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.

Friday Feature: Simply Emily's Designs

Emily is a fellow YouTuber who I've been watching for almost two years now.  She recently decided to start a little Etsy shop full of adorable bookmarks, and I immediately knew I wanted to feature her video explaining her new business venture. They look like really great quality and like a fun, colorful way to keep track of your reading.

Check out Simply Emily's Designs here.

Visit her YouTube Channel here.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

A Week in Review: SF Adventures

College Confidence: Doing Things By Yourself

I am spending my first ever summer in San Francisco and while I am working, I also am lucky enough to have lots of downtime as well.  One reason I am so excited to be in the city is that the majority of my friends are also still around, working and living out leases and such.  However, we are all adults, which means our works schedules conflict and we have different family and relationship obligations.  Basically, this means that we don't get to do as many things together as we would like, and I end up doing more things on my own.

Now, at first this might sound a bit depressing.  Who wants to do things on their own, right?  Well, I actually really enjoy doing things on my own, and think it's an important skill to develop as you go through your college years.  Effectively, these are your last years of childhood and, in the ideal situation, you start taking more and more responsibility for your own life.  So I guess what I'm trying to say is that you should start getting used to doing things on your own.

Nothing about high school prepares you for this.  It's quite the contrary: everything in high school seems to be measured by how many friends you have, how many Facebook photos you end up tagged in.  But the reality is that, unless your best friend happens to be going to the same university as you, you will have to start doing a whole lot by yourself, from walking into your classes on the first day to traveling back and forth on your academic breaks.

I know that this can be quite frightening for lots of people and even I have yet to become comfortable doing some things like eating at a restaurant by myself.  But I've actually come to really enjoy and value my time alone and now have lots of fun going shopping on my own, going to the cafe, or the bookshop, or for a walk in the park.  Remember that it's important to be able to enjoy spending time with yourself.

Hope you all had a lovely week.