Countdown

Summer is so close and I’m counting down the days until I sail away.

Brother August

Recently, I’ve begun collecting old photographs. Trips to antique stores or fairs turn into hours of ruffling through bins and boxes of black and white photos. I like to imagine that I am collecting their stories along with their images.

Sometimes they have captions scrawled on the back in a cursive’d hand.

Sometimes they are in mats, long removed from their frames.

But each and every time I pick through these forgotten fragments of so many different lives, I can’t help but be sad. Our lives are so fleeting that it takes no time at all for our mementos and memories to become obsolete and meaningless. Who were these people? I want to know about their relationships, triumphs, struggles and pain.

This picture I recently acquired and is my favorite so far. There is a message written on the back which reads:

Brother August in World – War 1914-1918 

One can assume this was written before a “one” was required on that title. But I can’t help but wonder which one was Brother August? Which side were they fighting for? Where was this taken? Did they ever make it back home alive? This are all questions I want to ask this picture but I know I will just have to settle for their silent, stoic stares in reply.

Beginnings and Ends

Sunset over San Francisco

Last weekend, Ruth and Rachel took me to The Cliff House to celebrate an awesome job I got for the summer. The day had been one of those unusually warm and gloriously sunny San Francisco days which forces everyone out of their winter dens and into the sunshine?The wait for a table was an hour so we had plenty of time to have some pricey but delicious drinks at the bar. (And I rediscovered how much I love Moscow Mules.)  At one point, Ru and I were feeling our drinks and decided to go on an adventure- which ended up being very short but worth the trip. We watched the sun set at that beautiful moment where you can actually see the sun going down. We watched the last remnants of the day disappear beyond the horizon and marveled at just how fast the earth was moving. And at that moment I felt my life moving at a million miles an hour but at some kind of stand still. I’m on the verge of a great adventure and I don’t know where it may take me but I finally feel like I am finally doing what I was meant to be doing.

Living a lifelong dream that has finally come to fruition.

Here goes…everything!

Celebrating 25 Years in Disneyland

Last month, my family took a little vacation. With my sister moving across the country, we weren’t sure when the four of us could spend some quality time together again. My mom decided that for her 25th wedding anniversary, she wanted the four of us to spend a day in Disneyland. We arrived late Friday night and headed to the park early the next morning.

Day One:

Steph wasn’t able to come until Sunday so on Saturday my parents did their thing and I called up my friend Hayley who lives in LA.

Hayley and I spent the day wandering around, riding rides, eating more food than we should have and I played with my camera.

Here we see the poor, abandoned, and overgrown Fantasyland Skyway Station.

We rode the canoes and got soaked by kids who thought that rowing meant smacking their oars in the opposite direction the boat was travelling. Now that’s what I call fun.

It’s always a treat to catch the Dapper Dans. I particularly love when they break out their Organ Chimes.

Disneyland at night is my favorite.

On Saturday nights they have swing dancing with a live band! We saw some awesome outfits and the band, Stompy Jones, was amazing. I was dancing in my chair the whole time.

Day Two:

My lovely family, on our way to the park and preparing ourselves for brunch in the mythical Club 33.

Thanks Steph for the uber close-up glamour shot.

Steph reminds us that it is important to be discrete while entering the illustrious Club 33.

Dad smiling because he gets embarrassed when you try to take his picture.

That’s the bar, beyond which is the buffet area, which is followed by the dining room. It’s beautiful inside- the walls are covered in original artwork from the park and concept are from rides. There’s also some prop furniture used in some of Disney’s older movies.

Club 33 is the only place in the park where you can buy alcohol.

The bathroom had a little vanity area so I had to take a hispter picture… I just had to.

 It’s always a magical time in Disneyland, no matter who I’m with. It always seems like I’m planning my next trip back.

Stephanie

My sister continues to be my favorite person that I know. We really “get” each other. She just moved across the country and I miss her already.  Last month my family went on a trip to celebrate my parent’s 25th Wedding Anniversary. This is a preview of the many pictures I took with my new/old hipster camera and there’ll be more to come soon.

