At 2am the doorbell rang. I peered out the window with some trepidation, wondering if this person might be a serial killer, but opened the door for the stranger anyway. In front of me stood a British man with a chipped tooth and a rucksack; we’d never met, but I smiled and invited him in.… Continue reading The Awesome & Inspiring Person I Met From CouchSurfing
Category: California
What It’s Like to Visit Home After a Year Abroad
As I leaned my heavy head on the glass window, the dry and weathered countryside streaming past, the effects of the extra strong IPA, two days of travel, and jet lag pressed down upon my eyelids with urgency while I struggled to keep them lifted. I was home. As my dad drove us through the rolling… Continue reading What It’s Like to Visit Home After a Year Abroad
Back in Cali! Being a Tourist at the Golden Gate Bridge
I bounced my knees in excited anticipation. I tried to look out the windows, leaning both forward and backward to see around my neighbors, but I was seated in the center of the plane. I couldn’t see the skyline of the city I had watched disappear into the horizon eleven months ago, but blue skies… Continue reading Back in Cali! Being a Tourist at the Golden Gate Bridge
{Photo Essay} The Santa Barbara Mission
I woke up on Sunday with my ears ringing and my head clouded. While it was more likely a severe case of “I celebrated too much last night and there are pictures of me drinking wine straight out of the bottle because I’m a classy lady like that”, I’m going to chalk it up to… Continue reading {Photo Essay} The Santa Barbara Mission
The Pre-Korea Food Fest of 2013
I’ve been spending a lot of time this week in facebook group chats with the other teachers heading to Korea soon, and someone recently posted a story of how one guy arrived in Korea only to be sent home because he weighed 30lbs more than he listed on his application. Questionable veracity or not, this… Continue reading The Pre-Korea Food Fest of 2013
The Secret of the Santa Barbara Courthouse Clock Tower
One of my favorite sights to show visitors in Santa Barbara is, oddly enough, the Courthouse. Not because it’s a place I spend much of my time (I have–miraculously–never been arrested, thank you very much) but because it is a beautiful and historic site that epitomizes the Spanish style architecture that defines Santa Barbara. The… Continue reading The Secret of the Santa Barbara Courthouse Clock Tower
The Painted Cabernet: Getting classy drunk with a paintbrush
I am no artist. My drawing skills are so heinous that I used to ask my little sister do my posters for school presentations. I tried to take an art class once, but when I proudly displayed my moon-over-the-ocean landscape that more resembled a Moon-Over-My Hammy breakfast plate, the teacher just patted me on the… Continue reading The Painted Cabernet: Getting classy drunk with a paintbrush
7 Things I Love About My Commute
Desk jobs have a tendency to make you feel fat. Well, actually, they have a tendency to make you fat, which in turn makes you feel fat. It’s a vicious cycle. Recently, however, I decided to put an end to all this fatness business and be all hip and trendy with a “standing desk”. I… Continue reading 7 Things I Love About My Commute
A Local’s Guide to the Perfect Sunday in Santa Barbara
My skin is sun drenched and my brain is fuzzy with blissful exhaustion. I’m not on vacation, I’m not on some remote tropical island, I’m not even celebrating anything–today was just another Sunday afternoon here in Santa Barbara. And yet, it was perfect. It never ceases to amaze me how lucky I am to live… Continue reading A Local’s Guide to the Perfect Sunday in Santa Barbara
Purple Fingers and Golden Pastures: My Po-Dunk Paradise
When I finally pulled into my dad’s driveway after the exhausting but familiar eight hour drive, he was just returning home from the lawn mower races at the county fair. “Dang it, I missed them! How did Tim do?” “Oh, he was doing good at first, he had the lead until he threw a belt… Continue reading Purple Fingers and Golden Pastures: My Po-Dunk Paradise
How to look like a stupid tourist in your own town and love every minute of it
I know, I know, it’s been a while since I last posted, and I’m sure all 3.5 of my readers have been devastated by my lack of insightful words flowing into the universe. The truth is, I was busy getting another year older and wiser whilst enjoying my fabulous birthday present from the universe–the flu!… Continue reading How to look like a stupid tourist in your own town and love every minute of it
The Santa Barbara Bucket List
You know that cliche saying, “Live every day like it’s your last”, or something along those lines? I’ve been looking at the world that way a bit lately. No, no, I don’t have a terminal illness, don’t get your panties in a bunch (or throw a party just yet), but I guess I should add… Continue reading The Santa Barbara Bucket List