a weekend away.

Last week we had a 4-day break for the Mid-Autumn Festival, so Liz and I went with a group of friends to Qingdao, a city on the east coast of China. 

I was there once before, in 2009. 

It was a very relaxing trip. We swam at the beach, climbed a mountain, and walked around the old city. 

Not a lot of pictures from the beach or the mountain...sorry...but here are a few others, mostly from wandering around the town. Hope you enjoy.

We arrived on the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节), when the moon was full. 

Whew.

Liz and I spent almost two months in the States this summer. 

It was a vacation, but so much more. 

We spent time in or passed through a total of 15 states. 

We drove well over 5,000 miles. 

She met my family. I met hers.

We saw old friends and each made some new ones.

We ate way more than we should have and we exercised way less than we'd planned.

We got to know each other on new territory, constantly surrounded by friends and family. 

In some ways, the summer is a bit of a blur to me. But mostly, it's a collection of wonderful memories, most of which I didn't take time to photograph. I guess sometimes you enjoy life more when you leave the camera off.

I left America feeling so thankful and so blessed.