Postcrossing Round-Up

One of my favorite hobbies, which I picked up in my six month unemployment scare after college, is Postcrossing. When you sign up, you request addresses of people from all over the world who also participate. As soon as you send off postcards to a few strangers and they have been registered as received, you will start getting postcards in return! While I do not currently have the means to travel, I can travel vicariously through all of these postcards I’ve received from all corners of the globe. Did I also mention how fun it is to get mail that is neither junk not bills? Here are some of my favorites:

Among some of the first postcards I received, this one continues to be my favorite. Sent from a university student in Lithuania, she explained that it is a card against discrimination and talks about her preference for living in a world with lots of different people.

From another uni student, this time from Germany.

Around Christmas time I got quite a few Christmas postcards. This one is from Holland.

And this one is from Germany.

This is another uber-favorite, a picture of a Japanese woman sent from a young bloke in Thailand, who also showed me what my name looks like in Thai!

This one was sent from a lady in Finland who described the seaside as her “soul’s scape.” This is one of the most beautiful phrases even written to me  and I never thought I’d meet such a kindred spirit through postcards.

A beautiful card sent from China and looks very much like the kind of train adventure in which I would like to partake.

This card is from a writer in Finland, who didn’t know what kind of cards I liked and therefore thought I would like this basket of mushrooms. She was quite right and also warned me to steer clear or the white ones with red spots.

This sender from Brazil was worried I would not like her card because apparently you cannot buy postcards in Brazil but you have to order them online. However, I was plenty thrilled to find this Van Gogh waiting for me in my mailbox.

Another card from Germany, this one displaying a gorgeous schooner. After a little googling, I discovered that she takes folks on sails, much like the boat I work on.

On the back this one says, “Here’s a photo of where I vacation every year.” My jealousy knows no bounds.

 

Wedding Postcards

Zima (Winter) -Ivan Lackovic

Like many of my brilliant ideas, I stole this one from someone else. I don’t know what it is about being a girl, but we just love to plan out future “big day.” I was never one of those girls who planned out every single smallest detail of her wedding but I do have some general ideas (mostly about the dress, not going to lie.)

This idea I got from my friend Rachel, who started collecting postcards she finds at antique shops. The idea is to set a stamped, self-addressed post cards at each place setting at the reception. Guests can write a little greeting, best wishes or story to the couple and then mail the postcard. After returning from your Honeymoon, your mailbox will be full of beautiful postcards with lovely messages from all the people you love. Just the idea makes me very excited.

I’ve started my own collection of postcards for that far away, mystical, special day. Here are some of my favorites I’ve collected so far.

This is an advertisement postcard for champagne but lovely all the same.

Zima (Winter) by Ivan Lackovic

I’ve always been fond of artwork with trees included in them which is what attracted me to these three postcards with the work of Ian Lackovic. What’s even cooler is they all have the logo for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo on the back.

Ljeto (Summer) by Ivan Lackovic

This one is blank on the back but I like that the focal point is the man in the foreground with a dead rabbit.

I’m always drawn to pictures of boats and I especially like the old, brick building in the background and the reflections in the water. This is from the city of Honfleur in northwest France. Known for its picturesque ports, it played a part in the Impressionist movement. I certainly wouldn’t mind going there to paint.

This card from Sweden depicts the home of a former Swedish prince which has since been converted into a museum.

Another advert card, this one for a restaurant in Paris.

This one is from an art exhibition in Paris, 1985. I think it’s … not that pretty and a little jarring but I think that’s why I like it.

And yet another French postcard, this one depicting the city of Albi in 1642.

And thus we have a sneak peak into my foray into the world of future plans. I’ll try not to make a habit of it.

National Novel Writing Month 2012

I look forward to each November like the starting school year – with anticipation, excitement, and just a hint  of dread. For me, November means the start of the journey known as National Novel Writing Month(commonly known as NaNoWriMo) where I endeavor to write a novel in 30 days. This past November was my fourth year participating and my third win. But there are a few other reasons why this NaNoWriMo was very special.

1) NaNoWriMo on Balclutha

Last fall I found myself extremely lucky in getting one of the most fun and bizarre jobs I could dream of. I work on an outdoor education program on the historic ship Balclutha, all the while pretending to be a salty sailor in 1906. Yes, it is entirely as fun as it sounds. Some of the positions require us to stay overnight on the ship, which is a trip but a little problematic when you have to write 2,ooo words a day to stay on track. So what I started doing was writing in my bunk when night watch started. This was the perfect environment for my novel which, as it so happens, was a modern-day maritime young adult adventure! So twice a week, I would sit in the doctor’s bunk, half in costume and just feel the presence of the ship. The bunk was cold. I could feel the rolling of the ship as she heeled with the tide. By putting myself in much the same environment as my characters, it made it that much easier to write. And although I was dead tired and wanted nothing more to go to bed, I found myself much more productive on the nights aboard Balclutha than at home. (It probably helped that I didn’t have the internet to distract me…but that’s besides the point.)

