CHRISTMAS WISHLIST

I can't believe that Christmas is quickly approaching and I have not done one thing even Christmas related. I'm not trying to be a scrooge or anything, I'm just not particularly in the mood this year. Even buying presents for others has been a struggle this year--I haven't even started yet. Yes, I am cringing on the inside. Hopefully, I can change some of that before the end of today.

So what do I want this year? I usually have a list that is made up of things that need to be replaced but I cannot afford, or something really really nice that I've been really really wanting for a really really long time. But this year, I cannot think of anything. Sure, there are lots of nice things that someone could gift me and that I would enjoy. But I cannot think of anything that I am really need or am dying to have. I am not asking for anything this year. But I decided to put together a wishlist anyways.

A starter's calligraphy kit

 

 This pretty clutch from gigi new york

The cute little instax mini

Steve Madden

I guess the ultimate Christmas present would be seeing my book published, or even having it on the NYT bestseller list. But how could that even been possible when the book isn't even done yet? haha Maybe, that would be an wish for next years list!

MY WRITING HABITS

November has come and gone and with that I completed NANOWRIMO with a total of 52,000 words. I'm going to start off by admitting I cheated. How? Because I started off with a 24,000 word manuscript and just continued with it. So really, I wrote a total of 28,000 words in November which I am completely cool with. Actually, I am very satisfied with that number. Congrats to those that completed a 50,000 word goal or even finished a manuscript. I had a lot of fun participating and now I am going to miss that little rush I get when I update my word count everyday. The good news was I was able to establish some diligent writing habits which have stuck with me, and that will continue to stick with me.


Time of day
-If its the weekend I write first thing in the morning. I literally roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, and walk to the coffee shop that is the next block over from my apartment. Usually, I'm at the coffee shop by 7:30am at the latest. I'm a morning person so my brain is at its best in the early hours.  I'll probably hang out in the coffee shop for a good 4-5 hours. Weekends are my most productive days.
-If its during the week I write at night when I get home from work. I will usually read first for about 20 minutes, and then dive into writing for no more than 3 hours.

Music
I love listening to music when I write. And I listen to everything, as different songs are the fuel to help me write different scenes. But one band that I have on repeat a lot is Coldplay.

Treatin' myself
I definitely drink-up when I write. Its always a large cup of dark coffee in the mornings to wake me up. And in the evening I'll drink a small glass of wine (too much and I'll end of falling asleep)

Environment
On the weekends I write at the coffee shop.
On the weekdays I write on my bed, which is okay, but I really want a desk. I'm not the type of person that can write anywhere.

INSPIRATION

Taking this quote both literally and figurtively.

Many of words to write in the next 28 days!

NEW YORK CITY: SIGHTS AND VIEWS

 

 

NEW YORK CITY: FAVES

This post is so late and I apologize, but lets get to it. New York was fun and exciting and just how I remembered it. This time I took the local perspective and avoided all things touristy. I think the most touristy things I did were walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and the Chelsea High Line. I walked like a maniac and rode the subway everywhere, even though I still don't understand the subway system. But by the time I got back to California my poor little feet were blistered and hurt. How do women wear heels?

I also forgot how wonderfully diverse New York is. I thought the Bay Area was very diverse, but in New York you just hear so many more languages and accents literally everywhere you go. I could definitely see myself living in New York one day, I would like to give it a try within the next two years or so.

The Strand Book Store

A must for my fellow bookworms. A three story building filled with books, its like heaven!  

 Located in East Village, only a few blocks away from Union Square

Molly's Cupcakes

A must for dessert especially since you can sit on a swing or play games while devouring treats!

Located in East Village.

Surf Bar

A must for strong tropical drinks. Made me feel like I was in San Diego again, especially since the floor is made of Sand!

Located in Williamsburg (Brooklyn)

New York's Overrated: 

Chelsea High Line. I know its a super cool concept. And maybe I just went at the wrong time. But it was more of a hassel than anything else. It was ridiculously crowded to the point where I could barely walk. And although it was cool seeing NYC from a different perspective, I was not super awed or anything. I'll take the street level any day.

My favorite Neighborhood:

Sweet and quaint Nolita. I find it charming and smack dab in some of the busier, more well-known neighborhoods making it a prime spot. If I move to NYC one day, I would live here.

Stay tuned for a picture post tomorrow!

