vacation – Kimberlee Raymond

Mt. Saint Mary's College — The view from the top!

Even if you aren’t able to take a nice vacation this summer you can still indulge in the approrpriately titled “staycation” at home. The beauty of a staycation isn’t only the money you’ll (hopefully) save by not splurging on a vacation, but the fact you can stumble upon some activities that you probably are overlooking in your own backyard. Sometimes a staycation includes some figurative travel outside of your comfort zone. I definitely ventured past the borders of my comfort zone this past weekend when I embarked on a mountain hike that was off the beaten path. There were multiple times I wanted to turn back, including but not limited to the moments when:

The security guard warned us about rattlesnakes being very common in this area.
I heard movement in a bush.
We could hardly keep our footing climbing up the steep hill.

The whole time I kept thinking “I could just book a flight to Hawaii,” instead of being covered in dirt on a mountain. However, for someone like myself who is always thinking about a million things at once sitting on the beach in Hawaii would not have been very relaxing for me. My toes might be covered in sand but my thoughts about work and life would have never left LA. While climbing the mountain there was absolutely no way I could not think about what I was doing, and because of that it was the perfect vacation. It also has made me a little more open to doing some more LA hikes in the future. So I encourage you all to venture past your comfort zone this summer for your staycation. You never know what adventure awaits! 🙂

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All of these things considered, getting to the top of the mountain was definitely worth it. All-in-all I was glad I made to the top.

While I may not be heading out to sea anytime soon I’ve got the perfect outfit for the vacation. I have these gold Dana Buchman wedges that got a while back because they go with so much it’s amazing! The cork look of the wedge gives them more of a casual or daytime look in my opinion, which is why they are perfect for this outfit. The Cynthia Rowley top I got for a steal (just $5!) It’s a personal favorite of mine because the cobalt on white is a gorgeous print. I also pair it under blazers from time to time because it’s a great way to dress up a business casual look.

The white linen shorts are a great addition to practically any outfit, I have them in 4 different colors! (from the Gap). I love that they are linen and longer than most shorts so I can pair them with dressier outfits. Last but not least… cute bracelets from the Gap as well, in cobalt add a personalized touch to the outfit.

If I were actually on vacation I would totally pair this look with a fedora or summery hat.