Soakin' Up San Francisco

Two weeks ago, I ran for both the longest uninterrupted period of time and distance that I ever have in my adult life. Back in the day, I dashed through weekend-long soccer tournaments and hustled for three-hour long tennis matches, but never have I set out upon a long stretch of tree-lined asphalt road and run, without water or rest, for six-some miles. On Sunday, February 23rd I awoke promptly after five am with a nervous alertness surging through my veins. It was the kind that prevents you from sleeping through your early alarm - with the help of anxious dreams - at the expense of a good night's sleep. I had hot oatmeal drenched in melted brown sugar, and set out on my drive into Los Angeles where I'd convene and then carpool with my partner in crime, Stepha. I drank water, listened to my Firecracker 10K iTunes playlist via Bluetooth, and prepared myself for the feat I was about to attempt. I was confident... anxious, but confident. The hustle and bustle at the St...

My day off today called for a few treats, including but not limited to some pampering and an internet-free, iPhone-less date at one of my favorite caffeine escapes. I decided to treat myself to an iced mocha from Alfred , despite having no date this morning and very few friends who can typically day-date with me anyway. Rather than miss or dwell upon this memory-filled neighborhood of West Hollywood, I figured that I should do exactly the opposite of what my mind was telling me to ( drive far, far away , that is). No, instead I was determined to enter it whole-heartedly, embrace the stomping grounds and comfort spots which used to (and still do) bring me so much joy, and start to re-create some new memories within them: alone, and with new friends once in a while. Take this cafe, for example: In my entire year of living in my second WeHo apartment, I’d frequent this quaint spot with my nearby neighbor Ailie and sometimes my second roommate, Nili. I fondly remember their kind supply o...

Recently inspired by this month's letter from the editor of Los Angeles magazine, I've decided that it's time to truly explore my greater city. I have known for a long time that I was born to be an explorer of the world. It began with long days of playing Rainforest beneath the backyard sprinkler, naming our most dependably recurring flowers and blending concoctions of pollen and au natural aloe-vera jelly in ivy leaf petri dishes. It continued on trips to Grandma's "mountain house" in Frazier Park, CA - where we'd take walks in search of craft-worthy pine cones bigger than our hands, and cousin Nick and I would set out sledding between the icy backyards, gone long enough to worry my usually laissez-faire Gramz. The childhood strand of my travel bug peaked when Mom and I jetted off to France and Germany for cousins Greg and Elvie's 1996 nuptials... in which I side-starred as the all-American flower girl. Mom and I fed the birds outside Versailles, to...