I am entirely split on the matter of favorite seasons (spring-fall, then summer, and winter dead last), but spring always fills my heart to bursting with gratitude for so many beautiful, lush, green growing things. The spring months are dotted with lunch-break walks or evening strolls to admire every single flower. In May, I always anxiously await the peak peony bloom, and I make the rounds several times over to my favorite spots in my city. In my extensive backlog-catch-up, I'd be remiss not to memorialize these favorites of spring 2017. The peonies speak for themselves and need no more by way of introduction:

anxiously awaiting another glorious spring—the unseasonably warm temperatures this week taunt me, but the peonies are always worth the wait.

well, some people at any rate.

photos mostly from the Marché aux fleurs in Paris (a few from other miscellaneous Parisian florists)

When I was in Paris, one afternoon I spent an hour or so just wandering through the stalls of the open-air flower market. It was one of the most amazing sensory experiences of my life, and an activity obviously well-suited to a plant-loving, tree-hugging introvert such as yours truly (one of the many perks of solo travel).

{a few photos from last summer—still playing catch up, of course. Just shy of a year later, and these photos still make my heart full to bursting. Life is a beautiful, curious thing.}

My dear friends Brian and Amy moved to Michigan last year for grad school and jobs and I've been dying to visit ever since. I'd originally talked to Amy about coming in the spring (Holland, MI has a tulip festival!) but with my job upheaval and subsequent settling dust earlier this year, I had to postpone my intended visit. It turns out fall was the perfect time—the weather was beautiful (albeit rainy on day one and we were a little water-logged), the leaves were just barely starting to turn, and A&B had experienced more of their great lake State in the meantime and took me to all the best places.

There is something I really love about visiting far-flung friends (and sister) and seeing a piece of their life wherever it is life has taken them. Whether it's the quotidian bits and pieces, like favorite lunch spots or special occasion restaurants, or new adventures in tandem, it always solidifies in my mind the places where the people I love are. They feel a little less far away when they can reference their surroundings and I know what they are talking about (in this case geographical nuances that are 2 highway exits away and Amy and Brian's grass-is-greener apartment).

Amy and Brian are the World's Best Friends and did two 4:30AM airport runs over the course of my trip. After a few hours of sleep at their apartment, we spent the day in Ann Arbor and met up with Brian in between and after his classes. The University of Michigan has the prettiest campus! Everyone has joked that I chose the wrong weekend to go, because BYU plays there this coming weekend, but lest you forget there are many things I care about more than football... #sorrynotsorry

buckwheat pancakes with blueberry compote and lemon curd, plus challah toast because TOAST

The U of M art musuem had these small bronzes of dancers' poses by Rodin; I love how modern they feel! I've seen my fair share of Rodin's work (bronze, marble, you name it) at the Musée Rodin in Paris and various others at art museums like the Met, the Legion of Honor, etc. but I don't recall ever seeing anything like this!

The rain let up and we walked around the Nichols Arboretum on campus. The grounds were stunning and they have one of the largest peony gardens with 270 varieties of peonies (!!!!!). 

There were so many hummingbirds! Those little birds are incredible (I love Brian Doyle's section of The Wet Engine where he writes about hummingbird hearts).

Goldenrod grows everywhere in Michigan it would seem; the roadsides were covered in it and the flashes of yellow everywhere made me happy.