Thanksgiving was perfect!  Now it's time to jump right back into the crazy hazy rush!  

This gorgeous sky welcomed me back to the big apple!

Now that one of my favorite holidays is over...

It's just in time for my other favorite time of the year!

Time for peppermint and cinnamon and christmas songs!

Why is the New York air so crisp?

Loving it!

Oh! and if you happen to need something to read whilst stuffing your face with hot chocolate and jumbo marshmallows, this article headlining Forbes is about the founder of Acumen Fund!  This story was 9 months in the making! Proud to be working at Acumen Fund, big things are happening :]

HOAGIE TIME!

Even though I was in Delaware/Pennsylvania over a month ago, it was one of the best trips I've ever had!  It was so refreshing to escape for a weekend.  It was perfect timing because I remember feeling like I was starting to be too overwhelmed by all the school/work/activities.  

We rented a car and stayed with Mike's aunt and nanna, and it was just what I needed after the chaos of NYC!  They live in Brandywine, Delaware, and Mike's grandma's house is right on the border of DE and PA!  But no tax in DE so that's where the house is ;)

Suburbs on the East Coast are so different than West Coast ones!  All the houses are bigger, brick-ier, and have giant front yards and back yards (I mean GIANT), and also MASSIVE TREES!!!  Like you could hold a small festival in Mike's aunt's backyard.  Mike's aunt's house was the cutest little two story in the whole wide world, and reminded me of a cottage.  

We explored, we ate, we drove around, we got some drinks with his uncle!  And I think he made mike rake some backyard leaves with him haha. 

We went hiking!  This was the open field right before we entered the woods.  I kind of felt like I was in a Twilight movie, there was so much shrubbery just 10 minutes away from where his aunt lives!

We had quiet time and peace.  Ok not really quiet time... but definitely peace.

We ate at the cutest diner, the waiter was SUPER friendly!  Everyone was chatting and eating gigantic pancakes and waffles doused in syrup :D The menu was simple and straightforward.  No fancy food fads and fusions and gastronomics here!  The waiter was way too cheerful to have ever experienced the impatient rush of NY customers. 

We went out to eat with Mike's nanna, and she had to eat exactly at 5:30 pm. early bird specials!  We asked if she recommended anywhere cool for us to try in the neighborhood, and she said we are going to Applebee's because that's her favorite restaurant.  Adorbz!  Well, she struggled between Applebee's and Chili's.  Funnily enough, there are a billion Applebee's in LA, but I've only ever eaten there once in my whole life!  I kind of have an aversion towards chains, but the happy hour food was actually not bad!

We found this awesome hoagies restaurant, Casapulla's (on Yelp) since Mike's aunt and nanna didn't really know any non-chain restaurants in the area... to be honest, there aren't very many!  But we discovered this one, and it was PARTY IN MY MOUTH delicious!!! Mike kept talking about how much he craved hoagies and how many he ate as a kid, and that if he couldn't eat one then he wanted to watch me eat a giant one.  Luckily, we found gluten-free hoagie buns in a super market (only in philly) and the little restaurant was super nice and made it for us!  They were the size of our heads!!! And believe it or not... mike ate 4 of those babies. I kept challenging that he wouldn't be able to do it, especially cuz he looked nauseated after the 3rd one, but when he did, I kinda felt grossed out for him.  And impressed :)

And he got 2 more of those the next morning before we left.

Delaware seems like a wonderland, it's so completely foreign to me!  Mike thought I would hate the suburbs cuz I love living in cities so much and kept warning me I would be bored with his family for 3 days BUT I LOVED IT.  

His grandma ALWAYS had snacks for us!  And her idea of us spending time with her was watching rerun movies on Lifetime.  She also has a serious love for "Marley & Me".

We might try to go back in December, or we might drive around New England instead!  It'll be snowy though. you know what that means... New England Snowmen!

slice of home/heaven!

Blogs without pictures are no fun to read... yes I'm aware of that even though my last post was basically a mini novel.  I'm attempting to revive this blog again with more pictures and updates, and less vague posts!

Writing, even shallow surface posts like the ones in this blog, always helps me feel a bit calmer and at peace, as if life is rearranging itself just because I wrote about it.  And since as of late life has been more than hectic, I'm going to force myself to sit down and write more, both in here and elsewhere.  And even if sometimes it's just through a single picture and a tiny comment, I'm going to make sure it doesn't get lost into an abyss of memories.

And I'm attempting to create some sort of focus/theme around this blog, so it's not just a splattered scatter of random tid bits... ok who am I kidding, it's never really going to have just one complete theme.  But I shall attempt!

