Idyllwild, CA

While my 2013 resolution (one of many) was to revive this blog for the next year, 2014 is almost at its closure and look where this blog is at --abandoned and forgotten. BUT 2014 is not quite over yet! Still lots of fun to be had, debauchery to be lived out and imprinted forever on the interwebs!

Last I decided, this blog was meant to go in a "Travel Blog-y" type of direction, whichever way that is. And I've actually taken heaps upon piles of trips this year, all of them document-worthy but none that I actually documented. I guess instagram makes it easy to not actually have any cohesive thoughts. So unfortunately, anything I write from here on out will just be a memory.

Well here are my attempts anyway and hopefully by 2018 I will have been able to recollect all of my trips before they fade into oblivion!

Here goes numero uno:

Idyllwild -- October 9, 2014

Idyllwild, Idyllwild, Idyllwild... the name kind of rolls off the tongue like a roller coaster! The town, emphasis on "town" in the most Stars Hallow, Capeside way possible --where there really is only one diner (fine maybe two), and where all of Asian food, from Korean to Japanese to Tahi can be found on a single menu, where you can literally walk the perimeter of the center in 20 minutes and wave Hi to the entire population with their acknowledgement, it's that kind of town.

Idyllwild is kind of like a rumor that people know about but can't really pinpoint. Almost everyone I've asked about Idyllwild has said, "Oh, yeah! I've heard of it, I think... maybe. Never been there. ...where is it?" Unbelievably, it's right next to Palm Springs and about two hours drive away from LA  but with completely different landscape from the barren, dried up dusty desert that is most of SoCal. Think tall trees and log cabins and snow covered mountains in the distance, and the smell of crisp, cold, thin air when you inhale. I've heard it looks like a snow globe in the winter! But then again I have high standards for snow globe comparisons since London wins the award for most snow globe-esque.

Mike and I went during the second weekend of October when LA was suffering one of it's worst heat waves but it was 60 degrees in the mountains (lucky coincidence that I will pretend was perfectly planned). We brought our mountain bikes since we heard there were numerous biking trails in the near vicinity, and tall people with bad kneeds tend to dislike hiking.

The town itself is adorable, charming, quaint, chubby cheeks and giant eyes and whatever else that illicit cuteness --and knows it too! Idyllwild definitely plays up its small town charms with candy and ice cream shops, an outdoor BBQ restaurant with live music in the afternoons, vintage and antique shops, and oh yeah, five churches.

We got there Friday night and pretty much crashed right away. Saturday morning after breakfast at the most adorable and slightly-hostile-to-non-locals diner, we asked a guy in a truck who was walking his dog about directions for the best biking trail. He gave us the friendliest, most descriptive directions imaginable, then told us about the music show he was playing in that night and said we should come by and listen! Directions and an invitation in one morning, lucky us!

The biking trails go in all directions throughout the mountains, and are undoubtedly beautiful. They range from extremely expert (which I quickly learned I was not), to easy/moderate which was more my skill level. We biked for a solid afternoon and watched woodpeckers drill the heck out of some trees, saw some wild rabbits and bunnies and lizards that are too large for comfort, listened to some hillbillies from the OC rant about gender roles, and finished the day exhausted and ready for whiskey and a full meal.

After that, we went to the wine shop (the only one) that the nice directions-man (lets call him Drums since he was on the drums) told us he would be playing at, and the entire town was jammed inside that wine bar. And everyone, everyone was drunk and yelling and laughing and singing. And amazingly but not implausibly, they all seemed to know each other. It really did feel like a snow globe moment or a Lifetime movie or a fuzzy cat sweater. Drums remembered us and stopped in between sets to ask us about the bike trail and talk to us, and smiled at us between every song. Some lucky grandson out there has the coolest rocknroll grandpa ever!

The next day was spent exploring a bike trail that turned out to connect to other longer, drier, sandier trails without our knowledge and the next thing we knew we were out of water in 90 degree heat and on the phone with spotty reception, asking some park rangers whose responses were basically, "Yeah, we dont know about that" when we asked for help and for the quickest trail to get back.

3 hours and some major dehydration headaches later, we found our way back to the car and scarfed down the fastest diner meal ever in the other diner that we hand't eaten at yet in Idyllwild, and we were on the way back! We pretty much explored the entirety of Idyllwild cuisine, if you don't consider catching a squirrel with your bare hands and roasting it over campfire. Back to good ol' Los Angeles where the count of normal people to new age artists and musicians is just mildly high.

Idyllwild is perfect for a woodsy, cabiny sort of get-away for those who want something new within 2-2.5 hours outside of LA. It's a gorgeous hidden gem for those who want the fresh mountain air without having to drive to Northern California! And defintiely has that western/biker gang/hill billy feel to it if that ever seems to appeal to you.

