Waiting

I like to make plans. I spend quite a bit of time compulsively day-dreaming, convincing myself of experiences I need to have. It's been particularly bad lately and I have the worst sort of wanderlust. If only my bank account would comply!

exploding dog via Maria

On Resolutions

My, last year was BIG. HUGE. Gigantic, even.
I lived alone in California all summer, got my first job related to my education, realized that I could pull off a short haircut, bought my very first car, learned how to date for the first time after a long relationship, and survived many other day-to-day trials and achievements.
For once, I don't have any big goals for the new year. In 2009 I learned that I had the ability to get myself through nearly anything, and this year I'm just hoping to keep that in mind at all times. I'll be graduating this December, a semester ahead of schedule; rather than resolving to do anything in particular, I'm hoping to have this same grade of confidence in myself and my abilities a year from now.

blue by clairekramer

Timely.

via Prosecco and Lemonade

Last words of Thomas Edison

"Oh my, it's very beautiful over there."

Baby steps

Last night I took a ridiculously hot shower and thought about some changes I'd like to make in my life. By the time I was done, my bathroom was shrouded in fog and I came out with a short list of resolutions.
I don't do well with grand ideas or sweeping promises; instead, I decided to start small. One of my resolutions is to eat fresh produce every day. This may not sound like much, but for a college student subsisting on chicken sandwiches three days a week, the change should be astounding. Here's hoping!

photo by jonmacapodi

First Panic

My internship this past summer really put my upcoming graduation from college into perspective. In December 2010 I will be thrust out into the Real World, and I have no idea where I'd like to go.

I've moved between the east and west coasts multiple times in the last four years, and from that, I've learned that I can be comfortable living basically anywhere. The other day at my university's job fair I identified my "preferred geographic region" as the west coast. I hadn't even realized this was true!

As it turns out, I miss California quite a bit. Plus, the Bay Area is THE place to be if you're working in the tech industry--which I plan to be. There are many other cities across the U.S. I could see myself in, but I truly have no clue what I'm looking for. I have no real considerations to speak of and all of this freedom is mildly overwhelming!

The Shape of Things to Come

Positivity

I was talking to a friend the other day about how I need a mantra. Here are two options, depending on my mood:

via ffffound!

Verbs

This summer was difficult. I was challenged, and I grew-- intellectually, emotionally, and mentally. I experienced new things and altered the way I perceived existing parts of my life. I learned to be a better friend by recognizing my own true friends. I realized that I could hold my own against anybody. I caught a glimpse of my future and found comfort in its uncertainty. I took pride in myself. In my mind, this summer will always be identified with personal growth.
Now, though, I'm ready to slow down; I'm eager to become involved in my regular activities and establish rituals again. I'm learning to pace myself.

flu

Now is the time for bravery

Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.

-Erica Jong

quote via naturally nina, oranges by danske

San Francisco

A few weeks ago, during Evan's visit, he and I came across a marvelous community garden nestled into a park with views of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was so nice--and unexpected!--to come across such a thing in the heart of the city.
What's really cool is that this park was only a short walk from Fisherman's Wharf, the typical sightseeing area of San Francisco. This quick hike afforded us much better views with virtually no crowds. I'm learning that the best way to see (and truly grasp) an area lies in the willingness to walk it.

Having a GPS-enabled phone helps too, of course.

Confession:

I haven't cooked anything this entire summer.
Don't get me wrong, I love to make my own meals. There's something so rewarding about researching and preparing good food-- yet I haven't done so once this entire summer.
After big continental breakfasts and restaurant lunches at work, I'm just not in the mood to make myself a sit-down dinner. Instead, I'm content with some fruit, yogurt, or toast. I've also discovered that cooking for one seems much more tedious. Now that I don't have anyone with which to share my food, I'm just not motivated to prepare anything. Horrible, right?
I haven't gone completely insane, thankfully. I'm still poring over recipes, squirreling them away until I move in to my apartment in August. I hope to make this decadent-sounding creme brulee french toast as soon as I unpack my kitchen.

Pack rats

In order to spend my summer away from home I had to pack up the contents of my apartment and put it all in storage. Being forced to sort through my belongings and consider what I would need for the summer made me realize just how much extraneous stuff I actually own.

Looking through Paho Mann's photographs of junk drawers reminds me again of these feelings. How often are the mundane items we cling to actually used? Would paring down my belongings really give me a sense of structure or order? Alternately, is it necessarily bad to collect things?

via ali loves curtis

A Nice Thought

"Many people need desperately to receive this message: ‘I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'" -Kurt Vonnegut

Rainbow Window Flower by decor.amor

Yes.

I'm a rabid Toronto fan by default but I am SO glad Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup. Regardless of whether you agree (or care at all), I'm sure you could still agree that this photo recovered at an antique store is pretty charming.