First and foremost, I was home in LA last weekend! Although NYC has its appeal of whirl and hustle and bustle, LA has unique charms and maybe just nostalgic memory attached to almost every location since I spent much more time researching LA city and culture than I have since I moved to NY. and basically every single person that I love resides in LA. Well except for the people who are in NY ;)

So! LA. There was lots of mexican food involved.  AMAZING.  It was basically every meal I ate. almost.  Sometimes I didn't even eat it, I just bought way too much of it and looked at it and though about old times when I used to eat it.  I don't think I really enjoy the process of eating a gooey quesadilla as much as the idea of eating it.  I'm drooling on myself right now.

There was also sushi!

And more sushi.

Actually, there's a lot more but I'm not gonna bother posting it because it will just make me hungry.  I'm jealous I can't build a time machine and travel back to last Friday and relive this goodness all over again!

I think we ate the entire population of a small pond.  I know, I know, these sushi are from salt water fish, don't get all scientific on me!

And don't worry, there was 11 of us.  I'm not that much of a champion.  But they are!

Of course, the beach made an appearance.  Even though it was freezing.  I didn't jog to it, but I had to see it!  

We biked instead!  This was one from the 2 out of 4 days that wasn't raining!  So weird to be able to see the sky in it's entirety... I don't think I've seen that for a solid 6 weeks.  It was strange.

Note me wearing Mike's mom's running shoes with a dress and giant coat... sexy biking gear.

There was also lots of wine and cheese and margaritas and chocolates and all things that make life happy and worth living <3

 And lots of time with family.  Meet the greatest people alive on earth:

Oh, and also somewhere in there was a 10k in the rain with Brenda that made me really sick but I had a good time catching up with her! 

And flowers and tea were brought during an impromptu visit by Tizia :)

I need to get better at taking pictures of things besides food and people at restaurants.

I have a crazy taxi story to tell about the day I flew back to NYC, but we can save that for another day.  There are way too many things backlogged to blog about!  For right now, this will suffice.   

Till next time, eat some tacos or some yummy black-sesame dimsum balls for me!

I am absolutely loving SIPA right now.

It is everything I wanted from grad school and MORE.  I knew I wanted something that was academically rigorous, but would also allow me to participate in current events and happenings outside of school, and expose me to opportunities I wouldn't be able to experience on a regular basis.  I think it helps that SIPA is located in NYC, because it has opened up doors that would simply be unimaginable in LA. Besides the millions of conferences, speakers, symposiums, career panels, and ideas being thrown around every second, Columbia and NYC in general, is where people come to make things happen.  And its so much easier to be part of it when I'm thrown in the midst of it.

And even within the classrooms, my professors (most of them) are amazing, and I'm learning things in class that are making me see the world in ways I never could have thought of, and getting me even more excited about learning more!

Things are just starting to settle down a bit now that midterms are over, and I have time to actually digest what has been happening to me, and am getting into the groove of balancing 2 internships and all my classes.

To sum up, right now I'm interning at UNDP's Crisis Prevention and Recovery Bureau.  My internship is great in that I can go into the office whenever I want to, but I can also work remotely if needed (like during midterms).  They only recently allowed me to do that.  I even have a UNDP email account :)  Working from UN Headquarters is pretty cool, but it takes about 45 minutes minimum to get there from where I live.  each way.  So I mostly work remotely whenever I have the chance to.  I really enjoy the work and it forces me to be constantly updated on current events (albeit mostly crisis) around the world.  My boss is super nice and personable (I've been lucky to have wonderful bosses for the majority of my work experiences)!  I've always thought it would be my dream to work at the UN before I came to SIPA, and this internship gave me invaluable insight into how the organization works.

My other internship right now is at Acumen Fund.  I actually got this internship through pure luck.  I was up one night stressing over being stressed (yes that happens a lot in grad school) and thinking about all the things I want to do in the future and what I've been exposed to thus far at SIPA, and researching all these ideas bouncing around in my head when I stumbled upon this organization.  I took one look and knew I absolutely wanted to be a part of what they were doing.  I had just started to be flooded with Social Enterprising opportunities at SIPA and was extremely interested in this new field.  The crazy thing is, 4 wks before coming to SIPA I would have no idea what social enterprising even was.  But being in NYC, the center of all things entrepreneurial, I scoured the website for the right people to contact, and drafted an email about why I want to help with their work and how my experiences are relevant to what they're doing.  I honestly did not think I would get a reply, seeing as Acumen Fund is the current leader and pioneer in the field of social enterprising, and their Fellows come from top B-Schools.  But lo-and-behold... my efforts went through!  Within a few days someone from Acumen Fund contacted me and said that Acumen Fund almost never responds to random emails since they get a ton of people trying to work there, but the Communications Head just happened to need someone with editorial and communications experience at that moment, and thought it was incredibly serendipitous that my resume came through right when they needed someone! It was serendipitous for both of us :)