THANKFUL

I'm thankful for my health and the love of amazing friends and family.

Its been another year of learning, and I am thankful for the lessons I am constantly being taught.

There is just so much to be grateful for, and I try to remind myself daily to never take anything for granted.

Hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving!

GIFTING MADE EASY; THE TRIFECTA!

I love buying gifts for people! I enjoy finding that perfect something that will bring joy to someone's day. I secretly get a rush out of seeing someone super excited about opening a gift from me. And although I think I do a pretty good job of picking out thoughtful gifts, there are many other times when I am just down right stumped on what to give someone. I tend to run into  the same problematic situations when it comes to buying gifts. Maybe I've exhausted all my fresh ideas on what to buy them, maybe they've grown and I don't know what they would like anymore, or maybe I'm just broke and cannot afford to get them much. I'm sure one of these things have happened to you guys at some point!

Luckily, I've developed an easy go-to plan in case I'm having trouble finding a good gift for someone. It easy, cheap, and something that any lady (you can switch out the flowers for something else for a male) would appreciate.

THE GIFT TRIFECTA

1. A Pretty Coffee Mug

2. A Good Book

3. Flowers

It doesn't get easier than that! And its thoughtful and cute. The picture above is the gift trifecta I put together for my friend's mom this past weekend. The coffee mug I bought from target for under $10.00. The flowers were from the farmer's market in Little Italy this past weekend. I stumbled across the cutest flower stand that the sweetest fall arrangements. I bought two mini bundles for $6.00. Lastly, I bought the book Gone Girl in Spanish for around $12.00 and wrapped it in some paper bag type wrapping paper that I had lying around. A simple gift for less than $30.00, which can be done for even cheaper than that. What girl wouldn't want to read a good book, while sipping coffee (or tea) in a cute coffee mug, while being surrounded by flowers? Sounds like perfection to me. 

NANOWRIMO: END OF WEEK 3 UPDATES

You know that feeling, when you've been busting ass and meeting every deadline, and you are so so close to the finish line that you can almost see it? And when you catch glimpse of it, you heart starts to beat a little harder in anticipation. Your drive changes from giving 100%, to straight beast mode? "I'm going to fckin kill this!" You tell yourself. You've almost reached your goal and it feels damn good. Thats pretty much how I feel right now!

Week 3 of NANOWRIMO started off pretty bad, well really really bad. Thanks to personal issues I didn't get a chance to write. Overtime at work + a scratched cornea meant I was not going to write anything for a while. Have you ever had double vision before? Let me tell you that you don't want to have it. Seeing double of anything is just so completely freaky and horrible. Take care of your corneas people! Anyways, once I was finally healed I got back to writing again. And I hit the ground running. I'm not even sure how much I wrote over the last few days or so, but its been more than I have during any other time of the month. Beast mode was definitely activated!

And now its officially the last week of NANOWRIMO and I am at 47,000 words! Say what? I got this! I'm actually aiming to hit 55,000 words by the end of the month. But we will see. And then what will be in store after the month is over? More writing of course! I know that my story at 50k words is no where near completion. I'm aiming overall for an 80,000 word story. Goodness that is such a large and scary number. It's scary and exciting all at the same time.

And I want to post excerpts and I will post excerpts, but honestly I've just been writing to get the ideas down and nothing sounds exactly how I want it. The perfection in me wants to wait until I get some editing in before I start sharing. So maybe in December?

I'm almost there! The finish line is in sight! 50,000 words will be accomplished!

YO CREO QUE...

If you would have told me that at any point in my life that I would be spending a Saturday Evening, sitting in a bar, amongst strangers, in Tijuana, speaking Spanish (of course) I would have never believed you. Never ever. In a million years.

But never say ever, right verdad? That is exactly what I did this past weekend. I went to Tijuana with my Spanish teacher (and some of her other students/friends/family) for some food, drinks, and karaoke. I drank white wine from my favorite winery. I listened to live Mariachi music. I laughed, and listened, and practiced. I fell in love with the metropolis across the border. No anxiety. Just pure joy of talking to strangers and learning their stories. I became inspired. Many had traveled the world, learned more than one language, and experienced what life had to give them. I couldn't help but be enriched by their stories and be filled with desired to see everything that is out there. I pushed my personal boundaries this weekend, by doing something on my own. I went to a new place with new people and I enjoyed every. single. second.

