One More Trip Over the Bridge

Yesterday started out like any other Saturday: slowly.  All I'd really accomplished was a run, some yoga, and a shower when around noon I received an invite to go stay with Justine over on Sausalito for the day.  Realizing this would most likely be my last trip over there, I threw some things in my trusty backpack and used my now fully-fledged public transportation skills to navigate my way across the bridge.

Justine's family just got two new King Charles puppies, and we spent the majority of the afternoon and evening cuddling, playing, and baby-talking with them.  For only being 12 weeks or so, they are very friendly and well-behaved little loves!

We did, of course, go out for dinner.  Another friend suggested checking out Sol Food, a Puerto Rican restaurant in Mill Valley.  I personally have never had Puerto Rican food before, but one look at the menu and I was sold.  I ended up getting a Cubano sandwich with fries and I can only describe it as spectacular.  It was juicy and flavorful, greasy enough to satisfy, but not unnecessarily so.  I would definitely go back any time I happen to be in Marin!

We ended the evening with some wine and Pellegrino and lime (I don't drink and just happen to have very thoughtful friends that know my alcohol-alternative drink of choice!) and chatted about life now, during school, and the upcoming year.  It's really hard to believe we've graduated and are all moving in different directions.  Justine is currently deciding between getting her Masters in Psychology at the University of Edinburgh and attending a ballet fellowship in Moscow.  Christine just signed a lease on her first solo apartment in the city and is currently working one of her dream jobs in a corporate hospitality office.  And in just three short weeks, I will be moving out of San Francisco for good, taking one last trip down to Southern California where I will begin law school in the middle of August.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that time moves incredibly quickly and that I encourage everyone to really make the most of what time you have.  Hang out with friends, explore the places around you, take pictures, laugh lots, and always eat what sounds good.  Because even though I know I will be back in the Bay Area for a visit before I know it, I still can't believe I'm leaving it and these lovely ladies behind.

And I'm really going to miss it.

Wontons, Your Consolation Prize

I was originally planning out a College Confidence post for today, but never actually got around to writing it.  The last few days have actually been fairly busy and as I am writing this I am sitting at San Francisco International Airport, waiting to catch my flight home for the weekend.  My little brother Trevor is graduating from high school, and I could not be more excited for him.  I'm sure there will be a post of pictures from this weekend coming soon!

Long story short, I didn't write the post I planned.  I did, however, take some pretty fun pictures of my grandmother making pork and shrimp wontons, and thought I'd share those instead.  Warning: they will make you hungry.

Walk the Hills

On Saturday, I was invited to Larkspur for a spur of the moment hike with a few friends.  One of my good friends had been staying in this super rustic and beautiful mountain-side house all week dog-sitting, and he'd discovered a few trails he wanted to take us on.  My friends brought food, water, sweatshirts and baseball caps.  I brought my camera.

It's absolutely beautiful up there.  I must admit that I'm not entirely sure where we were (I believe it was Mount Tamalpais?) but it was a different hike than I've ever experienced.  It was difficult, yet at the end I just felt so incredibly light and inspired that I wasn't entirely ready to leave when we decided it was time to turn back.  I'd really like to invest in some good hiking boots and go back some day.

Changes

The past few weeks have been an absolute blur.  First there was the flurry of final exams and papers, which mainly consisted of sleepless nights and quite a bit of last minute revisions.  I presented my senior thesis, took my last undergraduate final exam ever, and somehow managed to survive.

On top of this, it is also graduation season.  My family came into town this week, which provided its own series of challenges, namely attempting to cram far too many people into a house that has never seemed so small before.  My puppies are our constant travel companions, which also means lots of "Did they get to go outside?" and "Shh, why are you barking?"  At school, there were lots of final masses and ceremonies to attend, friends and professors to thank, and friends' parents to meet.  Overall, it's been quite the week.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I was not at all prepared for the big event itself: graduation.  I was simply living moment to moment, trying to take it all in and survive the endless to-do list.  And now that the big day has come and gone, I'm feeling tired and thankful and overwhelmed and very confused as to what to do with all this time now have.

Thanks to everyone who's come along on this journey with me.  It's been better than I ever imagined.

Spring Break in Instagrams

Well, it's back to the grind at school, and this really is quite the crazy semester.  In just two weeks, the first draft of my senior thesis is due!  So for now, let's just bask in the glow of memories from Spring Break.