I was hesitant at first to accept the position after the interview because they wanted someone who could start this semester even though I had inquired about Spring, since I was already interning at UNDP.  I thought long and hard about whether I could balance this much work with school, but I knew if I passed up this opportunity right now, it wouldn't come again.  So I took a leap and knew that no matter what, all I could do was give the best I can, and be honest with them about my time commitments.

What I've learned so far from being here is kind of what I've always done, but it's been more fruitful here at Columbia and NY than it ever has before.  It's to take every opportunity and chance you have. Go for every idea that crosses your mind.  Even if you think it is absolutely outrageous and you don't stand a chance, it doesn't hurt anybody if you try, and only hurts yourself if you don't.  Explore every possibility.  If you want to learn more about something, research it.  Find people to talk to about it. Discuss ideas, throw them around, talk to people who you think can help you out with useful information.  Learning more about something is the best you can do.  And when you feel like it's what you want, go for it.  And that's all, and everything, you can do.

And I know this is slightly contradictory, but so far the difficulties at SIPA for me is really to try to hold myself back from not doing EVERYTHING, and understanding the necessity to prioritize.  Because literally everything sounds exciting, and I want to be part of it. SIPA is a microcosm of the entire world.  There are events and people represented from every country, ethnic group, interest group, vocational field, etc. You can basically learn about anything you want, the world at your fingertips.

AMAZING.  I'm constantly trying to soak it all in.

Undoubtedly, out of everything I've ever attempted, I've been rejected countless times. And this will happen, and it will be super depressing the first few times, but then I've learned to get over it and try again.  And put your heart into what you really want. And although no one likes to fail, eventually it gets less depressing and dejecting.  And out of all those failures, there are always bound to be successes.  I've made just as many wild leaps that have taken me beyond what I could have ever hoped for.  And if suddenly too many things happen to work out, which is never the worst problem in the world, at least you have the option of deciding for yourself and choosing which ones to turn down.

Truthfully, in the midst of all my midterms only last week, I was kind of drained and overwhelmed by all my obligations and responsibilities, and the lack of time to even sleep for more than 4 hours a night.  Things looked bleak for a while and I smacked myself for being overeager.

But ultimately, that's the reason why I'm here, and why I wanted to be here.  All these opportunities, all the chances to see, feel, understand as much of the world as I can in its entirety, to be at the front lines witnessing and participating in what's happening now.  I can't take for granted the boundless opportunities I've been presented, and whenever I pause and think about how amazingly lucky I am to be here, it wakes me up a little bit and reminds me to never stop learning and exploring.

Being at SIPA is just a starting point for greater things to come.

Just remind me of my enthusiasm again when Finals roll around :0)

MIDTERM HELL

I miss writing in this!!!

These past 2 weeks have seemed a lot longer than they actually were, mostly because of dun dun dun.... MIDTERMS.  it's quite sad, actually!  I haven't even had time to truly enjoy Halloween!  I didn't even have time to assemble a poor, unoriginal costume.  I didn't go to our SIPA party, and I'm missing out on a party tonight!  BUMMER DEAL.  In undergrad I would never have allowed that to happen.  But I think this is what being older and having extremely low cold tolerance does to you (it's kind of blizzarding outside).  I did manage to sneak in a party yesterday tho :) I was really torn and gonna try to go out tonight anyway, but I decided to be responsible because I would only regret it and if undergrad has taught me anything, it's that bad decisions can be made because life eventually works itself out anyway.  Wait... that doesn't really advocate my attempts at being responsible...  ANYWAY, I have a paper due tomorrow even though it's a Sunday *lamers* and a Stats midterm on monday which I have yet to start studying for.  WOOHOO!

I don't remember midterms ever having been this condensed.  But after these 2 weeks of hell ending on monday (ironicly Halloween) I'LL BE FREEEEEEEEE!!! Well till finals... but even then, my finals schedule isn't this bad.

AND I'M COMING HOME THIS THURSDAY!!! IM COMIN HOME, IM COMIN HOME!  TELL P.DIDDY I'M COMING HOME!!!

MEXICAN FOOD and +50 degrees weather... YESSSS!!!

