With Brandon currently in graduate school, travel is a luxury we cannot indulge in as frequently as we once could. Joshua Tree has been the feature of many blog posts here on The Pleb Life. It is without a doubt one of our favorite places in the world. We used to be able to take several quick trips out to the desert each year, and I’m sure it will be a place we will return to often once again when the time is right for us. But for now, I think we’ll just cherish getting to go once a year, if that. It has been over an entire year since we’ve been back to this beloved place. And cherish it, we most certainly did.
As you will see in the upcoming November Closet Update, I’ve gotten a large haul of clothes from MeMi Collective–some I’ve purchased and some I’ve been kindly gifted. I reached out to them in October to see if they’d be interested in a collaboration, and it has turned into such a beautiful partnership. Their pieces could not have come at a better time. They got me through a week of grading and writing report cards, and have transitioned into the perfect lounge pieces to relax in this Thanksgiving Break. Their Hooded Dress was the perfect thing to wear driving to Joshua Tree on Sunday afternoon. I don’t know why other brands hadn’t thought about designing a dress version of a hoodie, because it is gloriously comfortable.
We have yet to camp in Joshua Tree (it’s just not really our thing). We’ve tried many different Airbnb hosts over the years and we’ve tried many different locations around the city, but none has come close to The Geodome. Staying there was such a dream! I loved every single inch of that home–from their darling kitchen, to their comfortable bed, to their outdoor patio where we stargazed our first night. It had everything we needed. The location was perfect: a few miles away from the park and a few miles away from our favorite places to eat and drink. My favorite thing about it though has to be that you can get to it by driving on a real road. We’ve stayed in plenty of Airbnbs where we had to drive through miles of sand, and trust me–it’s not as Indiana-Jones-like as you might think!
On the second day, our only full day in Joshua Tree, we dropped by Joshua Tree Coffee Company for our morning cup of joe. I made sure to bring our KeepCups with us so that we could maintain our good habits of bringing our reusables when we go out to get coffee. We also took a piece of Joshua Tree home with us by grabbing a bag of their espresso beans. To grab coffee, I wore The Perfect T in White with The High Waisted Jogger from MeMi Collective, topped off with my favorite denim jacket and minimal slides from Nisolo. After grabbing coffee, we headed to Palm Desert to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Zapopan, for some good burritos and potato tacos! We then burned off those calories by trying our hand at thrifting. We browsed The End, Hoof & The Horn, and a few surrounding stores, and walked away with nothing (though I was very tempted by a few items!).
We had a few more days left on our annual pass to the Joshua Tree National Park (yes we have an annual pass–that’s how much we adore this place!) so we took advantage and got our zen on in this beautiful corner of the world. I wanted to be comfortable as I explored the park so I wore my favorite jumpsuit from Mien, the cozy Kent Cardigan from Madewell that I got last winter, my favorite fedora from Equal Uprise, and some minimal slides. In hindsight, the sandals were not the greatest idea, but it’s a look!
I tend to be an overpacker–always packing for worst case scenario is and for my every possible mood. Because I’m such a mood dresser, it’s almost impossible for me to plan outfits ahead of time while I’m packing. Since switching over to a capsule wardrobe that’s mostly black and since starting my minimalism journey, packing has been a whole lot easier. Everything matched in my wardrobe, so I can easily grab a few of my favorite pieces (because they’re all my favorite pieces), shove them into my duffle, and worry about gettin dressed when I’m at my destination. For this three day trip, I packed: 1 denim jacket, 1 long grey cardigan, 1 jumpsuit, 1 dress, 1 t-shirt, 2 tank tops, and 1 pair of jeans. For shoes, I packed 1 pair of boots, 1 pair of sneakers, and 1 pair of sandals. This is probably half of what I would’ve normally packed. So here’s to progress and not perfection!
I also wanted to take this time to take some photos of us together since we don’t have that many. Getting photos of us together was what I was most excited for this trip. I’ve gotten pretty good at using a tripod and a self-timer from my early blogging days when I was between Instagram-boyfriends, and it has come in pretty handy in the last few years taking photos of us together. I’m so happy with the way with these photos turned out! Fun fact: the sweater I’m wearing in these photos of us together is almost as old as our relationship! I got it when we were first dating because I wanted to be cool and have a piece from Rag and Bone like he did. Oh far, we’ve come! (Sadly, when I went home to unpack, I found a massive hole on its side. I’m glad it got one last hoorah though!)
We ended our second night with some burgers and fries, and some people watching at Walmart (one of our favorite activities)–for which I changed into the MeMi’s Pullover and back into the high waisted joggers.
On our final morning in the desert, we said our goodbyes to The Geodome and stopped by the windmills in Palm Desert on our way home. We are so thankful for the couple of days we got to spend with each other in one of our favorite places in the world! We’ve been going so hard at work and at school lately that it felt so good to slow down. In the desert, you’re almost forced to live slowly–it’s so quiet, reception is sparse, and there’s not much else to do but have quality time with your loved ones.
“In the world through
which I travel
I am endlessly
creating myself.”
Special thanks to MeMi Collective for gifting me the Hooded Dress and for making sure my order made it to me in time for my trip to Joshua Tree.
THE PLEB LIFE 
This trip looks amazing!
LikeLike