Adventure | San Luis Obispo Mini Getaway

The day after my birthday a couple weeks ago, we decided to keep the celebrating going and head down to the little town of San Luis Obispo for a short weekend adventure. We took the day (Friday) off of work and hopped in the car for the 3 hour drive down south.

Labor Day Weekend Getaway

The week before Labor Day, Dai casually suggested that we drive down to LA to see his sister and nephew for the holiday weekend. After gushing over recent photos of his 2-year-old nephew floating around in the family group text, Dai was really itching to see that boy. We didn't have any plans for the weekend and neither of us mind the 6 hour drive too much, so I said why not? Plus, I know what it is like to miss my nephews and always feel like they are growing up so fast, so I want to support every opportunity for Dai to bond with his own nephew :)

Friday was the last day of my internship (bittersweet, but more on that later...) and I immediately went home to pack for our weekend road trip. We hit the road later that evening and arrived tired at Dai's sister's doorstep at 2am.

We mostly did just normal, low-key things like go to the farmer's market, hit up the gluten-free bakery we love, check out a coffee shop, go to the biggest Whole Foods we have ever seen, eat lunch at Porto's (a local fave!), go to the beach for a swim, take Marly to the dog park, and make a Costco run. Dai and I also had dinner with two of his childhood friends who live in LA, so that was pretty special too!

The one thing I was not too fond of was how HOT it was alllllll weekend. A major heat wave swept the Bay Area this past weekend, but I was not expecting it to be so grossly hot and humid LA since the weather leading up to that weekend had looked pretty moderate. Anyway, Marly was not the biggest fan haha. Any chance he got, he would just lay on his side, preferably on the bed in front of the two tiny fans I was using to desperately try to make sleeping not so uncomfortable (no AC!!).

One night while we were there, Dai and I went to the beach to catch the sunset. We sat in the sand together, watching the waves roll in and be sucked back out to sea, and talked about life as it is right now. Honestly, it was simple and it was wonderful. I feel so lucky to have this man by my side as I face all that life has to offer.

I had no idea that seeing him with a stroller would be so attractive ;) Oh man, talk about baby fever! Don't worry, I will resist for several more years haha.

While we were there, Dai took me to this cute little nursery that he had seen during his last solo trip to visit his sister. He saw succulents and knew I would obviously love it (I mean, have you seen my Instagram??) I got to do a bit of browsing (read: giddily taking photos with my iPhone) and picked a new pot to plant the succulents I recently got from the farmer's market while I was visiting my family in San Diego last month. I also got a new little succulent friend because I just couldn't resist and they were super reasonably priced!

And of course I had to include the neighbor's cute pack of dogs that I met. They just happily chill out here in the front yard and greet everyone that goes by. I love it.

We were prepared for the worst holiday traffic heading back home, but we got lucky and didn't hit any traffic at all! We had already accepted our fate of traffic and that was the only part of this trip that we weren't looking forward to. I guess we were being rewarded for our spontaneity!

This was the perfect little weekend trip and has made me want to say yes to more adventures because why not?

How was your holiday weekend?

Las Vegas Girls Weekend

This past weekend, I went to Las Vegas to celebrate my 23rd birthday with two of my gal pals! As you can probably guess, we had a really wonderful time! We arrived in Vegas on Thursday evening and headed to our hotel. After we got checked in, Dai called me and told me to check my email... In my inbox I found three tickets to see Cirque du Soleil that night! That guy... I tell you, he is full of surprises! It was so sweet of him to do something so thoughtful like that for us all the way from home in California. We were so excited and giddy about it as we quickly changed our clothes so we could head over to the theater to pick up our tickets before the show. It was an AMAZING show and is my most favorite thing that we did on our trip. Dai definitely scored some extra brownie points :)

After the show, we wandered around the strip, got big adult slushy drinks, visited the Sprinkles ATM (I was so excited for this haha), sat in front of a fountain talking for a long time, and eventually even met a psychic. Yes, a psychic. That part was very, very unexpected. I don't know if it was just the magic of being on a girls trip in Vegas or our adult slushies kicking in, but it was actually a super cool experience and all felt very meant to be. I had never really given much thought about whether or not I believed in that stuff, though for now I will just say this: WOW. I might not be such a skeptic. I could actually write a whole blog post about this experience alone (let me know in the comments if that's something you'd like!) and all in all, it was really cool and I am happy to have shared it with my two friends.