Till then, you can find me freezing and holed up in my cave.  I wear 3 layers to bed.  JEALOUS!??!

c.r.a.z.y.

It feels like I've been in NY for months!  But I officially moved here about 7 weeks ago... life has taken off at lightning speed! And I can't believe I turned 24 less than a month ago. Where was I when that happened?!? Everything is changing... save me!

For one thing, I'm working 2 internships.  Crazy. 

3 papers, 2 midterms, within 2 weeks. Crazy. 

A billion events happening simultaneously at all times.  Kray Kray. 

So why am I writing in this blog and not getting to work?!  Crazy. Capital C.

I'm also missing Cali like crazy.  Like coffee culture, guac-doused-nachos, running by the beach, driving on a whim, sunny-weather-everyday crazy.  Like buying stuff from costco and target and plausibly bringing all that stuff home crazy.  Like having enough space in my closet for all my clothes crazy... well maybe that last one is just too crazy.

Anyway, send me pictures of Cali please, of 405 traffic and greasy mexican food and Yardhouse HH and THE BEACH!!! It'll make me happy.  Thanks.  

Before I really go crazy :) Captial C.

Ok so, no, life hasn't exactly slowed down yet

and I've been in NYC for about 5 weeks now.  Albiet, 2.5 of those weeks were attributed to some intense apartment hunting!  It paid off though, I now have a room that's about the size of my entire bed.  BUT! It's 4 blocks from IAB (International Affairs Building) where all my classes are, has tons of natural sunlight, a huge living room, and my apt-mate cooks a lot and is a black belt in martial arts in case someone breaks in!

Plus, a small room forces some creativity in decorating skillz, like an abusive use of safety pins.

New York, or SIPA to be exact, is really bad for my restless, anxious, impatient disposition.  It exacerbates it ten-fold.  I can't even sit still for 10 minutes without checking my email and finding out some new opportunity has come along.  Want to write for the school paper? Meet at lunch! Job fair with a major banking firm? Tomorrow at 1pm!  Panel on human rights in Latin America?  I'll be there!  Free screening of a documentary on Microfinancing?  Writing a paper on it!  Class on the Euro-crisis with the former Prime Minister of Hungary?  Taking it!  Dinner party with fellow foodies?  You know it! Networking opportunity for women in the energy field?  I'll probably be late... but I'm gonna show up!  I can't let an opportunity slip by unexplored.  And that's why I've gotten probably 10 hours of sleep in the last 3 days.  And basically have been sleep deprived since I moved here.

Homework is kinda on the backburner, even though it should be a priority.  I'm trying to figure out which opportunities I'm NOT interested in, and that's nearly impossible and extremely problematic.  I tick off all the thinks I need to do the next day in my head before I sleep, and can't sleep anymore by the time I run through it all.  I even wake up early just to organize my thoughts in my head even further.

And yet my brain is still a mess.  I don't think there's a way to fix that.

I love it though, as crazy as it is.  The mix and mishmash of people and ideas and possibilities... That's what I came here for!  To be stressed and tested and pulled and stretched in every way.  I'm still trying to figure out a chaotic schedule that works for me. it will happen!  And it will be messy!

My posts will be more specific once life settles down a bit, and I can actually think and fathom and comprehend the fact that this is happening, this is real life that I'm living, and these are real events and not just a blur of moments and time.

For now, when it gets hectic and messy and frenzied, I temporarily escape to 2 weekends ago when I was in Delware/Pennsylvania visiting Mike's family, and it was literally one of the most nostalgic and beautiful places I've ever been to.  I'll elaborate more later!

Heading to Connecticut this weekend, excited!! Maybe I'll actually see some leaves change colors!

Ah who am I kidding... I miss LA weather already!

I do, I do, I do do do do do do do do!

Trying to remember everything I do is tiring.  Instead of the usual layout of pictures and explanations, I am going to take a hiatus from complete sentences!  After these two.

