hidden treasures

One of my favorite things about San Diego is that regardless of how long you have lived here, you can always discover something new. Either from word of mouth, the internet or just miraculously stumbling upon it, you can find yourself in the heart of a hidden treasure. My friend took me to this suspension bridge located right on the outskirts of downtown San Diego in Bankers Hill. I'm sure I've heard about this place but never before have I got the chance to step my two little feet onto it. Definitely a nice spot to take a stroll across when your mind goes into overdrive. Its a simple joy like this that takes your mind off the complications that surround your every day life. Peering over the edge and seeing how far down it goes. This couple that was also there started rocking the bridge, testing out the 1911 structure. You cant go across a bridge like that and not make it sway, it'd be like going to Disneyland and not riding space mountain..

dust is the signature of lost time

"A fellow will remember a lot of things you wouldn't think he'd remember. You take me. One day, back in 1896, I was crossing over to Jersey on the ferry, and as we pulled out, there was another ferry pulling in, and on it there was a girl waiting to get off. A white dress she had on. She was carrying a white parasol. I only saw her for one second. She didn't see me at all, but I'll bet a month hasn't gone by since that I haven't thought of that girl." ///CITIZEN KANE

two one.

Celebrated my 21st birthday this week. Wednesday night I had a bunch of people over at my house for dinner and drinks. I had class at 8 the next morning so I wanted to just keep it mellow. Had a really good time :) Then came Friday night..dun dun dun.. I went to a couple bars downtown. When its your 21st everyone wants to buy you a drink. Let me just say the night started a lot better than it ended. But, standard way to bring in the big two one and cant really imagine things having gone too differently. For the past 6 years I have been looking forward to this day & now that its here I'm realizing how fast it all went by. It made me start thinking back to different stages in my life. For instance, Wendys surprise 14th birthday party at the beach (that jill planned out.. funny how things change), getting beat up daily by peter freshmen year in franklins math class... 16th surprise bday party at wongs wok (which by the way still makes the besttt orange chicken)..how mad ray was that I kept stalling going into cheesecake factory until he realized it was cause i had planned a surprise party & our friends lagggg... ahhh so many memories and more to come..

thank you to all that celebrated with me :)
pictures soon to come.

xo <333

CHARGERS <33

erase my fears

bucket list

I brought in the new year Wednesday night with a handful of new friends, old friends and family. Nothing makes you more aware of how fast time is passing by than on new years eve. For me, I began to think about everything that has been happening over the past 365 days. Losing touch with close friends & welcoming new ones. Realizing how valuable each day is due to seeing my mom in the hospital as well as the loss of a close friend from high school. I would definitely say that I am not the same person I was starting off January 2008. I never imagined changing so much in such a short time span but I couldn't be happier with the way my life is panning out. As I wrote in an earlier blog, I made a list of 100 things I want to do before I kick the bucket. For 2009, I want to check off at least 25 of the things on my list. Surprisingly, it took much longer to do this than I thought. Here it is! A small glimpse into the adventures I will be taking...

1. Witness a miracle
2. Change a life
3. Take up a martial art
4. Find my other half & fall (deeply) in love
5. Be in two places at once
6. Swim with a whale
7. Have a room full of books that I have read
8. Have children
9. Visit another country (excluding Mexico & Canada)
10. Learn a foreign language and use it
11. Truly understand what it means to devote my life to God
12. Make a difference in the world
13. Get my masters degree
14. Save a life
15. Eat something that is alive
16. Let go of my past problems
17. Read the entire bible
18. Learn to play the piano & play ‘Charlie Brown - Christmas Time is Here’ Christmas morning
19. Hug a dolphin
20. Pet a penguin
21. Learn to play the guitar with some degree of skill
22. Name a star after someone I love
23. Sneak onto the top of a private building for lunch
24. Do something good for another that is not self satisfying
25. Write a letter to everyone that I love
26. Be an extra in a film
27. Spend a whole day eating junk food without feeling guilty
28. Own a house with a beautiful view
29. Learn how to salsa dance & put it to use
30. Experience zero gravity
31. Go white water rafting
32. Go fishing and make a meal from what I catch
33. Run a half marathon
34. Go sky diving
35. Gallop a horse along the beach
36. See the Northern Lights
37. Ride an animal bigger than a horse
38. Get married
39. Get a meaningful tattoo
40. Eat “better-than-sex” cake at my wedding and turn to my husband to inform him he has a cakey competition
41. Be on the front page of the newspaper
42. Write a chapter from the story of my life
43. Sleep on the beach
44. Plant a tree and keep track of its growth
45. Run the bases at a professional baseball stadium (petco park)
46. Jump off a cliff into the ocean/lake
47. Make a wish on a shooting star
48. Ride a gondola in Venice
49. Go canoeing or kayaking
50. Ride in a hot air balloon
51. Pay for my parents to go on vacation
52. Set foot on each of the seven continents
53. Go scuba diving
54. Climb an active volcano
55. Swim in the Ganges (India)
56. Float in the Red Sea
57. Stand at the North or South Pole
58. Shake hands with someone who has truly changed a country
59. Dazzle a crowd of people on the dance floor
60. Become debt free!
61. Climb the great pyramid of Egypt
62. Once I learn to play an instrument, put on a show for a large group of strangers
63. Host a dinner party
64. Learn to cook on the grill
65. Amaze a stranger
66. Go rock climbing on an actual mountain
67. Get a cupcake from sprinkles
68. Bake goods for everyone I love and deliver
69. Participate in a parade
70. Learn how to surf
71. Take a road trip without a destination (no maps, no plans.. just GO)
72. Spend 24 hours living like a princess. (not worry about money)
73. Ride on the back of a motorcycle
74. Go to the theatre to see a classic play
75. Dive the great barrier reef
76. Trace my roots (in depth family tree)
77. Spend new years eve in new york city to watch the ball drop
78. Shoot a gun
79. Donate blood
80. Not be scared to pursue my goals, even if it means relocating alone
81. Watch the sunrise on the top of a mountain
82. Travel to wisconsin to see if they really do have the best cheese
83. Visit the hershey factory
84. Spend a day watching a movie series
85. Make my own wine
86. Have Rocco tell the lady at Starbucks that his name is Batman and say mine is Robin
87. Give hope to someone who has lost it
88. Start a nonprofit organization
89. Go to the World Series
90. Crochet a blanket
91. Go paint balling
92. Move somewhere with seasons
93. Spend the holidays helping out at a children's hospital
94. See the chargers win the Super Bowl
95. Make my own recipe
96. Stop procrastinating
97. Make a cookbook of all my family recipes
98. Ride the roller coaster on top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas
99. Take a missionary trip to Africa
100. Complete everything on this bucket list

post script: GO CHARGERS!!!!! <3