We went to bed at 4am our first night there and I can't even remember a time that I stayed up that late other than to cram for an exam the next day. Time is a strange concept in Vegas! The next day (Friday the 13th!), we enjoyed a steak & shrimp meal for $7.77 at the Hard Rock Hotel (the best and cheapest meal we had), walked the whole strip, did a bit of gambling on the slot machines and roulette, got put on the guest list for a club that night, did some shopping, went to a buffet for dinner, and then went to a club! I am not really into clubs, but we were going to get in for free and there was going to be an hour of free open bar for ladies, so we decided to give it a chance haha. We ended up staying for two hours and had a fun time enjoying our free drinks and dancing! We even met some nice girls from Chicago and enjoyed talking with them. After the club, we made the long trek to White Castle for some food even though our feet were killing us (I walked 22,000 steps each day!). We don't have White Castle here in California and after trying it all I can say is meh. I would definitely choose In-N-Out any day.

Saturday was our last day in Vegas and after checking out of our hotel, we got some food from Gordon Ramsay's Fish & Chips and hunted down a Las Vegas Starbucks mug for me. We also took a tram to the south end of the Strip to visit the M&M and Coca-Cola stores and get lunch at Shake Shack, which is always a treat! We stopped along the way to look at shops and try our hand at the roulette machines inside the Monte Carlo.

The day flew by and then it was sadly time to catch an Uber and head to the airport! It was so fun and exciting going on a trip with my girls. I can't wait until the next time we travel together and hopefully come back to Vegas sometime! Maybe even this summer? ;)

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? What was your favorite thing you did? Have you ever gone on a girls trip anywhere with your friends?

xoxo

Jess

Hawaii Video!

I recently had the sad realization that it has nearly been two months since our trip to Hawaii. Two months already! Dai and I say nearly every day that we want to go back ASAP... We fell in love!

On this trip, we used our GoPro to film parts of it so I put together a little video! I'm not really familiar with making videos, but I am really happy with how this turned out. Most of all, I am just happy to have this to look back at our trip! Dai and I have decided to start taking more footage of our trips so we can have videos of all of our adventures :)

I hope you enjoy it!

xoxo

Jess

P.S. We are actually already at the midterm point of the semester! Crazy how quickly it has been going by, but the rest of the semester should be a bit calmer and I am hoping to be able to blog more! But we shall see...

Life Lately // Spring Vibes

Wow guys, its been a while! I think it is time to update you all on what's been happening with me lately. If you follow me on Instagram, this won't be that surprising, but let me just say this: I am 100% completely loving spring right now. It has been amaaazing so far and I can only hope things will be even better as summer approaches. If spring is any indication as to how summer will be, its going to be crazy awesome.

First of all, I just had spring break last week and it was pretty epic! One of my best friends, Nayeli, and I took a road trip down to San Diego. We started planning this back in February after I had the brilliant idea that a girls trip to San Diego would be the perfect spring break get away because it is a) cheap since we can stay with my family b) it's beautiful! No complaints here that the best, closest, cheapest place for me to travel to for all my school breaks is a sunny wonderland! We had the best time on our trip and it was so fun traveling with one of my best girl friends.

We spent time with my family, went to the beach, went for a couple hikes, tried out new restaurants, talked nonstop, and giggled over shows we watched together like Jane the Virgin and Teen Mom. We also explored different areas of San Diego and went wine tasting very close to my dad's house. Wine tasting was definitely a huge highlight of our trip! We got Groupons, which made it super, super cheap and the weather and scenery was beautiful. It was lovely trying out different wines together and laughing while wandering around the wineries after maybe a bit too much tasting ;)

Another awesome thing we did while we were there was meet up with Morgan and a couple of her friends at Coin-Op Game Room, a bar with really cool retro arcade games. It was really nice seeing Morgan again and having my blog world and non-blog worlds collide :) Dai was able to come down for a couple days, which was also nice! He works very hard and deserves to have a little fun too!

Oh, we also went to this awesome place that truly deserves a blog post of its own: The Succulent Cafe. It is exactly what it sounds like an outdoor cafe with succulents everywhere (insert heart eyes emoji). As you can imagine, it basically had all of the things I love--coffee, succulents, and my dog since it was outdoors! I definitely felt right at home :) I think next time I am down there I will stop by again (duh) and take some photos so I can share them here for your enjoyment!