OC Fair and Fun Run (Walk), Funnel Cake, Philly Cheese Fries, Candy, Popcorn, Petting zoo, Carnival Games, Giant Stuffed Husky, Downtown Disney, Andy Grammar, Colbie Caillat @ House of Blues, 3-course meal @ The Catch Restaurant in Hotel Del Mar with Oceanside view, Bru’s Wiffle’s DECLICIOUS waffles, Anna Karenina, dim sum @ NBC 8am weekday, jogging @ Santa Monica & Venice, Vivoli Cafe farewell Dinner, Crystal’s house drinking tea, AYCE Mongolian BBQ @ Mogo’s, Lesbian Night @ The Abbey in weho, cooking, baking, PB & Banana French Toast makin’, Tim Burton Exhibit @ LACMA, painting, yoga, writing, Orochon Ramen Spicy #1 in Little Tokyo, Chang’s Garden, Pastrami @ the Oinkster, Baked goodies @ Auntie Em’s Kitchen, vintage candy & soda @ Galco’s Soda Pop Shop

cleanse

I'd like to explain my first hardcore backpacking-through-the-mountains trip in detail, but I think it would be simpler to share the gorgeous pictures of the panoramic forestry and clear blue glacier waters, cold refreshing mountain air, and heart-stopping view of stars hanging from the night sky, that I was rewarded with for hiking up 11,000 ft in elevation, suffering from 50,000 mosquito bites, swimming in freezing lakes, and taking care of business in 6-inch ditches.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed the landscape!  My phone died by day 3 and I really wasn't as focused on the photography as I was enjoying Mother Nature in the moment, but by day 3 we were basically at the top! that's where most of the pictures are from:

I'm going on a "cleanse" (don't worry, only mentally and emotionally).  Since moving out of LA, I've realized how much crap I've accumulated, and how many things I hold on to, not just externally but also internally.

I've been collecting, hoarding, and clinging to all the memories, trinkets, people, moments, etc. because I've strongly believed it's my past and part of who I am now, and I've been holding on tighter than ever because my life is about to change drastically.

But I think it's time to unload and let some things go that need releasing.  What I need is closure, and room for a new start.  Besides memorabilia, ties, bonds, doubts, fears, hesitations, negative energies, antagonistic emotions, whatever they may be, it's time to clear them out and move on.  Some things just aren't meant to be carried into the future, and it's time to prevent them from weighing any part of me down, whether they have in the past, or may possibly do so in the future.

I've always been an avid fan of history, but I'm realizing that moments like these, opportunities for progress and possibilities, are also moments for making changes and letting go.

There are priceless valuables that I will forever hold dear to my heart and never let go of, eternal treasures to keep.  Don't get me wrong, this isn't a dump truck operation.

But certain things are better left as pieces of the past.  And I'm OK with that.

This is my week + half to cleanse and freshen up.

It'll do me good!

WORTH THE HURT

I ran my first marathon EVER this weekend, completing one of my "bucket list" tasks. not that I live strictly by that list anyway... they're more like mild aspirations.

Anyway, as I was saying, I ran my first marathon EVER this weekend in San Francisco. without training much.  Bad idea in that it made it so much more PAINFUL, but good idea in that I DID IT!!!  Before the 26.2 miles of pavement pounding, the furthest I had ever ran was 13.1 miles for the Palos Verdes Marathon, 3 months ago.

The SF Marathon was one of the most physically painful experiences I have ever endured in my life thus far.

Bad idea #2: I am not exaggerating when I say I didn't sleep a wink the night before.  Pre-race jitters, I tried my best to tell my brain to shut up, but when does it ever listen?

Bad idea #3: I didn't carbo-load much, since I spent half the morning on Saturday recovering from partying till 3AM on Friday, and the rest with Mike in a car for 7 hrs driving up to NorCal.  It was a sadly missed opportunity of ice cream and pasta and cookies and french toast... not that I need an excuse to carbo-load on a normal day... but eating before a race is pretty important

SO!

Miles 1-16: feelin' pretty good about myself, thinking, "This isn't so hard, the sleep factor isn't affecting me at all!  The electrolytes will keep me going!" I'm lovin the SF atmosphere, the view of the bridge, the cold refreshing air on my face, pretty much in love with life.  I'm passing some hardcore people.  Bring it on, hills!

Miles 16-19: the cramps start coming, in the knees, in the hips, in the ankles... anywhere where joints meet

Mile 19-20: longest mile OF MY LIFE.  I stop running for the first time, even though by this point my run pace is basically equivalent to an 80 year-old grandma's walking pace.  My legs stiffen and I feel like if I take another single step, it's all over

Miles 20-23: my body starts getting used to the craps and I run through them.  Pain starts feeling normal.  Probably not good for me

Miles 23-26.2: I FORCE myself to run these last 3.2 miles even though I really feel like just killing myself.  Everyone in my vicinity is limping too and it's not too encouraging.  Old people start passing me :( I keep running and just when I feel like I must walk or my legs will break off, a guy runs up next to me and says, "Come on!  Let's finish off strong!"  I force myself to smile and keep running even though inside I want to stab him with a steak knife and twist it and laugh maniacally.

