Burning Man 2013

This year was great. About half way through the week in Black Rock City, I stated this would be my last Burning Man. But as I look back on the week, I only have positive thoughts and know I need to go back at least one more year. The only real kicker for me is the heat during the day, but we succeeded quite well in being gifted with cold beverages and even popsicles!

Through our morning coffee delivery of cold-brew, we met some awesome folks and a few that live in Oakland and were familiar with my work place. In a community of 60,000+ it is still a small world.

These past two years I have brought disposable cameras and my simple point and shoot camera. I definitely prefer the disposable over the digital. The first two pictures are from one disposable camera. The feel of the photos, what gets captured on film and knowing I can't see the pictures until development makes it much more exciting and enjoyable for me. My favorite photos are the ones from the disposable cameras. Film is awesome!

Until next year Black Rock City... Stay dusty :)

En Route to Black Rock City

And we're off! Sean and I, along with two friends leave in the morning for Burning Man !!! The boys have been working around the clock on the geodesic dome, so I'm stoked to see it in completion. I have only seen it assembled and when the cover was being worked on.

So much more packing and cleaning to do, but I can sleep when I'm dead, right?! Be back Tuesday!

Brother's Going Away Party

My younger brother just started ARMY boot camp on Monday and we had a going away party for him up in Washington. I can't believe he's off growing up. I still think of him being about 4 years old... not 18! But, I am extremely proud of him for following the dream he's had for MANY years! He is ready for this experience and I think he will gain so much from it. I'm proud of you Marcus and I love you SO much!

(mom and siblings)

(all but second to last picture taken at party site)

Mexico 2013

In late May, Sean and I went to Cancun, Mexico for a week. The trip can be summed up in three "r" words: reading, relaxing, refreshments.

Aside from a day trip to the Tulum Ruins, we stayed within the resort and made ourselves comfortable on the beach or by the pool.

When we visited the Tulum Ruins, it was very hot and humid and a little uncomfortable. But, we were able to dip our toes into the Caribbean as it's the only ruins along the ocean.

Some pictures from the resort grounds below...

I took all these images on an old Canon AE-1 film camera with Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400. ((Loving the film!!))

Local hike // Oakland Redwoods

This past weekend Sean and I went on a local hike/ picnic in our "backyard," the Redwood Regional Park. A short 10 minute drive from our house and we were hiking among the Redwoods. He's really not that short It's my face!

Seattle + Bellingham

Home Sweet Home.

I went up to Seattle (well Normandy park, if we're being specific) for a long weekend to visit my best friend who had just moved back. I also took this as a chance to see some other friends I have been missing and an excuse to get up to Bellingham.

Aly and Travis just happened to get engaged a few months earlier AND got a new puppy so I knew a visit was a must. I went to college up in Bellingham, so it holds a dear place in my heart. The last time I visited Bellingham, it wasn't quite personally satisfying, so I wanted a re-do.

Low and behold, it was a success! I came back home to Oakland (wait, what? this is where I'm calling home now?) feeling refreshed and filled with love. Now if I could just convince them all the move down here, I'd be set!

PS- my Washington ID expires in one month!! Uhhhh... meaning I will become a Cali resident? Don't know if I am ready for that yet! :)

Lack of posts...

Means I need to be traveling more!! I have some trips coming up so I will make sure to update here. I also need to update my computer's OS so I can upload pictures. My MacBook is probably ancient in the eyes of some Apple fanboys... Time to backup my computer and pictures and get this baby updated!

San Francisco to Burbank

About a month ago, Sean and I were to fly down to Burbank and see my best friends Erin and Jessica. Well, San Francisco’s weather decided to rain and be windy for multiple days in a row, and of course our departure day was right in the middle of that. Our flight was first delayed until the afternoon which was acceptable... and then they decided to delay it for TWO days. Well, that wasn't going to work since it was only a weekend trip to begin with. I still wanted to make it down to Burbank since this was a rare chance to see them both, so we decided to rent a car and drive down there. Why not?! We took Highway 1 because the views are supposed to be gorgeous and spectacular, but all that rain I had mentioned decided to follow us the whole drive down so the view was very foggy. There was one break in the weather and we made a stop then to see the coast line.

Around 9 p.m. we finally made it to Burbank, just in time for a bbq and board games. Phew, that was a lot of driving.

One day and evening we went to Santa Monica and the weather there didn't cooperate too well either. It was super windy and cold. So much for the SoCal hot weather that they had the week prior and post to us visiting. Humph.

Part of Shore Hotel

The next day, Santa Monica was the finishing line for the LA Marathon so we decided to rent bicycles and ride down the boardwalk. I rode my first tandem bike with Sean. That took some getting used to, but once so, it was fun to ride. Aside from the sand storm it felt we were stuck in on the ride back, the day was good.

