A 3-Hour Tour

I have to admit, life has been pretty stressful the past couple of months. We're excited and we're busy and we're happy, but we're also tired and overwhelmed and are struggling to find time for just the two of us without a to-do list in our laps.

We tried to have that day on our anniversary last month. We booked a room in Dayton, Ohio, and had big plans to hit up our favorite restaurants and theaters and whatever other adventures we could find. No budget conversations. No packing lists. No calendars and organizers. Just the two of us. 

Only we were sick. Achy flu-like symptoms. Rand napped all afternoon while I curled up in a hotel chair and read. We forced ourselves to go downstairs for the complimentary hotel dinner... hot dogs and macaroni. Not exactly the day we had planned.

But it all made this past Monday that much more special! Last Christmas my brother bought us a "Culinary Walking Tour of Sacramento" and we decided to cash it in this week. We didn't have the time, but we made the time. And there's nothing like making time for the ones you love to show them how important they are and how much you value your relationship. 

It was just the two of us, one other couple, and our tour guide. As we were introducing ourselves, the other couple, in very thick accents, said that they were in town visiting for the week. Get this. From SPAIN!

We immediately told them how we met, walking the Camino. Every food, every drink, every region, every city we loved in Spain they had been to (or lived in!) and experienced and told us of all these other cities and foods and regions we need to explore on a future trip. It was such a treat. Such a gift from God to be paired up with this group. Exactly what we needed. The happiest I have been in months.

And the food was good too! Sacramento has tons to offer in the "farm to fork" and local food movement and this was just a sampler.

A seasonal salad and fried mushrooms at Mother. Meatballs and shrimp and House Cured Salmon at Brasserie. Poblano soup and a drink or two at Mayahuel, the tequila museum. Followed by a visit to allspicery and a beautiful cathedral.

And we naturally wrapped up our tour with dessert from Andy's Candy Apothecary!

We were having such a good time we didn't want the day to end, so we invited everyone to coffee at nearby Temple Coffee Roasters where we continued our conversations about food, Spain, Sacramento and life in general.

What a wonderful day, intentionally investing in our relationship and getting to know new friends!