with a new set of rules and procedures to learn, plus tons of new colleagues to meet. I'm looking at this opportunity as an exciting way to get out of my comfort zone.

Will keep you posted on how it goes! And if you're looking for a doggy to adopt, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you! 😊

Reading

First, I read The September House by Carissa Orlanda, which gave me my first scary fix of the season. This book has two intertwined storylines. In one, a married couple moves into what they think is their dream home, only to find that it becomes a nightmare every September. The other occurs a few years later, when the husband has become fed up with the strange happenings and decides to leave for September. Worried about his lack of communication, their daughter shows up at the house to figure out where he has gone.

This had a couple twists and graphic bits that made it a solid horror read. Some parts felt a bit heavy-handed, especially the comparison of the haunted house and its "rules" to the abusive relationship. Overall, I still enjoyed it and am giving it 4 stars out of 5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Second, I read In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté, M.D., in which he shares stories and lessons from his time treating drug addicts in the infamous Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Having firsthand experience with addiction himself (though not to substances), Maté is highly sympathetic to his patients, learning their histories that pushed them into their current situations of substance abuse.

This book speaks well to the science of addiction, such as the physiological and psychological factors that go into it. Maté advocates for more reason-based handling of drug addicts, including proper treatments and the decriminalization of drugs. This is a good read for anyone to increase empathy to those in different life circumstances. I give it 4.5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Check out all my book reviews on Goodreads if you want to see what else I've been reading!

Everything Else

I'm on a mission to get my schedule and productivity back on track before the holiday season hits and a huge part of that is maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. There's a longer piece over on Patreon (free to access!), but here are the main takeaways for how I cured my chronic insomnia in the past and continue to fix my sleep when it needs a refresh.

No screens before bed. When people ask how I trained myself to fall asleep quickly and sleep deeply, this is the one thing I recommend. Avoiding blue light in the couple hours before bed really made all the difference in the world, plus my mind isn't filled with all the wild news and memes it would be blasted with if I were scrolling on my phone.
Spend the last hour before bed doing relaxing activities, such as reading, journaling, or light stretching.
No eating or exercising close to bedtime.
Hold off on drinking coffee first thing upon waking up.
Get outside as early as possible in the morning.
Exercise regularly -- just not right before bed.
Take a warm shower or bath before bed.
Look for patterns in how your habits affect your sleep, both positively and negatively.
Consider a sleep tracker for deeper insights. I've used an Oura ring for over three years and it has helped me tremendously.
Experiment to find what works best for you!

There are countless pieces of sleep advice out there, so start with one or two and see how they impact your rest. The most important thing is to stay consistent and build out a nighttime routine that your body starts to associate with sleep.

Soon you'll be getting the best sleep of your life. Happy dreaming! 😴

Thank you for reading and I'll catch you in the next one ✌🏻

Happy adventuring,

💚A