Enjoy!




February - Joshua Tree
March - Napa/Sonoma
April - Mexico
May - San Diego
June - Grand Canyon, Half dome
August - Chicago
September - Peru
October - Idyllwild, San Franciso, San Jose

2013 in a Flash

CHEERIO!

No one says that in London but I always thought they did!

I CANNOT believe it's been an entire year!!!

What happened?!? to LIFE? And to this blog?!? Over the past few years, posts have become progressively sparser (to be honest I kind of forgot this existed for a while). But I really can't believe I went this entire year without writing!

Part of 2014 will be to revive and revamp this blog into something more focused (rather than it being just a depository for all my inane whimsies...) Writing in general helps me process, reflect, and create new ideas, whether in my journal or in here. Unfortunately, I haven't been writing anywhere as of late, which is probably why a lot of what has happened this year seems like a huge blur now. Sometimes things happen so fast I forget to savor and relish the moment, and before I know it, it's completely forgotten (or possibly I just have very poor short-term memory)!

2013 has definitely been a frenzied barrage of events! And looking back makes me a bit sad to think that I let so many events fly by these past two years without slowing down to remember them.

But that's what 2014 is for!

In January, I was still in London freezing my butt off! Our landlady was crazy, our (me and Mike's) boiler was completely not functional, which meant no heating and hot water in 20 degree weather, which meant boiling water over the stove and filling the tub with it (which also meant not showering everyday... go ahead and judge but who sweats when it's 20 degrees anyway), and wearing 5 layers to bed.

Living in London made me appreciate seasons, and the bad reputation of horrible weather didn't even bother me one bit. I just loved it! The freezing chills, the cold, stinging air... That is Golders Green park, 5 minutes away from our flat and I jogged there 4-5 times a week. It is beautiful and one of the things I miss the most about London. There were ducks and butterflies in the spring, colorful gardens in full bloom, and when the weather hit 60 degrees... lines up the wazoo for ice cream cones, and don't even bother finding a grassy spot!

The experience itself was magical --I sound like a 6th grader talking about her first dance, but it absolutely was magical! London will always be my favorite city in the world, and going to London School of Economics is one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life, and one of the most mind-opening, inspiring, and permanent experiences I will always hold close. The people I encountered in the program are truly of unparalleled quality, and London as a city is a beauty that is past, present, and future all rolled into one. I could live in that city for years and continue to be enchanted by it daily!

And don't even get me started on the pubs... no better place to drink a whiskey. None! And when the sun sets over the Thames, well on the days where there IS sun, the whole sky looks like it's on fire! Definitely gives LA sunsets a run for its money (just FYI this picture below is a poor representation of London's dusk pallet).

Being in Europe for the first part of the academic year meant trips to Germany, Portugal, Scotland, Austria, and basically everywhere in the UK. Palaces, masked balls, wurst, Prost!

Most, ok ALL, of the destinations within the UK were dictated by literary history.

Haworth because of the Bronte sisters. And as it turns out, Sylvia Plath is buried nearby!

Canterbury because of Chaucer.

York because of Auden, Dickens, Guy Fawkes. And York Minster is pretty stunning.

Bath because of Jane Austen. And Wife of Bath (any relation)?

Stratford-upon-Avon because of it's vibrant nightlife. Oh and Shakespeare has some history there too. (That's Lady Macbeth in all her blood spotted glory)

Cambridge because basically every single great British author went to Cambridge if they weren't at Oxford. Unless they joined the police force in Burma.

And somewhere in there for some reason, we thought it would be fun to go on the Cotswold Walk and hike for 100 miles in 7 days. It was actually, pretty fun and came with boundless breathtaking views!

Turkey and Ireland were supposed to happen in there somewhere but things got too busy.

And a second trip to Edinburgh happened and I ran a miserable 1/2 marathon in the freezing, pouring Scottish rain with some fellow brave LSE students. and PR-ed, whaaaat?!?!? Must have been a mix of adrenaline and desperation for it to be over! Followed by a whole lotta recovery scotch :]

2014 is also going to come with a huge cut back on running mileage! Well, after the LA marathon. And the halfie in January I signed up for 4 months ago... but after those! running started as an endorphin addiction years ago and eventually morphed into a stress coping mechanism during grad school... but since I haven't really been too stressed in the last couple months, its time to give those legs a vacay! And make more time for milder things... like ballroom dancing. and finding things to put into mason jars. and having toenails. 

I also did a Tough Mudder (effer!) in South London, which is 10-12 miles of running plus 24 obstacles filled with mud, fire, ice water, and electricity. For some reason I let Mike and his brother convince me it would be fun... After it ended I vowed to never do tough mudder again. And then I came home studied for finals that same night (because I'm such a great planner and decided to do this in the middle of exam season) with bruises over every inch of my body. 