Mile 26.2: I see Mike waiting for me at the finish line filming me and yelling my name and I use my last amount of energy to wave and yell, "Wooooooo!!!"  I cross the finish line expecting my body to celebrate but it feels SO BROKEN and my legs refuse to stop moving even though I'm done.  I feel like throwing up and grab the first Jamba Juice I see and literally gulp it in 3 seconds, grab a bottle of water and gulp it in 3 seconds, scarf down a banana, grab 5 peanut butter samples and 2 yogurt samples and down them, and then I crash on the sidewalk.  Mike calls me on my phone and I literally don't have the energy to pick up so I just sit there for a solid 10 minutes by myself before calling him back.

My knees feel like they're being stabbed with needles with every step I take, and for the next few hours my body is completely exhausted.  Mike and I go to this amazing Italian place in Berkeley for me to refuel, and I immediately start feeling better once I eat.  Then we go get Philz Coffee aka. nectar of the Gods, and that makes me feel even better :)

The marathon was one of the hardest things I've ever done, justt because it was so unexpectedly difficult. Now that I think back on it, it wasn't too bad, but I remember the feeling of death I felt during the course.  I am ECSTATIC that I did it.  The accomplishment I felt after crossing the finish line is totally WORTH THE HURT and overrules any feeling of physical pain that was only temporary.  Also, all joint pains went away within a few hours of sitting down.

I'm feeling like another marathon may be coming in the future... Chicago?  DC? New York?  BOSTON possibly?!?! [women need to run under 3hrs 40min to qualify for that one] Plus, marathons give me good reasons to visit these cities!  And I LOVE the free food after marathons :D

I know I should've learned the lesson of running without solid training, but I still don't think I will ever train hardcore for a marathon.  I've looked at running schedules and they basically dominate your life if you decide to follow them.  The time needed to train that much could easily be allocated for more important things like eating unhealthy foods and documenting useless crap on this blog.

I don't really know how I did it, but right after the marathon and meal I prepared myself for the 5 hour drive from SF to Mammoth Lakes for a 5 day backpacking trip with Mike's family and friends into the Sierra Mountains.

But that's a story for later :]

"it was less an identifiable city than a grouping of concepts..."

With all this talk about leaving LA soon and reminiscing over the messy, smoggy, traffic-congested, concrete maze that Kerouac touted as "the loneliest and most brutal of American cities", I've been trying to spend my last few weeks here relishing the ugliness that is LA, and all the memories encompassed within this disconnected, broken, erratic sprawl. (and yes I took that picture while I was driving...)

I didn't begin to appreciate or explore LA until the beginning of my Junior year, when I was able to drive around the confusing and winding streets, and explore the various districts on my own accord, with my own car.  That's when the lists really began :)

As a "good" college student, but mostly just a curious explorer, I was first obsessed with new coffee shops I could churn out essays and math problems at, beyond the bubble of Westwood.  Then, I became obsessed with restaurants.  College budget restaurants like Pink's, Dino's, Tito's, Zankou, Roscoe's, BCD, etc... or should I say cheap, quick, greasy, gratifying restaurants. Soon I became familiar with the museums, theaters, flea markets, festivals, happy hours, the hipsters of Silverlake, the beach bums of Venice, the yuppies in downtown Culver City, UCLA alums in Palms, the housewives in Beverly Hills, the bougie-breakfast places around Mid-Wilshire, the yoga studios in Santa Monica, the crazy fun in WeHo, and the mishmash of everyone from all walks of life in Hollywood.

Like any major city weaved together by a multitude of cultures, generations, styles, aspirations, and voices, a city is a living organism that can easily envelop you, turn your upside-downs to inside-outs, spin you around, and spit you back out without a single hint of regard for your confusion.

And that's exactly what I wonder if NYC will do to me.  Lure me in with its glittering skyscrapers and bridges and shining lights and promises of dreams within reach, and then swallow me up, thrash me around a bit, and leave me disconcerted, dazed and disillusioned.

But I am also aware that it can also offer its hidden gems.  And in LA, all the diamonds are well stashed beneath its hideous, polluted, concrete surface.  So they shouldn't be quite as difficult to discern in city of smaller square-footage and much more pleasing architecture, right?

Kerouac deigned LA as a jungle, even through his escapades across the entire US landscape, including cities infinitely more complicated and historic.  And yet I had always thought of Zoo York as the jungle. so I guess in reality, I'm really just moving from one jungle to the next!