I am at a point in my life where I am being more independent than I ever have been. I once feared being isolated. I felt extreme anxiety over having to do something or go somewhere by myself. And now I accept it and I embrace it. For the past year I tried to run away from it, literally, to only be brought back to the same point. I moved back to San Diego where are my closest friends were, only for them all to move away within 2 months to begin their new lives elsewhere. It stung. I felt like the connections and relationships I was so desperately seeking, left as soon as I got a chance to experience them again. I can't help but feel that it is all happening for a reason. or two. or three.

It is clearer than ever that it is meant for me to be alone at this time in my life. I have only two main goals right now in my life: to write a published novel and to travel the world. If I were not alone I might be distracted from doing those two things. If my life was packed with social events that would take away the free time that I now use to write. If I had people or relationships holding me back, they would cause me to be more reluctant to leave in the first place. I remember feeling that way when I was in college. I almost never wanted to leave and go home in fear that I would miss something exciting when I was away. If I had a steady relationship, I would not have gone through a break-up that would help create the fuel that inspires some of the hardest scenes I have had to write. Everything happens for a reason. And I've grown wise to learn to listen instead of running away. There is a time and place for everything. There will a time for me to have strong relationships. a best friend. to fall in love. But right now is not that time. Right now is the time I focus on myself and conquer some goals.

NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH

I'm sorry I've been MIA the last few weeks. I've been trying my best to settle back down after my extended trip to NYC (which was great by the way, lots to share later). But one of the biggest things I've been wanting to do is really focus on writing my novel. Since I was literally all over the place since late September (San Diego-->San Francisco-->LA-->NYC) I got very few chances to work on my novel. Even though I was having fun and seeing loved ones, I was kind of bummed that I was falling behind on a major goal of mine. I guess I got lucky, because I stumbled across NANOWRIMO which stands for National Novel Writing Month.

For those of you that have never heard of NaNoWriMo, its a world-wide challenge to complete a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. Along the way you update your word count to track your progress. The further you progress the more badges you earn! Talk about some cute motivation. Also there are meet-ups and write-ins organized in your region, so you can get involved with people trying to reach the same goal. The end result? Completed novels and maybe some prizes.

So far it is day 5 of the challenge and I am already 26k+ deep in writing. Of course, I kind of cheated because I started my novel back in September. I am simply using this platform to finish the first draft of my story. I am hoping to hit between 50,000-60,000 for the first draft. I've been righting on average around 1,000 words during the weekday and significantly more than that on the weekends. Keep me in your best wishes!

Maybe I will work up the courage to share a few snippets from my work :)

FRIDAY FAVORITES

                     This adorable baby costume

Pretty Painted Pumpkin inspiration

This quote by one of my favorite authors

NYC fall fashion

This messy ponytail

Happy Friday! I'm writing this post ahead a time, because when you read this I will be in New York, or just barely landing. I am looking forward to exploring this city and sharing my adventures with you. Enjoy your weekend!

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

I've been spending the last few days packing my stuff and preparing for my quick to New York. Honestly, this trip has taken a lot more planning than usual, solely due to the weather. As a Californian who usually travels to warm places or in the summer time, it's easier to pack because I already have the wardrobe for my destinations. However, this Californian does not have many fall or winter clothes, or at least not by East Coast standards.  I realized I only own a handful of sweaters and long sleeve shirts, how sad right? That meant I had to go out and purchase a few things so that I am not freezing during this trip. I know it may seem like I am exaggerating because it's not even snowing yet. But I get cold super easily, and we can blame the conditioning of the warm San Diego weather for that. Below are some goodies I am bringing on my trip:

BIG BEAR LAKE

This weekend I took a quick 24-hour trip up to Big Bear Lake to celebrate a friend's birthday. The San Bernardino Mountain region holds a dear place in my heart. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but for the first half of the year, I worked around the Lake Arrowhead region. It was sweet gig! I got paid to drive up to the mountains 3x a week and inspect the restaurants, hotels, camps, and lakes. I got to protect the health of the locals and tourists, while soaking in this absolutely breath-taking place. Honestly, working up there made me feel like I was on vacation. Even though I wasn't stationed specifically in the Big Bear area I got trained there and would go there and venture over there on emergency situations. Its been three months since I had trekked up the mountain, and I felt nostalgic being back.

