Back?

Everything seems to have gotten away from me for a long while, including this blog. I found myself posting things that I didn't really care about. It didn't truly represent me, and I became bored. I'm working on self-improving (really, shouldn't we all?), however, and am attempting to surround myself with things that truly inspire me. I'm still trying to decide whether I can create a space here that is personal enough to represent my interests while remaining appropriate for sharing with whomever stumbles upon this site.

I'm spending this summer working in Los Angeles, the culmination of an exhausting cross-country road trip, short jaunt to San Francisco, and volunteer work on a goat farm in Big Sur. I've surely been bitten by the travel bug. I hope to spend most of my weekends in SoCal cramming my brain full of beautiful things; the Joshua Tree National Park is surely on my shortlist of things to see.

photo by moominsean.

Glacier

Check out this bleeding glacier in Antarctica, thought to be caused by microbes trapped underneath.

Ashridge Estate

I'm completely enchanted by these bluebell fields located in Ashridge Estate, a park in the United Kingdom.

welltaken

Fiat Love

The tiny retro Fiat cars in Rome struck a chord in me. Something about the position of these teensy cars in the alleys seemed to confirm every preconception I ever had about Europe. My digital camera is overflowing with shots of European vehicles of all shapes but my favorite was easily the Fiat.

Bixby Bridge, Big Sur

I love that the entire coast of California is now archived with aerial photographs. This coastline has special meaning to me; I finally overcame my gripping fear of driving during a road trip to Big Sur last summer. I even drove over the bridge pictured below! When it came time to buy my own car, I purchased the same model I drove that day because it was the first time I had truly felt comfortable driving a vehicle.

via NOTCOT

Taschen

It's been awhile, I know. I was in Rome last week(!) and was way too busy taking photos of marble ruins to pick up a computer. While I was there I happened upon Taschen, a publisher attempting to democratize the art book market. The books' spreads are ridiculously stunning; even better, they're sold in the US!

Elves

The Icelandic Elf School, Álfaskólinn, "teaches about the hidden people and the 13 different kinds of elves that inhabit the country of Iceland". According to Wikipedia, the existence of elves is a relatively common belief in the country.

The best part? The school has certificate programs so that anyone can participate and earn a degree in as little as half a day.

photo via the Reykjavik Grapevine

Californ-i-a

Living in California for 3 months was definitely one of the coolest things I did this year. Here are some photos from a trip I took to Big Sur this past July. I grew up on the east coast so I was especially fascinated by the landscape along the coastline.

Redwood

I love this photo collage composed of 84 individual images of this 300-foot redwood tree. It's one of National Geographic's top ten photos of the year, naturally.

I am not dead.

Just busy. Even when I'm busy, though, I find that I can make time to do the things I really care about. I'm starting to miss California and its abundance of interesting distractions. Half Moon Bay, for example, is a coastal town a little ways south of San Francisco. It has the most fascinating tidepools full of anemones and crabs.

Mount Rainier

One of the best things about flying into Seattle is the view from the plane. If you come in from the north, the plane seems to swoop right by Mount Rainier. Even the locals have their faces pressed against the windows, admiring the mountain.

My fall break is this weekend and I'm visiting my parents in Seattle. I can't wait.

photos: 1 , 2

Back Home

I'm back in North Carolina! Unfortunately, my laptop is broken and I don't even have internet yet at my apartment, so posting will be sporadic.

In the meantime, this is a photo-collage of the town I live in. I took the photos last fall from a mountaintop-- isn't it gorgeous? I love how you can barely make out the town; it looks so serene..

Weekend

By the time I get around to the other side of this weekend, I will be moving into my apartment straight across the country! Needless to say, I'll be busy. Hopefully I'll get the chance to pick some flowers as an apartment-warming gift to myself! Anyway, I hope all of you have a fabulous weekend as well!

Chocolate Strawberry Wedding

Fast-Food Virgin

Before I came out to California for the summer, I had a pretty specific list of things I wanted to experience for the first time: I hoped to see the Golden Gate Bridge, eat a whole artichoke, ride my bike everywhere, and try an In-N-Out burger.
I had heard wonderful things about In-N-Out; its burgers seemed to have a cult following. I was a picky eater as a child, however, and I had never tried a burger from a fast food joint before. They had never appealed to me, seeming greasy, wilty, and rubbery. Still, I persevered, ordering a hamburger and french fries. Basic enough, right?
My god, I'm a fan for life! The vegetables on the burger are fresh, the meat is good, and the sauce is to die for. Plus, the fries are made fresh and to order. It's easy to understand why people flock to this chain--this is one thing I'll surely miss about California.

photo by Hankins

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.

Weekend highlights

This past weekend, I: stuck my toes in the Pacific ocean, drank gin and tonics from a paper coffee cup while watching fireworks outside, and hiked halfway across San Francisco.
It's been really great to spend the summer in such a nice location; I'm really glad to have the opportunity to live here. There are so many interesting, odd-ball things to see in the Bay Area.

(Evan)

Flowers in Berkeley

This past weekend I rented a car and drove up to Berkeley. Despite the terrifying, crowded freeway ride up there, I managed to fall in love with the town. I hit up a yard sale and bought a cute little teacup saucer. I also bought a million pieces of stationery at a plethora of cool independent shops and enjoyed some really delicious food (salted caramels, a macaron, and a ridiculously fresh asiago bagel.)

I had not expected Northen California's plant life to be quite so abundant. Perhaps this is why I keep noticing it. The sheer diversity of plant life is incredible; so many front yards are covered in gorgeous wildflowers and rosebushes, and many streets are lined with gnarled trees. In fact, all this greenery may be one of my favorite things about being here this summer!

My Whereabouts

In the past week, I have celebrated an anniversary:

Visited Monterey, California:

Driven through San Francisco, California:

And bought a bike:
(whose basket I am considering replacing, any thoughts on wicker?)

Along with working lots of hours. I've been very, very busy. This weekend I hope to ride the train up to San Francisco, do laundry, and make guacamole. Lofty ambitions, I know. Any suggestions of what to do while in San Francisco (preferably near the Caltrain stop)?

All photos taken by me.

Eye Candy

This past Saturday I visited San Francisco for the first time ever. The city itself was amazing although the weather was pretty dreadful-- 50-some degrees and foggy. I'd been warned to expect such a climate but was still a little shocked by the chill in the air.

The weather was nothing compared to the fascinating rowhouses in the city. As much as I had anticipated the gorgeous architecture, I was still blown away by the zany use of color, intricate plasterwork, and the sheer individuality of each building.

All by urban city arch

Myself Lately

It's been a busy summer for me! Not including my college town, I've been in 3 cities on both coasts in the past 10 days. In Raleigh Evan and I went to the farmer's market and he picked the most delightful bouquet for mother's day:

I visited Washington state but have no pictures to show for it. I mainly just hung out with my parents and relaxed. In California, aside from starting my internship I've been shopping (and taking grainy photos):I bought this lovely dress at a local shop. I also happened upon a street festival in which I got a kick out of these awesome tye-dyed mens' underwear. Aren't they hilarious?

So yes, these are the highlights of what I've been up to lately.It's been fun but I'm about to get quite a bit busier!