From a sprawl of diffused chaos, to minimized and organized groups of chaos... perfect!  I'll be in my element :]

Catalina Dreamin'

This past Carmaggedon weekend, Mike's mom took me, Mike, Mike's brother, and his gf to an all-expense paid 4 day vacation to Catalina... one of the BEST VACATIONS I'VE EVER HAD!!!

I used to think of Catalina as one of those places middle-aged people in California vacationed to when they just want to feel like they're in a cleaner, safer, watered-down version of Mexico... or got a sudden craving for traveling but don't ACTUALLY feel like traveling.

And yes, there were a lot of middle-aged vacationers this past weekend in Hawaiian print flannels and loafers... but like every trip, adventure, journey, and destination, it's what you make of it!

We snorkeled every single day, kayaked, jumped off rocks, biked, hiked, ate unspeakable amounts of ice cream and nachos, and drank gallons of buffalo's milk!

We all shared a condo and had a blast hanging out together :D There were gigantic rooms with an amazing view and clean bathrooms (dirty bathrooms are my kryptonite, don't ask me how I survived backpacking across SEA), and it was walking distance from everything! There was even a pool and Jacuzzi! AND It's so much more affordable than any hotel room, I will definitely plan a trip with friends in the future :]

The view from our room was GORGEOUS

Catalina is very much like Cuba in that there isn't much variety... don't get me wrong, it is 100x more luxurious and accommodating than Cuba, but the food options are minimal. You can either eat American-Mexican food, or splurge for fish (why fish is so expensive on an island is still mind-boggling to me), or eat frozen chocolate bananas and ice cream for every meal. So that's what we did! We ate ice cream from every single ice cream shop on Catalina. That's some island livin':

The most massive plate of Nachos I have EVER consumed... it took all 5 of us to eat half of it...

We saw all sorts of fish and got tangled up in kelp, and my shoulders almost died from kayaking!

I jumped off Frog Rock!!! With my life vest on, of course. Landing in the water the wrong way bruised my bootay :[ but it was SO MUCH FUN!!! to me the climb itself is more frightening than standing on top and jumping off, even tho Mike thinks otherwise. The view up there is amazing!!!

I was disappointed we didn't get to swim with leopard sharks while we were snorkeling :[ they're about 6ft long and they don't bite

Hiking was my FAVORITE, and we hiked buzzed all 3 days. Mike's mom and I LOVED IT but Mike has old-man knees

Buffalo's Milk - Catalina's signature drink, is basically vodka mixed with 4 different banana, cream, and chocolate liquers... In Mike's attempt every single night to get me drunk, he only got himself wasted. When will he ever learn that my liver is superior?

I think we've explored every inch of the Island that Wrigley (the man who invented the gum and bought Catalina) wanted us to explore, and it will be a loooong time before I come back here again.

Thank you for the beautiful weekend and the ocean breezes and drunken sunsets that will forever be imprinted in my memory :) I'll be back when it's my time to enroll in the Loafers Club

even if it ain't all it seems, I've got a pocket full of dreams

I've had about 4-5 months of doing everything I want to do, and nothing I don't. In all this time, I've taken trips near and far, ate a lot, drank a lot more, spent time with family, friends, and other loved ones, scattering my time away in a carefree haze. Oh, and I guess some days I went to work.

There are a small set of emails in my Gmail box designated to the "Grad School" tab... and those are the emails I've often opened and looked at, but have chosen to neglect. Well, in addition to my "Bills :(" tab which is another sad story.

Amongst those emails include a 184-pg Math Review set I have to look over before I take an assessment test, which includes Calculus problems I haven't encountered since wretched Ms. Kimura's 6:30AM Calculus BC class in Senior yr of high school. And also a Journalism opportunity that ends next week, requiring me to skim 2 books on Authoritarian Governments and pitch them, and then draft a 750 word writing sample (of what I still have no clue). Whoopee!

Anyway, I've let my whims take me where it will for so long that I've forgotten how it feels to begrudgingly do something that takes real effort and time away from "fun", and I really don't want to but know I have to

... and yet in some twisted way, secretly enjoy doing it. Like studying non-stop for Finals Weeks during college. Don't hate me, but I loved knowing that all I had to do for the entire days ahead was study my brains out... I kinda enjoyed it. I'm a freako. In other words, practicing self-discipline is something I haven't had to do for the last 4-5 months. And I'm dreading it, but also looking forward to it.

I've forgotten that feeling of reward and accomplishment you get from mastering a challenging idea, or even simply learning about something new. The greatest challenge I've had since finishing grad-school apps are running long distances to prepare for the Marathon... difficult, but not exactly the same.