2) The Night of Writing Dangerously

This year was also the first time I got to attend the  (fifth annual) Night of Writing Dangerously, a wonderful night of fundraising, sugar highs, and shenanigans galore.

I arrived early at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco to ensure I’d find parking. I followed the dapper folks into the elevator and stepped into the lobby. While waiting for the Ballroom to open, I got a “Noveltini” and mingled with my fellow wrimos who traveled from all over the country to come to the event.

Here’s my table, typing away diligently. Look at all these fine-looking dapper folks. We took part in the Table Word Wars but our hearts were not really in it, deciding that ultimately we were more of a Belgium than a Switzerland table.

There were so many things to do: fun people to talk to, author photos to take, finger foods and cookies and milk to indulge in, a prize table to examine, costumes to judge, and an ENTIRE candy bar to scarf down that I found little time for writing. During the course of the night, I wrote around three thousand words but I regret nothing.

And at the end of the night, I got a picture with the man himself, Chris Baty. I probably sounded like a blubbering idiot, saying ‘thank you’ about a thousand times but I meant each and every one.

The Night of Writing Dangerously was such a special event and I hope to be able to attend again next year.

Study Abroad Memories #1: Edinburgh

These are just posts for when I’m feeling nostalgic, for when I miss traveling, and all the friends I made during my time studying abroad in London way back in 2009.

Edinburgh by far is my favorite city that I’ve visited so far, in my limited experience traveling. There’ s a vibe about the city that makes it seem like something out of a fairy tale …  like anything could happen there.

One thing I really do miss is travel by train. It was such a lovely way to relax and see the countryside. We spent the four hour ride from London to Edinburgh chatting, catching up on school work, munching, napping, but mostly just gazing out the windows as England rushed past us. And before we knew it, the voices over the intercom were thick with Scottish accents, indicating we had arrived at our destination.

The beautiful streets of Edinburgh

We had a habit of taking pictures that we later referred to as “our album covers.”

Yours truly, beaming because there’s a castle back there. In all my travels, I never get tired of castles.

On our second day we sat in on a public session of Scottish Parliament then had lunch in a cemetery.  Both of these things were weirdly enjoyable, although I have always been rather fond of cemeteries.

That afternoon we split up for a while and I meandered around on my own where I ended up people watching here. *high fives if you love watching people*

These shots never got old.

And we ended the nights the way we ended many a night, in a pub. I miss these guys dearly.

Like a true Englishman, Martin never let the constant drizzle bother him much.

On our last day we stumbled upon The Elephant House Cafe .

I think my face sums up my excitement. We were just happy to stop in and have some tea in this place but an even bigger surprise was waiting inside.

We ordered our tea then grabbed a table while we waited. We noticed that the table had drawers so we peeked inside. (How could you not? How often does a cafe table have drawers?) And we are so glad we did. Inside were tons on notes left by people who had traveled through. Many left notes about their time in Edinburgh or thanking JK Rowling for Harry Potter or left beautiful depictions of the castle-view from the window. These left us in girly fits of excitement and near tears.

Once I relaxed and got some tea in me, I was able to leave my own little note to the next travelers to pass through.

Couldn’t pass this one up. *Knock knock* Doctor? You in there?

Edinburgh captured my heart and I hope to be able to visit again, sooner rather than later.  If the city were a person, I would write it a long letter and give it a huge hug upon my return.

Nerdy References IRL

Dear readers,

I love when nerdy references from my much-loved fictional obsessions peek their heads into my real life. The past couple of months have such little gems. I was recently making a trip up north via the 101, a delightful drive I’ve never made before.  While passing through the town of Benbow, I giggled to myself but proceed to flip out when I passed by this gem:

As a wee lass, Treasure Island was my first introduction to the world of pirates, tall ships, and adventure on the high seas and has always held a special place in my heart. While Jim Hawkins’ inn was names the Admiral Benbow Inn, I was quite delighted all the same and in no mood to be picky. Needless to say, I pulled off the highway and took a walk about. The day was lovely and I snapped a few more pictures of the beautiful northern California landscape.