On Saturday morning we hiked up Castle Rock Trail. The trail wasn't that long (approximately 2 miles to the top), but man was I out of breath. The elevation change definitely got the best of me. But I was more excited that I was getting in a good work-out. At the top there wasn't much, just an extremely dangerous rock that you had to climb up. I opted out of climbing up it, due to my extreme clumsiness. But along the way there were many spectacular views of the lake, hence the photo above. The weather was perfect and a great get away from the hot weather in San Diego. I can't believe its October and its almost 100F degrees outside. I am dying for fall weather, please please hurry!

In addition to hiking we also rented a boat and went fishing on the lake. I've been fishing a lot lately, and I like it a lot. Its kind of weird that as a city girl I enjoy fishing. My brother who lives in Dallas would be proud of me (he is the epitome of a Texan). Unfortunately, I did not catch anything which I was bummed about. Regardless, I got to sip champagne, walk around the village, go to the brewery, and watch Netflix movies while crafting all while in great company. It was a perfect and relaxing weekend. Were all planning on heading back in the winter and doing some snowboarding!

OCTOBER GOALS

I am VERY excited for October for the simple fact that I already have a bunch of cool plans lined up. I guess this shouldn't be a goals post, but a "What I am doing this Month" post. Whatever, its all good. So excited to welcome fall and sweater weather.

1) NEW YORK CITY-Yes! I am heading to New York City mid-October to visit a dear dear friend of mind that just moved there to attend NYU. I've been to New York once before, and that was like eight years ago. I honestly don't remember that much. I just remember being in love with the buzz of this city. In fact I wanted to go to NYU after high school, but my parents wouldn't let me. So I settled on going to the school furthest away from home but still in California, hence how I ended up in San Diego. I am kind of even thinking of relocating to NYC in the next few years (but shhh don't tell anyone). I am just so excited for this trip! Countdown: 16 more days!

2) BIG BEAR-Another mini get-away for a friend's bday. I love being in the mountains and I am looking forward to spending some quality time with some quality people. Can't wait to spend this weekend fishing, hiking, crafting, and smiling from ear to ear.

3) PUMPKIN PAINTING PARTY-I am nervous over the fact that I am hosting my first party in maybe four years. Even though the idea of planning parties and decorating seems amazing, I am not the hosting type. Some people are naturals at it, me not so much. Regardless, I am excited to host a little get together at my house and put my pinterest skills to the test.

4) SPOOKTACULAR 10K RUN-Time to get back into running and racing. I think there is no better way to do this then by running in a costume! I have no goals for this run, but just to get my groove back in terms of running and earn a pretty medal in the meantime :)

What are your goals for October?

RETURN OF THE MACK

I'm back as a newly 25 year old.

A few days ago I celebrated my 25th birthday. It wasn't anything particularly special, but it was nice. I actually strongly dislike celebrating my own birthday, because I've always had the most lame birthdays in the past. For this reason I refuse to have expectations or make big plans. The actual day of my birthday I had to work, which was fine. I wouldn't have had anything to do if I was off work anyways. But I flew home and spent the rest of the weekend in the Bay Area with friends and family. I didn't do anything unique, but did get treated to breakfast and lunch which was great.

I had convinced myself that I was not having a quarter-life crisis. But with time I realized, I was indeed having a quarter life crisis, just in a more subtle manner. I think most people have a crisis of some sort because they don't have their shit together. But thats opposite for me. I have my shit together. I have a great career using my degree. I make decent money and live comfortably. I know a lot of people my age would kill to be in my shoes. But even with all these amazing blessings my heart desires other things. I wish to be traveling, meeting new people, seeing new sights, getting my hands dirty in a non-profit, or using my creativity to produce some beautiful.  It kind of freaks me out that I am not doing these things. 

This past month I piled too much on my plate, and for once my life felt overwhelming. With the loss of friends (and someone I considered my one true love) to new and distance cities I told myself the best way to live was to keep myself completely engaged at all times. It got to the point where I had some type of activity planned out every. single. day. At first it seemed like a great idea, but living that type of lifestyle became tiring. I almost didn't have time to do the most basic things like laundry or enjoying a glass of wine while eating pizza and watching trashy reality TV on Hulu. Lets be real, those things matter! We all need some down time to unwind. 