Aside from my trip to San Diego, things have been pretty good. School is stressful, but there are only six weeks left of the semester, so I am telling myself I can/will survive! This semester I have been making more friends, which has really helped my sanity. It is nice to know that other people in my program are going through the same things and we can help each other out!

I'm currently just trying to focus on the rest of the semester and do my best to produce quality work and finish strong. I am starting to think about summer a bit too and search for internship opportunities. I need to work on my resume as well so I can start sending that out! I'm hoping I can find something that will help me gain some real world experience in the design/photography field. Time to start preparing for the real world, but it's scary haha.

So that's pretty much what's been up with me lately! I've missed blogging and have so many ideas for things I'd like to do with this space. I'm hoping that it won't be so long before I blog again! I'm always working to find balance and maybe this time I finally will figure out the secret to it all ;)

How has your spring been? Do you have anything special planned? I hope the flowers are blooming and the sun has come out in your city!

Dream Summer Travel Plans

Now that the weather is getting nicer and I am officially on summer break, my wanderlust is kicking in hard. So many places to go, things to see, and adventures to be had! I just wish I had the time and money to do allllll of them this summer. Traveling is my love language (if travel can really be one's love language, that is) and I love the feeling of breaking free of my day to day schedule for a while. It is refreshing and renewing for the soul.

Since I know that it won't be possible to visit all the places my little heart desires to this summer, I thought I would share a list of them anyway because, after all, a girl can dream, right? :)

Palm Springs, CA (image via)
This is the most realistic and likely trip to happen this summer, which I am super excited about! Plans are actually in the works :) But at any rate, I have been seeing so much about Palm Springs via Instagram and other bloggers the past couple years, and have really been wanting to go! Even though it is fairly close to San Diego, I have never been. Hopefully that will change this summer! I just want to lounge by the pool, explore the town, go shopping, photograph everything, hang out with friends, and look cute while doing it :) I'd love to stay at this colorful hotel pictured above!

Austin, TX (image via)
Though summer is just about the worst time possible to visit this state, Austin still makes my list! I visited for the weekend in the summer of 2013, when I was temporarily staying in Texas, and I have wanted to go back ever since. I had a great time exploring this city with my family and wished that I could have stayed longer! It is a really cool place with pretty interesting people, night life, and things to do. I would love to pay this vibrant city another visit this summer, despite the heat!
Big Sur, CA (images via & via)
This beautiful spot is just a few hours south of where I live, yet I have never visited it! I hear it is a wonderful place to camp and hike, which is exactly what I'd like to do! I have also heard of its beautiful beaches and breathtaking sights, plus it is a nice balance of forest-y and coastal scenery. What a lovely combo! Nestled on the central coast, it is a quiet getaway within my home state!

Tulum & Cabo, Mexico (images via & via)
I have never been to Mexico before, but would definitely like to take a relaxing trip down there! Like Palm Springs, I have been seeing a lot about Tulum from other bloggers and it seems like such a beautiful place! I would love to take a walk along those sandy beaches and explore the ruins that are there. I also wouldn't mind sipping drinks poolside at a Cabo resort and going out for tacos for dinner :)
Los Angeles & Disneyland, CA (image via)
It has been a few years since I have been to Disneyland and CA Adventure, so it has been high on my list to visit with Dai again! I don't think I will ever outgrow the magic of Disneyland :) While we are in the area, it would be nice to hang out with friends who live there and spend some time on the beaches of Los Angeles!

Wouldn't all of these trips together make just the best summer?! Hopefully I will be able to cross at lease a couple of these off my list :)

Where would you love to travel this summer? Do you have any trips planned already?

