action packed weekend in san fran!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well maybe not that action packed but hey, had to get your attention right? 

this weekend we took on the Golden City (I just googled "San Fran nicknames" so find a good one and apparently there's lots but Golden City seems like a good fit so yeah, I did my research). This wasn't our first time to San Fran together but it was my first time biking the bridge so we were STOKED.

Saturday afternoon we drove up to SF with borrowed bikes on the back of my borrowed jeep(great start I know) we biked through Golden Gate park for a bit with no real intention of seeing anything specific. This was great because we just saw what there was to see and didn't feel stressed to get to one place or another. 

This was the same for our Golden Gate Bridge adventure. We parked in the lower parking (we didn't realize there's higher parking so we had to bike uphill and were completely exhausted by the time we made it to the Bridge) Biking across the bridge was scary and windy and awesome and epic. On each side there was a magnificent view: the ocean and cliffs on one and the bustling pastel city on the other. 

We drove through Presidio (only the prettiest place and a favorite spot of Mike and I) on our way into the city to eat. We went home full of delicious food and wiped out from biking all day. SUCCESS

Then on Sunday we took an afternoon bike ride through Stanford campus right before sunset. Everything on campus is beautiful to me; the regal columns, the majestic arches and the strong sculptures. LOVE! my art heart just bursts. 

it was so windy!! we will definitely remember to bring more layers and maybe even hats and gloves!! no matter how hot of a day it is, it is the windiest ride!

overall I'd give two thumbs up to our

SUCCESSFUL TOURISTY WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!

idk

Funny things I find while scrolling my camera roll:

 Polka dot hollister will never die right??

Best phone wallpaper because it always makes me smile to see grumpy cat frown.

So my mother has worn these exact same Adidas slip ons since the late 90's and I think they're making a comeback!!??

Selfie of a nanny who finally got the fussy teething baby to nap.

the end.

happy balentime's

what a fun weekend it was.

on Friday after work I gave my nanny family a little Valentine book that I had made complete with photos of their kiddos and funny sayings from Jack and James. It was such a sweet way to start the weekend of love by creating a mini snapshot of their family at this moment in time. I want to do that same thing with my own kids someday!

Friday night we did a Costco run! It was so fun to run around the huge store with Mike and pick out food together. It's the first time since I've moved out here that we shopped together. I love making him sandwiches and salads for work. We are both eating SO MUCH healthier now that I'm here haha.

So. Now onto the weekend. 

This weekend I really learned that when you set your expectations low, EVERYTHING turns out to be totally awesome. I love being spontaneous with Mike and learning to go with the flow.

We started the day with breakfast and then set out for Half Moon bay! the whole afternoon consisted of us lounging on the beach and straight relaxing. 

For dinner we booked a sunset view table at Sam's Chowder house--like we sat down and the sun set 5 minutes later!! It was perfect timing! We ate Shrimp linguini and delicious sourdough till out stomachs hurt. 

Then we drove back home through awful traffic that made the usually 30 min trip into an hour and a half. UGH mike hates traffic but was a sweetheart and drove us home safe.

I love california. I love living in Palo Alto and being so close to so many different fun places! Like we have the mountatins, the beach and the city all in an hour driving distance. It's insanely awesome.

 

MY FAVE FLOWER

Saw the prettiest and brightest batch of tulips on a walk down college ave. Like they're so colorful it hurts. It got me excited for springtime and seeing Palo Alto in its prime. Also tulips are my favorite. 

thoughts on February

So. some thoughts on the first couple days of February:

I finished Sarah's Key--SUCH a great book. very cool and dynamic way the book was presented, being written in the past and present. two stories merged into one big, connected heartbreaking tale of a woman's discovering the story of a little girl's journey during the holocaust in France.

I also finished Americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie--ALSO SUCH A GREAT BOOK. So raw and bold. It was the very detailed and honest story of a girl from Nigeria emigrating to the U.S. So many stories and quotes really stuck out to me. I loved how even the mundane details were described like cooking coconut rice or folding clothes. It was heavy at some times though, the way the main girl went through relationships. It was so honest and relatable sometimes. Like yeah I've had so many what ifs with dating guys and even more what-could-have-beens but in the end it's all about timing, deep connection and the very vulnerable yet real need to be with eachother.  I also really enjoyed the accents during the whole thing (I listened to it on Audible) like wow the narrator is a BOSS at her job.

Visited the Stanford art gallery today and it was cool. The babies that I nanny were not that interested though so it was a short visit. But it made for an adorable photo though. 

I also just got pulled over.........I'm super over it and so we're done talking about that. 

Well February, it's been real. But let's get this over with so it can be spring already. 

our first adventure in California (of 2015)

We went to Muir woods this weekend and it was totally rad.

Friday night Mike and I were planning on going to the ward beach bonfire at Half Moon Bay when suddenly, it was cancelled 30 min before we were going to leave! So we called some friends who were camping that night to see if we could join, and were on the road 20 minutes later.

We camped in the nicest camping ground I've ever been in--like toilet paper in the bathrooms!!!!!!!!
We played games and told some awesome scary stories around the fire. It was so fun. I met some really cool girls in the ward and bonded over yoga and loving babies haha my new friend is Ksenya from Russia and she's going to get me back into yoga while I'm out here.

In the morning we hiked the gorgeous Muir Woods and it brought me back to that trip with the Griffeys to the Redwoods. Like WOW those trees are overwhelming. It looked like we were in Middle Earth and Frodo would pop out behind some moss at any moment. It was so sobering to be surrounded by such massive beauty.

 It was really good for me to be surrounded by such enormity because I was beginning to feel a little alone/lost in this stage of transitioning. Mike and I had a good talk about all my insecurities and feelings since moving out here one month ago. We've been dating seven months today and it still doesn't feel like a lot. I'm so grateful that I can be close to him to really date him for real! We already feel so much closer now. Like I feel like I understand him so much more and nothing gets lost in translation over skype/texts/calls. 

Oh yeah, after the morning hike we went over to Stinson Beach and took a nap in the sand. Everything was glittery and salty--just how I like it. There was a poor dead seal that washed up on the beach right as we were leaving so that was sad. But also really cool to see such a massive animal up close.

The drive home was a headache--poor Mike was a champ and drove the whole 2 hours home in bumper to bumper traffic in our stick shift ugh. It was rough. But the whole experience of getting away for the weekend was so much fun that we ruled out that it was worth it. 

I made some yummy chocolate chocolately cookies and we watched some of the Super Bowl. Basically all I got from it is that I really want to go to a Katy Perry concert now. She is so rad. wow.

also Mike and I agreed to be these for Halloween this year. Now all we need is a Katy Perry haha