So I dropped out of some activities and started saying no to invites.  And now I feel like I can breath a lot easier. I mean I still feel like I am juggling a lot, but its more manageable now. I am excited and ready to pick up blogging again. Most importantly, I am ready to give it a lot more effort than before. 

 Here is to 25 treating me right!

HAPPY SEPTEMBER

 

I'm still feeling the funk you guys. Everyday is kind of different, some good and some bad. I feel like I am getting the bunt of everything at work, its honestly like a roller coaster. Most days at work I am bored! Yes, two months in and I am bored out of my mind. I never have anything to do! On a good day I'll have 4 hours worth of work, but then I still have a half day of nothing but to read the same shit over and over again. Now imagine doing that 5 days a week! And there are moments at work when I am stressed out or put on the spot. Thankfully those moments don't last very long, but still. To be bored all day and then have your blood pressure spike. Maybe, I am overreacting a little bit. I am just a natural worrier and when I am put on the spot I want to do well.

But honestly when I spend the day at work not doing anything, it kills me. I could be doing something more productive--running, working out, writing my book, anything besides staring at a screen for hours on end.

The book writing is going well. Hard work. But well.  There are times when the words flow so easily, and other times where I have no idea where to go next. The first few weeks I was focused on making everything sound really well. So the first two chapters are excellent. But then I got impatient, and I didn't want to loose the ideas I had in my head. So now I am just cranking away and writing as many chapters as I can. I thought I'd at least get the main plot going and finish the story and then go back in and fill in everything else. The last part would be touching it up and making it sound nice. I honestly wish I hard more time to write. Its all I want to do right now, but I have Spanish classes 2x and now Dodgeball on Wednesdays.  That doesn't leave much time during the week, plus I am training for my 10k next month. My best writing is done on the weekends. I head to the coffee shop on the corner early in the morning and stay there for half the day. I get a lot done. Ultimate goal is October to have the whole first book done. I'm shooting at about 60k-65k words.

My September goals are not to focus too much on my birthday (its honestly always a flop), to run my little heart out in preparation for the halloween 10k, and to write write write!

UNCONTENT

Life is draining me lately.  Even though everything appears right on the outside, it just doesn't feel right at all. Lets start with my new job. I've been wanting this job forever and thought it would be a life saver in terms of my happiness. And let me first say I am completely blessed to have this position. But this job is draining me! Not in the way that I am completely stressed out and in over my head, but quite the opposite. I am completely bored and unproductive!  Most of the time I am completely bored, and have absolutely nothing to do. Out of my 8 hour work day I average only 2-4 hours where I actually have work to do. The rest of the day I have to make-up work for myself to do by reading, and reading, and reading over again. Do you know how hard it is to read the same thing over again every day for 2 months straight? Its brutal. It's killing me being so bored and unproductive to the point where I just feel like my soul is being sucked out of me. 

I also miss traveling so very much. Its been a dream of mine to travel more, and I have been doing more of it. Like when I went to Mexico City this past April. But I just thought it would be more frequent and more extensive since I now have a steady income that allows me to save money. My pinterest is filled with pictures of far away places that I long to see. And yet, its going to be another year before I have the time to actually go where I want. It seriously makes my heart hurt a little. And I have money saved up too. If its not one thing its another.

In my perfect world I would write, sell books, travel around the world, and live with the love of my life.

Theres gotta be more to life!

VOID & HOBBIES

With all of my close friends officially moved out of San Diego, life just hasn't felt the same for me. I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I feel like I am back to square one again. You know all the loneliness I was feeling before I moved back down to San Diego? Its back, but in a smaller amount. Its such a shame honestly. I know the things that make my soul happy and complete, and yet I can never wrap my hands around all of those things at once. Maybe that complete feeling can last days, weeks, sometimes months. But I feel like it is not an everlasting feeling, and it really just sucks. I hate feeling like something is missing, like there is a void that I can never fill.

So the simple option would be to reconnect with other friends and make new friends. And I have been doing that. It just kind of sucks pestering people to ask when they are going to do things, and asking them not to forget to include me. I just know people like doing group things, and I no longer have a group of people to invite. At the same time I guess I could be more aggressive in hanging out one-on-one with people which would lead to more group hangouts, meeting new people, and establishing deeper relationships as a result. Actually, that will be my goal for September. And in terms of meeting new people, I signed up for a dodge ball league. Yes, good old fashion dodge ball which is one of my favorite things on this earth. No, I cannot throw a ball. Hopefully, I can dodge a wrench. I honestly am not that great at dodge ball, but I love playing! So playing I will do, starting two weeks from now.


