Summer is, without a doubt, my favorite season of the year. Oh, I've said it before? Well I will probably say it again and again. Plus, can't we all use a little more talking about what makes us happy? I love the long summer days, the warm weather, and the accompanying clothing [HELLO dresses and flip flops!] The fresh fruits and no-cook meals are so simple, delicious, and satisfying. Who doesn't like an adventure to get ice cream after dinner?

If you ask my husband about the highlight of his summer the answer will undoubtedly be baseball. His dreamy summer day consists of going to (and actually watching) a baseball game, drinking a few draft beers, spitting sunflower seeds all over a sunny stadium, and watching his favorite team take home a win. Then he'll go home and watch the highlights of the other baseball games on ESPN before calling it a night!

I try my best to be a supportive partner and "step up to the plate" by attending baseball games. While I have no intention of watching the ball game, I love to do a few laps around a stadium to people watch and search for the best food and drink. The home team here is the Seattle Mariners and their stadium, Safeco Field, has a great reputation for diverse and interesting food offerings and, more recently, food safety! 

Last year I'd traveled more than in any previous year of my life. It was awesome and exhausting and wonderful. The trips of 2016 included:

International

• Greece - Bryce and I went to (the city of) Athens and the island of Mykonos, eating gyros, fresh seafood, and baklava all the while.
• Italy - with my husband and my parents. We visited Rome, Florence, Sorrento, the Almafi Coast, Sicily, and Venice. 

Domestic

• California - twice to Southern California for visiting family and, of course, Disneyland and Universal Studios.
• Colorado - my very first time! I stayed in Denver, visited the Denver Botanic Gardens,  and caught a concert at Red Rocks Ampitheater. 
• Hawaii - our first trip back to the islands after moving away 3 years prior, we went to Oahu and visited our favorite spots including the Battleship Missouri, Leonard's Bakery for Malasadas, many beaches, restaurants, and hikes.
• Oregon - a long, laid-back weekend in Portland eating, drinking, and hiking.
• Washington - although I live in Seattle I made trips within the state to the George Ampitheater in George, WA for camping and 3 consecutive Dave Matthews Band concerts; to Leavenworth, WA for a long weekend and plenty of Bavarian charm; to Tri-Cities, WA for an annual wine tasting trip.

While last year was KILLER for collecting passport stamps and airline miles it left me with no time to visit my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Poke (pronounced POH-kay) is a popular meal in Hawaii. Freshly caught ahi tuna is cut into cubes, seasoned with shoyu (soy sauce), garlic, onions, and maybe another ingredient or two at most, then served over sticky white rice. That's right, raw fish and rice. It sounds very simple and it is, simplicity at its most delicious.

Of course, you can have other types of poke: octopus, tofu, and shrimp, just to name a few. Do you like things spicy? You got it! Poke is lunchtime perfection and makes a great beach snack. Swing by your local Foodland and don't forget the chop sticks, you're ready to go beach! 

Poke used to be unheard of in Seattle, but it is now rapidly taking over Seattle and other parts of the mainland. There are poke restaurants opening here almost every month and we've even got a poke food truck, thanks to Sam Choy! Shoooots. 

Last Saturday I was perusing Instagram when I discovered Go Poke in Seattle's International District. Not only did they serve poke, they also have Dole Whip! I had to go. My girl, Lilah, is from the Big Island and we went to Go Poke dinner on that very same day.  

We're so close now, friends! Yesterday we went shopping at Pike Place Market and to a show.

I'd never been to Pike Place so close to Christmas before and it's even more charming than usual. The market was heavily crowded with people, locals and tourists alike, from what I can tell. The holiday bouquets were beautiful!

While I do love summer, the transition to fall brings a new set of things to look forward to. This fall I'm all about (hot) matcha green tea lattes and a new pair of booties (see photos). Every fall I welcome the changing leaves, soft scarves, and frequent festival weekends. Just two weeks after the San Gennaro Festival, Seattle welcomes the Festa Italiana.

My protocol for festivals is as follows:

• Wear comfy shoes
• Pay in cash, it's faster and some items are just a few dollars
• Arrive hungry and never get too full
• ​Bring friends, more people = more food items to try