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!

Seashells and Sunburns

Finally, finally we are starting to get some real summer weather here in SoCal!  Yesterday, the morning gloom broke to reveal a beautiful day that I spent at Balboa Beach with a friend.  We ate at the Ruby's on the pier, walked around enviously eyeing the beach houses, and played in the water.

Of course, the one downside to spending the whole day in the sun was that, despite our sunscreen, both of us managed to get wicked sunburns.  My nose in particular is bright red!  Oh well.  That's what face powder is for, right?

Happy summer, friends.

Back in the Sand

When I first started this blog, I was a scared 17-year-old who did not know what to expect going into her very first year of college.  Today, I'm a more confident, more knowledgable, and more inspired twenty-year-old who is halfway done with college.

Isn't that terrifying?  Only two more years before I will be tossed out into the real world, and it will take all of my skill to survive.  Okay, well, that might have been a touch dramatic.  Can you tell I'm a fiction writer?

I finished finals on May 17th, and after catching a weekend baseball game with my family in San Francisco, my dad and I made the long drive home.  I have to admit, I didn't realize how much I've missed Southern California until I got back.  The weather has been glorious, my local friends happy to see me, and my dogs just as cuddly as I remembered.  And even if I have no definite plans for summer aside from finally, finally getting my driver's license, I'm loving being back.

Relaxing on Laguna Beach after lunch

A few friends from high school and I decided to celebrate my return to a trip to Laguna Beach for lunch and a little chat on the sand.  If any of you happen to be looking for a quick and easy lunch while in the area, you should check out Coffee Pub.  The service is great and the food even better!

Walking on Crystal Cove Beach.  No one else was there!

Beach bouldering?

Hopefully there will be a lot more beach trips this summer!

Adventures in Sunny SF

Sunbathers in Golden Gate Park

These last couple weeks have been absolute torture.  San Francisco has been hit by a run of seriously gorgeous weather, and yet all of us poor students have to toil away inside working on final exams and projects!  I stubbornly attempted to mix sun and studying yesterday, and was rewarded for my efforts with a sunburn!  Even when I'm doing work, I'm not very focused.  All I can think about right now is sun and baseball.

The view from the roof of SFMOMA

The end of this semester can not come soon enough!

30DDC: Day 1 - Yourself

Welcome to Day 1 of my 30 Day Drawing Challenge!  The first prompt was yourself.  At first, I tired to do an actual portrait, I really did.  But it turned out horribly and looked absolutely nothing like me, so I decided to do this instead.  That's me with the book, in case you got lost in my horrible rambling.  I'm surrounded by all the things that make me who I am.  Oh, and no, my hair does not really have cool streaks and stuff.

On a completely separate note, here are two photo's of the sunrise from my dorm room this morning.  I took them half hanging out the window, so I hope that you like/appreciate them!

Welcome to 2012

How does any good Southern California resident ring in the new year?  By heading to the beach, of course!  I spent Sunday wandering around the beautiful little Balboa Island, making good use of the new camera I received for Christmas.

An impromptu family portrait.

We've been having the most gorgeous weather, with highs in the 70s for the next week or so.  It's a beautiful way of celebrating the new year.  My resolution is to finally, finally stop chewing my nails, and to finish more projects this year.  No starting new things until I've finished what I've already started!

Happy New Year, everyone.  What are your resolutions?

A Sunny Day for a Birthday

Yesterday was an amazing day. Not only did I turn a whopping 20 years old, but it was probably the nicest day we've had so far. This made it the perfect day for my friend Justine to complete what was possibly the greatest assignment ever: walk through Golden Gate Park to the beach. I tagged along while she took beautiful pictures in sunny weather. We looked at the trees...

petted adorable dogs...

played with balloons...

and got lunch at the cute little cafe called the Java Beach Cafe. Even though they were recommended to us based on their coffee, we were happy to discover that their sandwiches are just as tasty. Their menu is seriously impressive, with tons of sandwiches, pastries, and both hot and cold drinks. I personally enjoyed the ice tea, though it was a little bitter. Over all, it's good food in a cute, beachy atmosphere!

Have a great week, everyone!

Positivity

Happy weekend, everyone! The past couple of days or so have been a blur of fun, sun, and relaxing. San Francisco experienced a slightly heat wave (or maybe it was just a rise in temperatures) last week, and as such my friends and I spent every possible second outside. We even donned our bathing suits and trekked to Golden Gate Park (which is much closer than the beach) for a little bit of tanning. While there,  Justine and I decided to romp around in the vegetation, and it left me feeling invigorated and alive! Nature tends to do that for me. 

Last night, the campus hosted a small concert of mostly "indie bands" in one of our gyms. I decided to actually do something on a Friday night and go with a small group of my friends. It turns out that the concert had started at four o'clock that afternoon, and we had missed the majority of it. Luckily, we made it just in time for the headlining group Augustana to perform. After experiencing their attractiveness and great music for myself, I would definitely recommend checking out their new album. I know I plan to download it!

So, I'm sure some of you are wondering about the title of this post. Being out in the sun has not only made me tanner, but it has altered my mentality on life slightly. I couldn't believe how much happier I was getting off campus and being in the park for just a few hours. Combining this with my thoughts about Lent (the liturgical season that the Catholic Church is currently in), I decided that I needed to make some positive changes in my living habits. This means wasting as little time as possible and actually being productive when I do work. I also plan on getting up a bit earlier to go on a walk at least a couple times a week. I did it today, and I've been much more energetic and happy. See, positive change!

Is there anything you can do/change to make your life more positive?

Amazing Food Find!

What a weekend!

Not only was it sunny this weekend, but it was also warm enough to take a blanket and sit out on the grass. It definitely made my seemingly endless amount of reading easier to stand.

In other news, I have a confession to make: I am a panini addict! My friends and I have found this amazing panini shop on Haight Street, and that's basically what we ate all weekend! Check it out if you're in the neighborhood. Trust me, you'll love it!

Have a great week, everybody!