California Dreaming

May 13, 2019

California, why are you so good to me? This marks my 3rd time in Los Angeles in the past 5 years. I tried to do newer activities to explore more of LA than I’ve already uncovered in past trips. I was also determined to try and find a lot of free activities to do (with the exception of paying for food, parking and Disney) and I definitely was able to find a decent amount of things to do and see, so much that I didn’t even get to do everything I had put on my list. The goal was to try and make this the most cost-effective Instagrammable visit to LA.

So. For those interested in LA, but have a limited budget, this might be the post for you.

Downtown LA

There’s a lot of ground you can cover and explore here, with something different within a few blocks radius. I parked my car near the Grand Central Market, and walked all around for the rest of the day. Grand Central Market is a big food hall, with different offerings and cuisines with something for everyone. It’s also a repeat destination for me, but this time I did NOT have Eggslut like I usually do, but I do recommend Eggslut if you’ve never had it. The line is unfortunately and notoriously always long and wraps around the corner. I was on a schedule this day though and wanted something quick so I opted for a grilled beef salad from Bento Ya.

City of Light, City of Love

April 16, 2019

We now live in an age where anything can be instantly reported live around the world instead of reading it in the paper the next day or learning about it hours later on the evening news. We can also view it not only from seeing on the news, but through social media from the locals posting live videos and photos at that very moment. Technology has come a long way since I was in high school. 10 o’clock news is now old news.

Today the Notre Dame cathedral caught fire while undergoing renovations. It was really sad to hear, read about and see on my Instagram and Facebook feed. My husband, my family members and my best friends were all messaging me about it. It’s just a building to some but to me, Paris holds a special place in my heart and Notre Dame is an iconic wonder. The beauty and history of it is an allure within itself. I first learned about it when I was a kid watching Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. And then in AP European History enriched my love for not only European culture and history but France itself. And then last year, I finally took the plunge and booked my first trip to Paris and went to see it in person for myself. Standing in the hallowed halls of the cathedral is entirely something else from reading it and seeing other people’s photos. There’s just something about being able to experience for yourself firsthand. No VR can take that away. Some things you just really have to see for yourself. I climbed up all the steps, all the way to the top too and it was definitely a long climb but it makes you appreciate the workmanship and everything that went into this historic symbol of France.

The Lesson of the Cherry Blossom

April 9, 2019

This weekend I took a quick impromptu trip to Washington DC with my mom and sisters. We made it into a girls trip since my dad and brother couldn’t make it and unfortunately, the blooming of the cherry blossoms wait for no one. My friend Kerri lives in DC and said they were supposed to be in peak bloom through this weekend and by George, they were!

The last time my family and I were in DC together was almost 17 years ago. I remember my dad used to wake us up randomly at 5am and throw us in the car and not tell us where we were going. We’d sleep the whole way there and wake up around noon in DC. And then he’d make us walk all around the monuments and parks and trails. Again like most of my prior posts recollecting these memories, as a child, I didn’t appreciate any of this. As a kid, you’re like “WTH, why did you wake me up to go take pictures of flowers in a weird city so far away? I want to go back to bed.” But now I look back on the photos and am happy to have them.

It’s funny because in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha, there is a lesson about cherry blossoms and I feel like it rings so true.