On top of my 40-hour work week (which work has been better, but still boring), my Spanish classes 3 hours a week, and whatever else I do in between then, I've picked up a new hobby. This hobby is actually a life-time hobby that I've decided to do more often--in fact daily. Writing is my hobby! And I'm sure you're saying blogging isn't writing or if writing is your hobby then why aren't you blogging every day.

I want to be 100% real here:

Sometimes I feel like blogging is just like putting on a broadcast. You are writing what you want, but you are doing it in a way to seem appealing. I find myself getting tired from doing that. I just want to live my life and enjoy the moments without wondering if I am typing something that sounds cool, or taking a good picture. I simply want to write what I think and how I feel. And I've been doing this forever! Since the tender age of eight I've kept a diary, in some way or form. I used to run a website before blogging became popular. I still have the passwords for two livejournal accounts that have been in existence for almost 10 years. These journals are my babies. Besides being my outlet in which I could express myself and document everyday occurrences of my life, they have been a marker. Every now and then I go back and read old entries and I can see how much I have grown in how I think, how I handle situations, and overall as a person.

And lately, I've been having so many ideas swirling around in my head, and I just been wanting to write them down. And so I have, except this time not in a journal, but in the form of a book. or two. or three. Yes, I am in the process of writing a book series. Well, I'm on the first book haha. Its fun, its exciting, its allowing me to be creative, and expand a hobby thats been near and dear to me since I was a little girl.

Another inkling I've had is the desire to leave my mark on the world. I guess that is another part of why my void is so big. Yes, my job is rewarding and I feel a sense of gratification most days. But I want a physical representation of 'my mark'. A published paper, book, non-profit organization, product, kit, or whatever it may be that I decided to do. And even if all that becomes of it one person reading my book then that is more then enough. Knowing that I used my God give talents and passions  to produce something physical to give back to this world, would definitely help fill one puzzle of this void.

No that doesn't mean I am leaving this blog. I will still definitely be updating. This after all, is another favorite hobby of mine. Just know that sometimes my hands (and head) might be more focused on a different writing activity, that I hope to share with you all in the near future.

CAREER TALK: MY FIVE YEAR PLAN

I've never been the type of person that considered myself "career-focused". I always wanted a job/position that I enjoyed, but didn't dominate the rest of my life. I know some people eat, breathe, and sleep work. They don't mind putting in endless hours and having their whole life revolved around their job. And they think about jumping to the next position and not stopping until they see themselves at the top of the ladder. I've always respected those people, but never thought I could ever be like that. I'm very true to my Libra ways in that I like my life to be balanced in every aspect.  Too much of one thing in my life definitely throws me off, especially work.

I've been at my new job now for not even a month and a half yet, and I'm already thinking whats next in my career. Did I just say that? I thought being back in this city and having a job that pays me a little more would allow to feel satisfied. And yet I am thinking about where I see myself in a few years from now and what I need to do get there. What type of job do I want? How much money would I like to make? What type of experience do I need? What other licenses or certificates should I get? These are just a few questions that I have been asking myself and researching. And then I thought to myself, I am that career-focused person that I said I could never be. I mean seriously who thinks that after being at their new job for only six weeks. And you know what, I enjoy being this way. Its not just my job but myself over all. I think I've entered this state in my life of improving myself in every way possible, and it feels damn good.

So what are my plans exactly? I mean I am not completely sure even though I have my ideas. So far I am thinking of using my experience and registration to eventually end up in the occupational health and safety field. Honestly, its really not too different from what I am doing now. Actually my position now will give me great experience for the health & safety field. There are just a different set of laws I need to learn. I do not want to be on the regulatory side like I have in the past, but I would like to work for an agency or company as a safety analyst or safety officer to make sure they are in compliance for inspections.  For the most part this career pays more and in the salary range that I wish to be making. And overall there seems to be more jobs in this field that I could apply to. I think it would be a smart and not so difficult career move. But of course there is still research to be done. Right now, I will continue my research as I still continue to learn the ins and outs of my current position.

WHEN IN TIJUANA....