My backyard at home is finally done, so I spent a lot of time outside, soaking up the SoCal sun while I did some reading.

I also ran around with our new puppy...

and even played a bit of Pokemon!

The highlight of my trip was probably getting my ears pierced.  After 22 years of being too afraid to stick tiny little pieces of metal in my ears, I have finally done it and am loving the extra little accessory so far.  I can't wait until I can change my earrings, because I saw some very cute little Batman studs...

Hope you enjoy(ed) your Spring Break!

The Cutest Little Studio in Sausalito

This weekend was the beginning of the end.  And by that I mean it was the last weekend before classes start.  So to celebrate my last weekend of freedom (and the US premiere of Sherlock!),  I took a short trip to Sausalito to stay with my friend Justine.  I've stayed with her multiple times since coming to school, but this time was a little bit different because she moved into the little studio "apartment" down below her family house this fall.

It is quite honestly one of the cutest little studios I've ever seen.  She has a really cute, shabby-chic style and was kind enough to let me take some pictures to share with you guys!

Her little jewelry/nicknack shelf.  I did the drawing on the top right for her sophomore year!

Her cute little kitchen and our breakfast.

Senior Retreat

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to go on retreat with my academic program to the beautiful Applegate in the Sierra Foothills of California.  We stayed at the Jesuit Retreat Center and it was an absolutely magical place.  The buildings were of fairly modern construction, yet simple enough to really feel as though we were getting a "natural" experience (if that makes any sense).

They had a little chapel on site, along with a recreation/cafeteria building, a gathering hall, and a few different dormitories.

We were only there for one full day, so we really tried to cram a lot of activities in.  We began the day with some guided meditation and reflection and then headed out to enjoy the great outdoors.  We started off playing kickball...

A few members of our group had been on retreats there before, and planned on leading the rest of us on a short hike to visit the local river.  We were all packed and excited, when a random thunderstorm decided to descend on us!

We ended up sucking it up and going on a short walk anyways, but our completely soggy shoes forced us to turn back.  We ended the day with a pasta dinner (yes, the food is very good!) and an interesting Japanese film.

Hope you guys enjoy the pictures and video!  Have you taken any weekend trips lately?

Skydiving Adventures

Just to clarify, I did not go skydiving myself.  I am much too chicken for that!  Rather, my younger brother went for his 18th birthday (all grown up!) and I simply flew home (without jumping out of the plane) so that I could partake in this crazy experience.  Here's a quick picture of Trevor and his best friend Melisa before they took flight...

And here he is falling out of the sky!  I really cannot believe that he actually got up the courage to do this almost as much as I cannot believe that he's actually 18.  I guess this means I have to stop being in denial about my own age!

Happy Monday everyone, and hope you had an amazing Easter weekend!

Weekend Skies

Iook a quick trip to the de Young Museum this weekend to see The Girl With the Pearl Earring show. It was absolutely amazing, and if you live in San Francisco I highly recommend checking it out before it leaves!

Of course, the art wasn't the only beautiful thing that day.

Happy Monday, everyone.

Christmas Treats

Christmas this year was absolutely perfect.  It was relaxing, low key, and way more about giving than getting.  Even my dogs got into the spirit!  The day ended with an absolutely fantastic meal made by my hard working dad.

Hope your holiday was equally has fun and family-filled!  Any fun dishes that you tried?

The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,

...not a puppy was stirring while...

...cookies were baking...

...and decorations were aiding in the merry-making.

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and good wishes for the rest of the holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving

Finals season is upon us, and the last couple weeks have already been so busy that I'm having a heard time imagining it getting much worse.  To help de-stress (and get exercise at the same time!) I've taken up the habit of taking long walks around the neighborhood.  I live right by Mountain Lake Park, which backs up to the Presidio.  So just yesterday, I walked up to Inspiration Point to take in the view.

It was so gorgeous and clear up there that it put me in the perfect frame of mind for Thanksgiving.  It really got me thinking about what I'm grateful for.

For my friends, who accept me for all of my weirdness and keep me laughing and sane.  For my parents, who have always worked so hard to give me the best life possible.  For my brother Trevor, who is one of the best friends I could ever ask for.

For all of the amazing experiences and opportunities that I've had that are so easy to take for granted.

 And for this amazing and beautiful world that is so inspiring.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!