Oahu, Memorial Day Weekend

A and I visited Hawaii for the first time this past Memorial Day weekend. Oahu has been on my travel destination list for a while now so it was gratifying to be able to visit and kick off the summer in the most wonderful way.

We took Hawaiian Airlines from San Francisco first thing in the morning on a Thursday and landed a little after noon. After finding the baggage claim we were met by a frantic looking airline employee carrying our leis. Soon after some back and forth, we arrived to the rentals lot and hopped in our rental, lunch and malasada bound.

My general impression of Hawaiian food is that it's incredibly unhealthy. I felt a little guilty for the amount of meat consumed on this trip, but not to fret. That's what vacation's all about. Soon after finishing up, we took Pali Highway to sleepy Kailua to check into our AIRBNB.

I liked Kailua a lot. Most people opt to stay in Waikiki where all of the resorts are, but Kailua offered us a slice of what Hawaii should feel like. We pulled into the driveway and were warmly welcomed by our host Beth and her adorable dachsunds and pit bull. One beach entrance to Kailua Beach was literally a 5 minute walk away from the house.

Greedily, we swapped into our bathing suits and rushed off to the beach. Eager to soak in the last of the afternoon. I'd never seen such clear, blue-green waters before. We had our fill until the rain suddenly arrived, forcing us back to the airbnb.

We ended up getting ready for Waikiki afterwards and drove into the city to get a drink at House Without A Key--a delightful venue where you can sit outdoors, watching the sunset over Waikiki beach to the lullaby of slack-key guitars. It was blissful. I miss it already.

Waking up every morning in Hawaii was delightful for the obvious reasons, but the most memorable feeling I take back now is one of nostalgia. Every morning I'd wake up feeling like I did as a teenager on summer vacations. Incredibly well-rested, carefree, smelling slightly of sunblock and summer. I relished that feeling so much on our recent stay in Kailua.

I'll definitely be back someday and hopefully soon to visit the other islands and do another ATV tour! Teehee.

Weekend in Seattle

With a woeful delay, I've decided to finally update my blog/travelogue. I traveled to Seattle recently for a short stay with A. This was my second time in Seattle, and I still maintain that this is a city for those who like to eat. I am still vehemently pro-Portland when it comes down to which city is a better vacation destination.

We stayed in the Warwick Hotel in lieu of airbnb this time. An excellent decision give the hotels central location and close proximity to the delicious Palace Kitchen, Top Pot Donuts and more. Not to mention, Pike Place is a quick 15 minute walk away.

We hit up some of the usual suspects during this visit: Pike Place Market, Olympic Sculpture Park, The Space Needle, and more. This time I visited the Ballard Neighborhood, which to my delight, was chock-full of fabulous little shops full of housewares, jewelry, and more. We spent an entire afternoon there where I discovered Prism--a boutique that boasted of tons of hipster-ware. Think macrame wall hangings, geometric-inspired jewelry, overpriced pieces of pottery and so on. I laughed a little at how it all was a little much but quickly reigned myself in when I found a wonderful necklace by Baleen in stock.

We moved on to the Ballard Locks where you can see the salmon swimming upstream in the summer and concluded the afternoon at The Walrus and the Carpenter. Best oysters I've had in a long time. Arrive early.

While I'd like to return someday to Seattle, I don't think I will deliberately plan a vacation for a long time now. Perhaps Portland in the Fall again...There's nothing quite like sitting on the PSU campus people watching, farmer's market in the background, and watching the gold, brown, and yellow leaves flutter about. 

Thanksgiving 2014

Ah Thanksgiving. I thought I would never make it in one piece this year after several bouts of nasty colds and running related injuries. I flew home to Orange County this year and was able to finally spend some time with my family. Per tradition, the night before Thanksgiving was spent reveling at Stubrik's in Downtown Fullerton to support my oldest brother's cover band, Hot Panda. They get better and better every year! 

No one seems to care to push Thanksgiving early as a holiday like they do with Halloween and Christmas, so I find myself appreciating this particular occasion more as I get older. I love spending time with friends and family without feeling the pressure of having to worry about gifts and decorations what not. Let's just say Thanksgiving is giving Christmas a run for its money in my heart.

My dad made another amazing turkey and all the fixings as usual. I contributed some pie and cava. After feasting, I hit some sales with my siblings. Black Friday didn't seem as big of a deal this year, though I must admit that I am no longer young enough to be out past 2 AM. Ah, fleeting youth. All in all, a wonderful trip back home. 

Tomales Point

It seemed as if everyone hit the road this weekend to drive to the coast. This was my third time visiting Tomales Point. The mood along the coast line changes dramatically when the fog lifts. My brother and I completed the 10 mile hike at last and were rewarded with this gorgeous view. A little bit of nature does the soul good. I can't imagine a better way to send off the summer than a coastal hike. It's becoming something of a yearly tradition. Summer in its traditional sense might be over, but it's only just begun for the Bay Area. Cheers to indian summers!

Suffering is optional.

Jim Rohn famously said that we're the average of the five people we spend the most time with. With that said, I've been surrounding myself with people who I look up to socially and physically in regards to fitness.

So I've been doing my best to stay healthy these past few months and in doing so I've picked up running.

I've always been predisposed to hate running. I have flat feet and so for the longest time I've only run indoors on a treadmill. Lately though, I've taken to running outdoors. Partly because it doesn't require me to pay for a gym membership and partly because it can be done anywhere, but mostly because I wanted to challenge myself more physically.

My siblings have been a large influence in this; both of my brothers are avid runners these days. My family overall is extremely health conscious.

I've gotten to the point where I can run longer distances comfortably. And with that I've developed a newborn confidence in myself and in my body. It's incredible to witness how the human body can adjust slowly to endure more physical stress. My body always feels sluggish when I start to run but once I reach the halfway point of my run, something always changes. In What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Murakami writes about the importance of having a mantra while you're running. One that he's particularly fond of is "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." That one resonated with me.

The Berkeley Half Marathon is in the beginning of November this year. I still haven't paid for my registration, but I'm building up the courage to soon!