Ultimate Coffee Date: July 2026

Welcome to another Ultimate Coffee Date! I just came back from camping in Minnesota a couple days ago! :] My brain is still not really processing the fact that half the year is already over…

Ultimate Coffee Date: July 2026

We went for a short hike in Tettegouche State Park on our own + also joined a naturalist for a wildflower hike/learned about a bunch of the local wildflowers in the area. It was really cool being able to identify so many on the rest of the hikes we went on!! :]

We also went canoeing in Fall Lake (+ also Lake Kabetogama!)

 We came across a cute little duck family on our first canoeing expedition + on our second one, we paddled out to a small island far away (the people in motorboats thought we were a little cray, but we made it there/back even against the 19mph winds!!).

Our view of Lake Kabetagoma near our cabin!

If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d tell you that…I was selected to be one of the soloists for the most recent Awesöme Orchestra meetup on 7/2! (I’ve mentioned em’ a couple times over the years (e.g. when I first moved back to California) + have been joining in whenever the pieces call for a chorus)!

I was equal parts terrified + excited when I found out I got the part because I really love the game they chose to showcase music from. But I’ve never solo’ed anything in my life. (My actual main instrument is piano and my singing is typically reserved for showers/in my car.)

When I found out we’d be doing a song from Expedition 33, I managed to thrift together one of the game outfits for <$28! (The baguette strapped to my back is real, lol. Built-in snack!)

At the end of the day though, when would I ever get the chance to do this again!? I love, love, love the music from Clair Obscur (if you’re ever in the mood for hauntingly beautiful music, I’d recommend giving it a listen)!

Since the piece was the final boss theme and I haven’t actually finished the game yet and thus didn’t know this particular piece, learning it was definitely an interesting experience. (I found out I got the part on 6/25 when I was already in Minnesota + since we were camping, I didn’t have much reliable reception until a few days before the performance.)

I didn’t want to subject my friends to listening to me attempt to learn to pronounce French without references for a song I didn’t know, so I’d periodically run off into the woods to serenade the trees/birds. (If there are new tales popping up over there about haunted forests/islands, I may be responsible for this. Sorry!)

The performance was a lot of fun though + I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive group/audience! :] I’m hoping they’ll choose it for the end of year concert so we can do it again (fingers crossed!). <3

(For reference, this is the outfit I was cosplaying, hehehe.)

(Link-up with Coco @ Running with Perseverance & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner! Also linking up with My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, and Runs with Pugs for Fit Five Friday.)

• • Do you have any summer travel plans?
  • When’s the last time you busted out of your comfort zone?
  • Come back to join me on Monday for the My Month Is Booked linkup!