The trip went by so much quicker since we had to allot driving time, but still worth it. On the drive back we took Highway 1 again, but most of the drive it was dark since we left Burbank late afternoon. We did get to see the sunset though from the beach!

The 700+ miles were worth it though. Seeing my best friends and having them meet my boyfriend is priceless.

Cancun, Mexico

Sean and I went to Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico at the end of January for a vacation. We were gifted the room so how could we pass up this opportunity for a tropical vacation. We were there for a week and it was wonderful. Since we stayed at an all-inclusive resort, we didn't need to worry about much and were able to truly relax.

While we spent most of our time at the beach and walking around the resort, we did leave the resort area twice. One day we visited Chichen Itza (one of the new Seven Wonders of the World) and another day we went to Cancun proper.

Chichen Itza was an all day tour outing. It was a two hour drive to and from the resort. The Mayan ruins were amazing to see and to learn about all the numbers and their correlation with the how the ruins were built. The perimeter of the ruins are lined with local vendors trying to sell their woodworks, shirts, nick-knacks and everything between. Our guide said when TV stations or anyone who is filming come to the ruins, these vendors disperse to give Chichen Itza the "sacred" and serene appeal. Here's a good article about this and the battle between its ownership dispute. It is amazing to say I have visited one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but the perimeter lined vendors definitely distracts from its beauty and architecture.

Since we were located south of Cancun, we decided to visit the hotel zone for a few hours. Oy, were we pleased that we stayed outside of the hotel zone. Sean and I are more of the rugged, off the beaten path travelers, so being in this small area jam packed with hotels and people made us realize this even more. The beach was quite beautiful though.

All in all, it was a great vacation. We are planning our next vacation and this could include a road-trip, Europe countries and backpacking.

Public Transportation

I rely on San Fran's public transportation as my main mode of transportation. I find it very easy to navigate and gets me to most places I need to go. Only downside is when I want to leave the city to someplace that isn't on BART... or playing soccer out at Crocker Amazon soccer fields. I haven't had any negative experience on public trans. yet, just many interesting moments and great people watching.

PS- Happy New Year! Here's to 2012. Cheers!

San Fran from the plane

I flew home to Seattle for Thanksgiving and surprise, surprise was welcomed with rain and very cold weather. Since being in SF I have really become a wimp with the weather. It has practically been sunny majority of the days I have lived here since June and maybe rained three (okay, maybe 7) days. When I was flying back to San Fran, I took these 3 pictures with my iPhone and I love them. Just wanted to share! Edited with Instagram

Point Reyes Backpacking

October, 2011 I had been dying to go camping, let alone backpacking. Living in Bellingham, WA during college and a few years after really defined my love for the outdoors. Once I became settled in San Francisco, I was getting antsy to leave the city and go explore. The great thing about Northern California is that we're surrounded by mountains, hiking trails and nature that are not only in our backyards, but also a short drive away. It was time to escape the city.

Sean hadn't been backpacking before so this was a great opportunity for an introduction trip, as the hikes aren't too strenuous. Point Reyes National Seashore has 5 walk-in only campsites and we chose the Wildcat Camp site, following the Coast Trail from the Palomarin Trailhead. The hike followed the coast for a few miles, then cut into the forest, to emerge back along the water, leading us to the campsites on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Not too shabby of a hike for the rookie Sean. He wasn't even too fond of hiking when I met him, but now he can't get enough. Bonus points in my book!

I had just received my new tent in the mail so I was amped to try it out. It worked prefectly and was nice and cozy. The day we arrived, we walked to the Alamere Falls along the beach where we saw two seals up close and took some goofy pictures by the Falls (re: my About page). For dinner we enjoyed cous cous with Chicken of the Sea. We also kept it classy with a few vodka sodas for rehydration.

It was so peaceful by the ocean and feeling so far from the city, but really only being an hour away. As much as I love the city, I need my weekends of escapes and reconnecting with nature.

Updates

i'm still alive! i forget about this blog and then i remember and then i don't feel like writing. but here i am now! these past few weeks i can tell i am not fully happy. i am trying to love this city, but i don't know if it's quite cutting it for me. i was able to go to tahoe and go camping over labor day and i loved it. i think i need more nature around me. i was spoiled by Bellingham. i have also been missing a certain someone. i would really like to meet some friends that escape the city on the weekends and explore the areas outside of the city. hmmm.... i am also in a friend lull. i haven't met anyone new for a while and i am trying to think of ways to meet more people.

in october i am going to try for Germany again. i'm going to give it one more try. hoping for the best!

today i found a few running races to sign up for, including a half-marathon in Calistoga. where's my running buddies?!

this is mumbled jumbled. i am going to a workout class soon and then have soccer tonight.

i am going to focus on making myself truly happy and lifting my spirits.

iPhone

>So I upgraded to the iPhone...

