Visiting My Hometown

Today turned out to be much busier than yesterday. I started out with some kitten cuddles. 

Then I headed out for a lovely run. I haven't run in a few weeks because my back has been achin', but today I felt fantastic and decided to try it. I ran 3.25 miles with plenty of walking breaks, and I felt terrific the entire time! I stretched plenty afterward and plan to stretch again before bed tonight.

Next up: my haircut! My sister-in-law, Ashley, is the greatest stylist ever. She has cut and colored my hair and even styled my hair for my wedding. 

Here I am checking out her handiwork for the first time. :-) 

Whenever I'm in the Bay Area and in need of a hair cut, I try to make it up to see this lovely lady. Today she even took me to lunch for an early birthday treat!

We had a blast catching up, though the visits are never long enough. 

Next I dropped off my wedding gown at the bridal shop where I purchased it, J'aime Bridal in Pleasanton. When I walked in, Jaime (the owner, who actually picked out my dress for me) remembered me immediately and said, "Oh my gosh, I have to show you your picture! You're on the wall!" I couldn't believe it, but sure enough, she chose a photo from our wedding to put up in her shop!

(Photo by Rhee Bevere)

And here are some more photos of my dress, because that's always fun:

(Thank you for indulging me.)

I dropped off the dress and veil so they could clean and preserve it (only took two years...), and I'll get it back in about a month or so. Meanwhile, I'm still amazed at the level of customer service from this small but incredible shop. If you're a Bay Area bride, I highly recommend it!

The final stop of the day was the park in my hometown with my parents to see East Bay Mudd perform. They were fantastic! It felt like the entire crowd was up dancing, and the music kept me singing all evening. We also enjoyed pizza, wine, and running into a few local friends!

Yep, that's me hanging out alone with my cake while my parents dance in the background. I'm super cool. 

Off to bed--Mom's taking me to two tough classes at the gym tomorrow. Part of me feels like I'm at some sort of week-long fitness retreat instead of just visiting my parents. Have a great Friday!

What are your favorite hometown activities? Does it feel strange to visit (if you moved away)?