I'm eager and enthused to finally start learning again, particularly applicable knowledge that will be practical for future issues like World Politics, the Environment, International Governments, Economic Development, etc. etc... vast problems that extend beyond my tiny, insignificant existence. At the same time, I'm terrified and shaking in my shoes. I'm excited to meet people who have done so much more than I have, know so much more than I do, and soak it all in from them and with them... but also extremely intimidated and anxious about being the only clueless student in an ocean of intelligent, aggressive, ambitious, cut-throat do-gooders.

I have about a month left here and I have a lot to prepare for, including and most importantly, composing a different state-of-mind. I was told that UCLA would be competitive, but I've never felt even an ounce of competition the entire 4 years I was there. Definitely not in the English department, but also not even in my Business Economics courses.

Maybe I'm just oblivious, but I'm hoping that I can demolish the competitive atmosphere by setting up a Happy Hour group so that we can all kick back and get along talk about microfinancing ventures over cheap appetizers and beer for the next 2 yrs.

Just because Grad School is starting soon, doesn't have to mean that all the fun is ending. It will be a different type of fun! And while it might be stressful, demanding, challenging, maybe excruciating at times...

I'm chasing my dreams :]

The biggest challenges are always the most rewarding!  Another journey is about to begin... better make sure I don't forget to pack my A-game :]

INFUSION!!!

I'm actually really glad I document events on this blog, because I would totally forget all the things that have happened throughout this summer! I'm making memories :] and also I always feel like I have adult on-set Alzheimers...

During my spare time, I like to experiment with new concoctions and get excited about them :) Strawberry-infused Vodka, and Mint Cucumber Gin! The strawberries turn albino after 3 days, but it's supposed to make the Vodka taste better than eating real strawberries! I'm planning to have an INFUSION party by my pool again soon :D it will be FUSION-TASTIC

Because of my weekly breakfast/brunch obsession and my curiosity for new destinations, I am practically out of ideas for breakfast spots in the Palms/Westwood/Culver City/West LA/Santa Monica regions. I think I will have to branch out to Brentwood and Venice soon.

I LOVE weekly breakfasts with this girl :D catch up sessions over morning coffee is the ABSOLUTE BEST.

Mike, his brother, and I polished off 2 bottles of wine at this BYOB Italian place near Abbot Kinney that is no longer BYOB after the night we went, and demolished 4 plates of pasta. Yesssss carbs!

Last Friday, my dream of seeing Les Miserable again finally came true, and I got tickets for my entire family and Mike's entire family so that they can understand my obsession, and pretty sure I squeezed Mike's hand to a pulp and whispered "OH MY GOSH THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG" to 10 different songs and cried at least 5 times throughout the musical. No lie. I love you, tragic French Revolution romance!

July 4th weekend was perfection! Zuma Beach was uber packed and trafficky, but I've discovered my love for running in the sand... BURNS SO GOOD.

Then I went home and spent the rest of it with family and friends <3 We forced my mom to eat greasy hotdogs and melty sandwiches, and she loved it!

We also BBQ-ed with my cousins and played board games for 3 hours. Scattergories and Taboo Champ in the hizz-ouse!!! No pictures :( I remade my awesome portobello mushroom burger with the mushroom as buns... not as big of a hit without cheese and with brown mushroom juice oozing down our fingers...

And I've been experimenting with my latest obsession... QUINOA!!! I made rice pudding out of Quinoa and almond milk... SO GOOD! And also, Kale and Mushroom Risotto out of quinoa... no pictures, but I devoured enough quinoa this last week to feed a small gluten-free family. I even ate it all before Mike could have any :D

We chowed down on some delicious pulled pork at Baby Blues BBQ for my old apartment-mate Jo's Birthday! Southern food is the BEST.

For 4th of July, I caught the fireworks show at Barnes Park from our traditional secret spot that my mom, sister, and I go to every year. We can avoid the crowds, and watch fireworks of 5 other cities, simultaneously. Score! It's right by my old elementary school and where I used to live up until 4th grade... ah, memories!

Then I got to experience mini-fireworks at my high school friend's annual July 4th party in his front yard! I LOVE these gatherings and the family portrait-esque pictures we always take, and hope they never end.

July 4th is one of my favorite holidays because of all the family, friends, and outdoorsy time that comes with it... even though I got mutant bug bites from standing next to shrubs while waiting for fireworks to start. also fireworks always makes me nostalgic <3 These are all the things I'm going to miss when I move, and are gonna make me cry when I'm homesick and reread these posts!

This coming weekend is packed with adventures with loved ones... YIKES IM EXCITED!