The last trip Mike and I took together while in the UK was to Fez and Marrakech in Morocco. First (but not last) time in an Arabic-speaking country. Out of the world experience. Almost as crazy, if not crazier, than that time we went to Cuba (before it was legal shhhhh).

Somewhere in there I also finished a Capstone project for the OECD with a great team, went to Paris for an interview and had my iPhone stolen there (actually, losing an iPhone isn't really a noteworthy event since it happens tri-annually), completed all my courses, and graduated from LSE! Dual-Degree Masters? Done!!!

Studying at LSE was tenfold more manageable than SIPA, mostly because at SIPA I was taking five core classes and holding multiple internships, not really sleeping, ever. Just continuous strains of stress-napping. Also the LSE school year in general felt about half as long. We got two full months just to STUDY! What?!? So at LSE, I decided I would spend all that extra time traveling instead since I wasn't working, and it paid off :D I have my whole life to work and pay off the massive debt accumulation, but when will I ever live in Europe again?!

Don't think it will be the last of my schooling days, but maybe for a good while.

Afterwards, I backpacked to Amsterdam and Brussels, Alone! Which believe it or not, is my first time traveling completely by myself! It was pretty liberating to meet people, have no solid plans, and revel in the adventure :] And eat TONS AND TONS of Belgian chocolate, wander through the red light district with new friends, and spend as much time as I want scrutinizing Rembrandts and Van Goghs and Vermeers.

 

Then I went on a celebration trip to Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague with my mom and sister!

Came back home, applied to jobs like crazy, and when I finally got something, celebrated the end of my wayward traveler days with one last hurrah to Chicago! Which by the way is an architectural feat of a city! And my last meals on earth would definitely include multiple Lou Malnati's sausage-crusted pizzas.

And now that I'm employed, for the last month or two, things have been calm. Perhaps even excessively calm. I've always had this approach of doing things NOW because who knows when LATER will come, so if opportunities for new experiences and travels come, I'm going to take them ALL. Because soon I'll be chained to a desk and forced to suppress my wanderlust ways. Which is partially true. There are still things to do, explore and experience, but in much more expected and predictable ways.

I was definitely exhausted from all the traveling earlier this year and at that point the thought of stability and normalcy and routine was a warm welcome.

But who am I kidding, stability and routine is not really who I am!  I came back to LA at the beginning of August and by the end of the month I had already adjusted and began feeling the itch again.

I am incredibly grateful to be home and surrounded by my family and friends and everybody that I love, in a city that still fascinates me! And what I want most in the world is to have all the people that I love know exactly how much I love them, and know how great I think they are! So I feel blessed to be able to stay in LA for a while longer. 70 degree weather during smack middle of winter? Yes, please!

Now that I've adjusted to a work/life situation, it gives me more time to ponder over other pursuits, and the crave for calmness seems distant again, already daydreaming about where I'm going to travel to next.

And it's also almost 2014, and I'm excited and ready for what's coming next!

Way too grateful to be tired :] Maybe someday I will be, but not next year!!!

2014, HERE'S TO YOU!

Snowglobe City!

I haven't updated in this at all since I got to London!  Wow, I don't even know where to begin!  

London is a wonderous city, everyday I wake up and feel like I live in a snowglobe.  Either that, or a Dickens' novel!

All I've ever heard about London is the bad weather, the everlasting clouds, the gloom and doom.  So when I got here, I was pleasantly surprised! Out of the 2.5 months I've been here, I'd say it has only rained probably a third of the time!  Also the rain is sporadic and light, not like the incessant downpours that last for days in New York.  And it makes your day so much brighter when you spot the sun, because you KNOW when it rains, the next day is going to reward you with a bright, cloudless blue sky :]

It also helps that the air is crisp and fresh, and you feel cleaner just breathing into the wind.  And the SEASONS!  I got to see the beginning of autumn stretch into winter, also known as Christmas season!  Those Brits really LOVE Christmas!  Every city puts up decorations, every store is decked out in red, green, and gold, Christmas lights line the streets, and there are winter festivals and fairs every weekend celebrating families, licorice, mulled wine, and spiced ornaments. It really puts you in the perfect holiday mood :]

The weather does get chilly, but I would say I am now about 90% adapted to the weather.  While I was in New York, 50 was cold.  40 was chilly.  30 was UNBEARABLE.  Now, I'm ok to go jogging in 20 degree weather (high 20's mind you)!  Maybe the cold here isn't as 'cold' as it is in the States?

