I guess the best place to start with my whirlwind of a weekend is this double rainbow beaming above my favorite place. Mother Nature was listening when I politely requested an afternoon monsoon. Ask and you shall receive!

But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. On Thursday, I told you about my “grown-up” plans to move in to an apartment with two of my friends. I’ll just say one thing about that. Moving into someone else’s uncleaned home required some sanitation precautions.

Exhibit A:

Yes, a tad dramatic. BUT if you saw the handfuls of dog hair everywhere…. Let’s just not go there. The $2 mask from Home Depot made me feel better (and so did the hazelnut iced coffee afterwards.) :)

The rest of the weekend was absolutely scenic as we explored the beauty of Northern Arizona in summertime. This is one place that just makes you want to be outside! I love the smell of pines, and my mom asked if I wanted a pine-scented candle for my room. I asked, “Why? I can just open my window!”

I’ve been creating and adding to a “to-do” list of activities for senior year (conveniently compiled on my favorite procrastination station –> Pinterest.) We crossed one off this weekend as my parents and I explored the Lava Tubes!

One of my FAVORITE classes in college is (completely unrelated to my marketing major) Geologic Disasters. We learned all about volcanoes and rock formations. This cave is almost a mile long. 700,000 years ago, lava flowed through here like a river. The bottom, sides and top cooled first while the inside continued to flow until it emptied. The shell that remained left a cave. We were literally walking underneath the trees and forest. Amazing.

As incredible as it was to be in the total darkness with a headlamp to guide the way… I kept thinking about the movie 127 hours. One slip of a rock and we would be trapped. I was not prepared to test my survival skills. Ironically we were following a group of Boy Scouts and their leaders for the second half. They could be persuaded to share their sustenance, I’m sure. ;)

We totally appreciate the gorgeous views, and even the sunset did not disappoint.

It’s going to be a good school year, I can feel it.

The weekend isn’t over until I log that Sunday Long Run. What’s a girl to do when it’s 102 degrees? Suck it up and get comfy on the treadmill. I loaded up my iPod with the new singles from Florida Georgia Line, Kenny Chesney, 5 Seconds to Summer, Sia, and Sam Hunt to pull me through the 70 minute stationary run. Plus I had the Angels game on, and plenty of entertainment from people watching.

Happy Monday!

:)