Seattle Adventures // Starbucks Reserve Roastery

It is no secret that Seattle is the Starbucks (and coffee in general) capital. People here take their coffee very seriously, which can actually be a bit intimidating at times! We tried our best to find a few local coffee shops to try out and it was a nice experience. It is also no secret that I love Starbucks. I am not ashamed to admit it! I don't even care if it makes me a "basic white girl" (also, that phrase is so mean...). I just love it! One thing that was high on my list of things to do in Seattle, was to go to the brand new Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room. I received a video e-mail about it from Starbucks and decided that since we were going to be in Seattle, we had to go! It is just several blocks away from the original Pike Place Starbucks location, but is definitely a completely different experience.
The whole idea behind the Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room is to be a completely unique, one of a kind place where Starbucks can really hone in on more specialty practices and options of what they are most passionate about: coffee. Here, they are able to roast beans that you can't get anywhere else in the world, share a peek into the roasting process with their visitors, hold workshops and tastings, and offer a completely different, more specialized menu than their regular stores.
We got to see the beans being poured into their packages, the sealing process, and how the labels are attached. We also got to see the beans being prepped for roasting and how they are roasted.
What is especially unique about the Reserve Roastery, is that all of the beans they serve are roasted in house. You can see above that they are even funneled to the coffee bar by pipes freshly after being roasted, and then you can choose the beans you want!
The menu at this unique shop is also completely different than you would find at a regular Starbucks. I'm pretty sure the poor baristas are asked about 25 thousand times every day if they can order a caramel frapuccino or a white chocolate mocha. Instead, this Starbucks focuses more on the art of more specialized drinks. When you order a coffee drink, you get to to pick the specific beans you would like and how you would like your coffee made, like on the Clover machine, dripped, or in a French press. So many choices, but that is what makes this place special!
 I settled on a classic vanilla latte (can't remember which beans or process!) and Dai got an interesting drink that is made with sparkling water, 2 shots of espresso, sweetening syrup, and mint. Needless to say, he hated it. I actually don't blame him... It was a little too different unfortunately. BUT, we tried something new! We also shared a delicious chocolate espresso tart, and were given little cookies with our drinks.
While the line to order was out the door and down the side of the building, we wandered inside and were actually able to snag seats at the bar! When you are lucky enough to find seats at the bar, a barista gives you a menu and serves you like a waiter, so it was really nice! Definitely beats waiting in a long line to order the exact same things and not have a place to sit. It was a nice place to relax and take in everything that was going on. Plus, all of the baristas are much more interesting and 'artsy' than you may find at a regular Starbucks!

We had such a lovely time wandering around the Reserve Roastery that I didn't really want to leave! I wish that I had a book or my laptop with me so that I could hunker down and have some blogging time in a cool place like this :)

If you ever visit Seattle, you should definitely make a stop here for an experience that is much different than you will find in your hometown Starbucks! I also hear that they will begin doing tastings and workshops (like a latte art class!) soon, so hopefully you can take advantage of those too :)

Seattle Adventures // Pike Place Market

I realized that I have yet to post about our trip to Seattle (with the exception of my birthday), so here I am with the first installment of our adventures! With being sick when we got home and adjusting back to work, things have been a bit crazy! I haven't even started school yet or began my supplemental college application, so we shall see how things go when all of that is added in as well ;)

Anyway, I thought I would start with our time exploring Pike Place Market! We ended up coming here a few times throughout our trip since we really enjoyed it. It was definitely a zoo here with all of the people still soaking up the holiday break! I had seen so many photos of the iconic Pike Place Market (especially this sign!), so it was really cool to actually be here myself :)

During our time in Seattle, I always loved the views of Puget Sound and all of the boats and such. We obviously have a huge bay here, but there is just something different about the views of the water here! So beautiful.
We opted to take a 2-hour tour of the market with a company called Savor Seattle. It was a great time and really helped us to understand the history of the market and its purpose, which we definitely wouldn't have learned just wandering around on our own. We also got to try a lot of little bites to eat from vendors in the market area, like clam chowder, seafood bisque, mini doughnuts, Opal apples, tea, smoked salmon, and crab cakes.
Our tour guide was really funny and kept our interest the entire time, which was definitely nice. We were also able to find a Groupon for the tour, so I recommend looking for one before you book to save a lot of money!
We decided to visit the market again on our last day in Seattle since there were still some things we wanted to do like eat fish & chips and oysters (well Dai did anyway haha seafood is not my thing), grab some mini cinnamon & sugar doughnuts, and get some Opal apples to take home because they are the best! Never have I been so excited about apples.
So there you have it! Our little visit to Pike Place Market. Looking through these photos really makes me miss Seattle! I hope we get to visit it again sometime, maybe this time in summer :)

I know I haven't been around on the blog much lately, but I am hoping to nail down more of a routine to ensure that I get my blogging time in. Sometimes I am just too tired at the end of the day to even think about working on my laptop! Well, anyway, you will see much more of me this week :)

Hope everyone has a great start to their week!