London is a city on the go.  I thought New Yorkers were quick pedestrians, but Londoners are like walking bullets.  How do they move their legs so quickly?!? It's a mystery!  It's probably because they are all lean and long-legged.  I am averaged height in London, whereas I was perpetually a giant in any setting in the States.  It's nice :] They are also graceful at walking quickly too, not like New Yorkers who ram you with their shoulders, giant shopping bags, or their 8 year olds.

Like any city (besides West Coast cities), Londoners feed off packaged food.  I thought New York was bad, with their deli shops and make-your-own salad ingredients sitting out for days... in London, sandwich-in-a-box rule all meals. Or sushi-in-a-box.  Pret-a-manger, Wasabi, Eat, and Itzu are just a few establishments (technically not restaurants) where you can stuff a sandwich in your mouth before zoning back into bullet mode up the streets.  There are virtually no McDonalds or fast food of the unhealthy kind.  If you stay away from the fried pub food, you will probably generally be healthier than your average Mid-Westerner.  Not that prawn sandwiches drenched in mayo sauce is all that great for you either... All grocery stores sell sandwich boxes or fruit boxes or salad boxes or any other edible in a box, as well.  And I have now been educated in the hierarchy of London markets, from cheapest to fanciest: Tesco, Sainsbury, Marks & Spencer, and Waitrose. And while it's strange to see someone eating a meal alone in Los Angeles, the majority of people eat their meals alone, with a book or paper in front of them.

Which is another thing I've noticed about London: prevalence of literacy!  I have no idea as to what UK's actual literacy rate is, but from what I've observed, I'd say as a city itself, London's verbal score on the SAT's would probably kick LA's score in the ass. Everywhere you look, from the moment you step on the subway or 'tube' as they call it, people are reading... that's right... newspapers!  This is a sight hard to spot in Los Angeles, and even New York, as you can't really read on the subway when your face is rammed against a guy's red pleather Ecko jacket, and there's mysterious brown liquid on the floor of the train that is slowly dripping onto your shoe. London's underground system is actually kept in a well enough condition that you don't have to feel like you're taking a bath in smog, dirt, 500 viruses, and rat poop every time you get on. You can read a variety of papers, some of which are FREE and high quality... almost everyone does read some sort of publication or other on the tube!

And about the subway system, there are DEFINITELY no rats, and NO trash even though there are also NO trashcans!  How is that possible?!  CCTVs.  CCTVs are video cameras installed EVERYWHERE.  Big brother, anyone?  Well at least you know you're safe (even if you're being watched).  If you get robbed, they will be able to find a taping of it.  Hence, low crime rates! Stringent gun control laws!  NO ONE is able to own a gun, not even cops carry a gun, and it is almost impossible to buy one.  The effectiveness of gun-control is evident in the extremely low murder rates in the UK. ahem *hint hint US*

And don't forget the history, culture, and literature!  Free museums!  Cheap theater!  George Orwell, Virginia Woolfe, Charles Dickens, Samuel Johnson, George Eliot, Rudyard Kipling, Agatha Cristie, and of course Shakespeare are just a few of the geniuses who lived and wrote in this city, and about this city! It's displayed everywhere, with coffee shops named Prufrock, pubs named William Blake, restaurants named Byron.  Also, people are really passionate about their drinking here! It's embedded in the culture, and I'm almost positive that alcohol replaces edible dinners at least four times a week for an average Londoner.  People grab drinks after class, after work, after a museum exhibit, before a movie, after a movie, after a jog in the park, catching up with friends, catching up with family... you get the gist!

BUT they still remember their greenspace, as Angelenos seem to have forgotten and have deferred to completely decimating anything remotely green that isn't Griffith Park, with concrete.  Hampstead Heath, Regent's Park, Hyde Park, St. James' Park, and Richmond Park, are just a few of the beauties that London has managed to preserve and allow to flourish.  And it's not like a park in LA terms where huge sections of grass are blocked off and neatly trimmed for little league baseball and soccer games.  In these parks, meadows brim with wild flowers, foliage roams overhead,  ducks and giant swans call the ponds home, and you actually can't see from one end of a walking path to the other.  Luckily for me, I am a 5 minute's jog from Hampstead Heath, one of the largest and most gorgeous parks in London!

And yes, I have gotten lost in there at night jogging on my own, and yes, it is like being trapped in a dark, scary, enchanted forest and I'm pretty sure I ran past a zombie.

And the last (but definitely not least) reason why the UK is superior... PUBLIC HEALTHCARE.

I have fallen in love with this city!  It's pretty easy to love (even though my heater broke for a week and I had to sleep with four sweaters, and plumbing in my apartment could stand an upgrade). It is like a European San Francisco, a mix of the space, sprawl, and higher living standards of Los Angeles, with the buzz, pace, and culture of New York.  And on top of that, scones and British accents!

Lovely :]