(Yes, this is how you simply walk into Mexico)

This past Friday, I took a trip across the border to Tijuana with a few friends.  My house is less than 20 miles from the international border, and yet I forget about it all the time. Some people make the commute between Tijuana and San Diego daily. I have friends that once lived in Tijuana and now live in San Diego, or friends that are originally from San Diego that now live in Tijuana. I admit that I am often caught up in my SD lifestyle that I forget about our sister city south of the border.

         ( I should have written "Gracias Tijuana por un buen tiempo")

Now, my original thoughts about TJ are similar to what everyone else thought. It's dangerous. The police are going to give me a hard time because I am American. Its going to be grimy but great for cheap alcohol. I might never make it home alive. After living in San Diego, it was five years before I crossed the border into Tijuana with an ex-boyfriend. We actually drove past Tijuana and to Ensenada for some wine tasting. But boy do I remember freaking out! Upon crossing the border I definitely felt like I was in a different Country. The change between countries was immediate and overwhelming. As I took more and more trips across the border, I started to feel more comfortable with Tijuana. What I once thought of as "dangerous Mexico", slowly but surely grew on me in many ways.

 

(Outside of Food Garden)

This past Friday I fell more in love with Tijuana. I visited a new part of the city called Zona Rio, which immediately gave me flashbacks to Mexico City-- Huge streets, round-a-bouts, monuments! Zona Rio was lined with many restaurants and bars, and I was surprised by how fancy and clean the area was. We decided to eat at a place called Food Garden. I would describe it as an outside cafeteria where there are a bunch different food stands to choose from. I had the most delicious Chilaquiles (which I had for the first time in Mexico city), and my friends enjoyed their food as well. To be honest, we kind of died and went to heaven over how amazing the food was. Overall the place is super cute and super hipster, and definitely something I would see in San Diego. Tijuana is definitely changing and I am liking it! After Food Garden, we did a bar crawl and had a few drinks at some really cool bars. It was a great time and I enjoyed exploring this Metropolis that is only a hop and skip away. I will definitely be making the trip across the border more often!


And on a random note, did you know there is a huge statue of Abraham Lincoln in Tijuana? Because there definitely is.

UHH, COMO SE DICE?

So my latest venture and current way to "improve myself"  has been taking Spanish classes. I'm already three classes deep and I am loving every second of it. In case you didn't know, I am kinda obsessed with Latin American culture. The language, the music, the people, everything about the culture just mesmerizes me. I am planning to volunteer in Central or South America either Spring or Summer 2015, so I thought it would make sense to start practicing my espanol. Right now I am taking two classes a week both 1.5 hours, and am looking forward to seeing how much I improve over the next few months. It would be my dream to become fluent, but I know that's hard considering I am not listening/speaking Spanish everyday.

I started taking Spanish in middle school all the way through high school. I think by the time I graduated HS I had taken 5 years worth of Spanish. I really did enjoy each and everyone of my Spanish teachers and classes. In fact I was so good in Spanish 3 Honors, that my teacher nominated me for this student of the year award haha. I didn't really start practicing again until I started dating my ex (his mom is from Guatemala and half of his family lives in Tijuana). Just from spending time over his house and hearing his family speak, I was starting to pick up on stuff. And then I started my job as an Environmental Health Specialist. I would say that 70% of restaurants I inspected were Mexican and 95% of the time there were employees that did not speak English. In order to do my job properly I started studying a language translation book provided by my job and starting speaking implying it in my restaurants. My operators were telling me how helpful it was that I spoke Spanish, and every time I practiced at work I would pick up on new words or sayings. And now I am in a position where I don't need to use Spanish anymore. But I still want to learn and continue to get better.

Mi Maestra (my teacher) is originally from Mexico City and I really enjoy how she teaches the class. It is VERY interactive which is exactly what I need. Since the class limit is 5 people, it forces you to have to speak or answer questions (instead of just blending in the background). The biggest thing I need to work on is conversing and speaking out loud. Usually, I get so nervous when someone asks me a question in Spanish....I kind of just freeze up. So I love that I get to talk and practice out loud and not feel dumb. I think what takes off a lot of the pressure is the fact that I am taking the classes because I want to, not because I have to, and I am not being graded! Its definitely allowed me to participate more then I used to when I was in school. Plus in addition to small workbook exercises we watch a lot of videos/movies which keeps it fun and interesting.

And on that note I am heading to Tijuana this evening to try out some new restaurants and practice my Spanish, wish me luck!