Stinson Beach

Water sports galore - sailing, paddle boarding, kayaking

4th of July - Giants game

Public transportation

One of the many fields I play soccer. They all have amazing views

Friends

>Why have I been slacking on calling friends? I think because I DON'T want to miss home and what I am comfortable with. I am trying to establish my self here. And, after talking to customers for 8 hours/ day, talking on the phone is something I usually don't want to do right away. This needs to change though. My friends will always be there for me and I need to reciprocate the feeling.

Almost a month update

Two weeks down and I'm still alive in SF! I made it safely and without any issues. Once I got off the BART I had to catch a taxi to Mardi's... I wasn't about to drag my 50+lb bag up the huge hill. I never took a taxi when living in Bellingham, so it's a new concept to me. It seemed they were all going the opposite direction I needed them to. I finally hailed one and up the hill I went.

I started work on that Wednesday and so far it's been going well. This store is a lot busier than my Bellingham one, which I am liking. The days go by fast and before I know it, I'm off!

I went to Sunriver, OR with all the family this past week. My mom and siblings, Aunts and Cousins and Nana and Bob were there. I have memories about Sunriver starting when I was a wee one, so being able to spend time with all the family in Sunriver is extra special to us all. I drove with Mardi there and then had to cut my time short and fly back on Thursdays because I had to work this past weekend.

As I am slowly adjusting to my new life, I have...

-Used MeetUp.Org to meet some friends

-Joined a few soccer teams (soccer is huge in SF and this will probably be one of the best ways to meet people. I am so happy I got back into playing in B-ham)

-Attended Pride Festival (not something to miss!)

-Slowly mastering the public transportation system

-Enjoyed sunshine every day

-Walked home from work after every shift

People ask me my thoughts about SF and of course I am liking it, but I haven't been here long enough to really have an opinion. Of course it's hard to leave my friends and everything I am comfortable with and move to a big city where I don't know anyone... but you know what, I survived living in DC (with many situational similarities) and I did just fine. I don't doubt myself and I just need to keep thinking positive. It's not going to all fall in place within the first month.

my first lunch - veggie burrito and sangria. Fillmore Street

view from Buena Vista Terrace

my silly family

Sunriver on Dwellable

Goodbye Bellingham...

>... hello new city! (well Federal Way til Monday and then San Fran)

Today I left Bellingham for my final time. My last day in Bellingham consisted of walking downtown and getting coffee, seeing Jake and Winny and saying goodbye to Matt's place.

This isn't goodbye forever - I hope they (along with other friends) will visit me and we'll be in touch via phone, skype and snail mail.

Time to enjoy two more days in Washington, which it's supposed to be super nice, and re-pack my clothes.

Oregon Coast

>This past Memorial Day weekend Matt and I took a road trip to Cannon Beach and Portland as a last hurrah before my move. The weather held out for us while at Cannon Beach and then was overcast the rest of the trip. We didn't need sunshine to explore Portland though.

We stopped in Seaside for a beer and some taffy. Cannon Beach was at first consumed by finding a place to stay - beach camping isn't legal and could lead to a ticket. Mis-planning on my part. At 10pm we found a campground with a few open spots (thank goodness!) In Portland we walked all around and visited some breweries. We planned better for Portland - we had a place to stay. Rounded off the trip with a visit to the Federal Way to see family and then Stanwood for a BBQ.  705 miles later, we were home.

Timeline

>

• Friday, May 27th is my last day at my store
• Oregon beach camping through Monday
• Spend a few more days in Bellingham and then head home
• One-way ticket to SFO, leaving sometime between June 3rd and 5th. I have yet to decide exact day I am leaving
• June 8th - first day in new store!

I'm very excited for all this. It's still quite surreal, but once I buy my plane ticket I think it will set in more. The store I am transferring to seems to have a great manager and is quite busy. Don't think I'll be bored. The SM also has no problems giving hours, so hopefully I'll be in the 40hr/wk range. Moving to an expensive city=needing more money. 

Now if I could just sell my car and the last few items I don't need, I would be less worried. Send good selling vibes.

Updates!

>

• I didn't get accepted to Germany. Don't know if it was a case of too many applicants or didn't have enough qualifications. It was a generic declined e-mail, so I'm not quite sure.
• But... not going to Germany is allowing me to move to San Francisco! I just got word today that I have found a Starbucks to transfer to and I am shooting for moving in the beginning of June. 
• Memorial Day weekend will probably be my last in Bellingham. What?! That's not very far away. 
• So much to do now... time to make a list! 

my new view come June