An Attitude Adjustment

It's pretty obvious from this post that we weren't particularly happy about our first duty station.  However, sometimes all you need is an attitude adjustment.  As I said in this post, we gave ourselves a week to be whiny and then we moved on.   I started two Pinterest boards a few days later and started looking for things to do in the area - first in NY and Canada, and then in New England.

Let me tell you, I am getting more and more excited about this move!  Yes, I am still dreading the winters, but I did learn that there is a place to ski only 30 minutes from Watertown!  I love skiing!  Also, there is so much to do during the other seasons!  Josh and I are definitely outdoor lovers, and being right near the Adirondacks is going to be so great for us!

There are quite a bit of things I am excited about now!  Here are the things we are most excited about:

Exploring Canada

We will only be 30 minutes from the Canadian boarder, and we plan to take full advantage of that.  We plan to take overnight trips to Niagara Falls, Toronto, Mont-Tremblant and Quebec City and day
trips to Ottawa, Montreal, and Thousand Islands.  We also hope to do a camping trip in Algonquin Provincial Park.   I think Canada has so much to offer and it's sad that it seems to be a country that we forget about here in the states, just because it's so close and seemingly similar to the states.

Hiking in the Adirondacks 

We hope to hike and possibly camp in the Adirondacks.  I've heard the park is gorgeous and I definitely want to spend some time there.  The park is fairly large but if my calculations are correct we should only be about an hour from part of it!   I definitely want to go sometime in the fall because the photos I've seen are beautiful and I love fall colors!

Wine Tasting in the Finger Lakes

I have a feeling this will be a go to activity when we have visitors!  I hear nothing but good things about the finger lakes and the surrounding wineries.  As a wine lover, I can not wait to explore this area!  I have also pinned Watkins Glen State Parks multiple times on Pinterest, so I can't wait to explore in that part of the Finer Lakes region!  I fully expect Josh and I to have an epic wine collection before we leave NY!

Exploring Vermont and New Hampshire

I've never been to Vermont and I've really only spent one night in New Hampshire, so I am excited to discover what both states have to offer!  All I keep pinning are beautiful photos from Green Mountain and White Mountain National Forests, and photos of adorable small towns!  There is way more to do in each of these states than I thought, and so many camping opportunities! 

The Festivals

I have seen so many different local festivals on Pinterest!  I can not wait to take part in at least a few of them!  Also, we will only be about 1.5 hours from Syracuse where the Great NY State Fair takes place!  It looks amazing!  And I have already found a Renaissance Festival in the area - unfortunately we will miss it by a few weeks this year.

Proximity to New England  

We are so excited to be close to so many great New England cities.   Most of these trips would have to be overnight trips but we will be within driving distance of Boston, Providence, Hartford, Salem, Portland, and so many other great cities and towns!  I can not wait to start exploring!  I've been wanting to do Boston for years, so you can bet that will be one of our first stops!  Also, I am determined to find Stars Hollow ;)