NEW GOODIES

With me moving to San Diego, I decided it was time to remove all the unnecessary clutter I was harboring in my apartment. I went through every drawer, inch of my closet, and forbidden space beneath my bed and asked myself "When is the last time I used this?" It wasn't much surprise that I hadn't used/worn most of the items in months and for the most part forgotten they had even existed. So out went paperwork, clothes, and other random objects I had collected over the past few years. I was more astonished over how much more crap I had gained while living on my own. But out went garbage bags full of stuff either in the trash or to be donated. Let me just say that it is not hard for me to throw stuff away. (I blame my parents, they are opposite of hoarders.) Once I was done de-cluttering and moved into my new apartment, I felt like I didn't have anything. My closet and drawers looked empty and I really was living the feeling OMG I don't have anything to wear. 

The past few weeks my goal has been to replenish my closet with new duds. I will be 25 in September, so I am all about entering my mid-20s with style and class. My college years weren't so glamorous as I was living that broke college student lifestyle. Now that I am living a little bit more comfortably I can upgrade my style as I desire. So far I've been doing okay with this new goal except, I keep buying dresses and rompers yet I only wear them when I go out partying. How silly of me, right? From now on, I'm sticking to only buying new tops and bottoms! However, here are some goodies I purchased over the last week that I am loving.

 

Anyone else obsessed with black? Just another habit I need to break!

JULY WRAP-UP & AUGUST GOALS

Happy August! Its the last month of summer. To me summer has already peaked and is coming downhill due to the fact that friends have already left San Diego. I am seriously going to miss them so much, it really just isn't going to be the same. But there are still many summer days to enjoy and so much more to do. I hope August is as good to me as June and July have been.

In July I started a new job, went to Disneyland, drove up to San Francisco, spent time with friends, experienced some Comicon madness,  swallowed glitter at the pride parade, signed up for a new gym, and started taking Spanish classes. Overall, July was a pretty big month and I got to squeeze in a lot of fun. I've slowly been settling back into my "old" life and enjoying every part of it. This month I want to keep up all the fun while creating more of a routine for my day to day life. July has also brought out crazy amounts of inspiration and positivity (it has to be all that sunshine!) But I will elaborate on that later. Some of my August Goals include:

Be able to run a 5k comfortably again

Gym 2x-3x a week

Continue my Spanish classes

 Attend Redcross Orientation

Become better in my new position

 Sign-up to Volunteer at my Church

Research a certificate/masters degree in water resources/management

Research/Look into public health volunteer opportunities abroad

Try stand up paddle boarding

Plan dates for the Bay Area & New York

Get a henna tattoo

Make at least one new friend to hangout with

Okay maybe I am trying to do too much in August. It seems like a lot, but a lot is just incorporating things into a routine. I really want to start volunteering again, even if it just once or twice a month. What are your goals for August?

YOUNG WILD & FREE

 I know everyone says that weekend goes by fast, but it really does. Now I know how most people feel. I guess I was spoiled with my old work schedule of having three day weekends. Speaking of work, I am now on my fourth week at the new job! So far things have been going pretty good. I've been learning a lot and my co-workers have been extremely nice and helpful. Some days have been kind of boring as I have had to sit in front of a computer for 8 hours reading through laws and regulations. But I am trying my best to take it as a champ as I know its just part of learning and not something I will be doing for the rest of my career.  I've been getting good feedback from my co-workers and my supervisor about the work I am doing and how fast I am picking up on things. By this Friday I am going to start leading my own inspections which will be a bit nerve-wrecking, but I am excited to be getting out of the office and having more responsibility.

Outside of work I have been busy, but good busy. I feel kind of dumb that I have been falling behind on silly things like laundry, making dinner, working out. I still haven't gotten into a routine yet, but with so much going on in life I'm alright with that. I have four very close friends that are moving  within these next few weeks (two out of state), so I have really have just been trying to cherish as many moments and memories with them.  I wish there were just a few more hours in the day. But I am happy to be living and enjoying each day of summer as I planned to.

SAN FRANCISCO & THE COAST

I will always be proud of the fact that I was raised in the Bay Area, even though I can't see myself living in anywhere but San Diego. Driving from San Diego to San Francisco for 4th of July weekend made me realize how blessed I am to live in the beautiful state of California.  Enjoy some pictures from my trip below.