Beauty in the Backyard: Old Rag

One sign that you're not in undergrad anymore: you mark "peak fall foliage weekend" on your calendar. And plan a weekend around it. A little bit removed from spending Sundays watching Netflix and nursing a hangover, but I have to say its infinitely more enjoyable.

Although not exactly a hidden gem or a secluded getaway, there aren't many better places to take in a 360 degree of the Shenendoah valley than Old Rag Mountain. I've been here in the heat of summer and in early winter after the leaves have fallen from the trees, but this was my first time visiting Old Rag during the fall. CJ and I went with two of our good friends and made a day of the trip. After stocking up on the requisite grocery store deli sandwiches and dried fruit, we made the two hour drive through rolling Virginia hills to the base of Old Rag Mountain.

Making the Most of Business Trips

Getting to fly halfway across the country and stay at an over-your-budget hotel and your company picks up the tab? Sounds like a great deal right? Well, add in the obligatory prep dinners, hundreds of emails coming in and a packed day of meetings, and the "trip" part quickly gets sucked out of "business trip". I have the opportunity to travel for work occasionally, and will be traveling about once a month for at least the next year. I don't have a ton of exciting pictures from my last few trips - this post is more of a commitment to making trips I have to take into trips I want to take.

My first few business trips, I flew in and out of each city as quickly as I could. After one or two quick trips, I decided to alter my flights to give myself a day to explore each city I was in. Although these short glimpses into each city were nothing to write home about, I was pleased that I was able to actually experience the chunk of the country I was in.