Category Archives: Travel

Driving Around East Maui (or Crossing Things Off My Maui Bucket List)

This day was all about East Maui. My Aunt Nancy decided to join me and my parents (my brother was spending the day with his friends), so the four of us headed out around 9:30am to start the big drive we had ahead.

One of the tourist magazines had an article on driving to Hana. We knew we weren’t going to go all the way to Hana and back (it’s like a 3 or 4 hour trip each way), but we decided to do a bunch of the stops that the article suggested. Also, I had a list of things that I wanted to do while in Maui (take a driving trip, see a waterfall, go snorkeling, drink from a coconut, have shaved ice), so this was going to help me do a bunch of those things.

Our driving adventure was on the Hana Highway and our first stop was to Twin Falls. This was a hike through the jungle and water to get to some waterfalls. The hike there was pretty much all uphill, and when you got close to the waterfalls, you had to go through some knee-deep water.

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But the end result was totally worth it!

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It was so nice and relaxing back there (after I got over my fear of slipping and falling into the water and ruining my phone and camera). We didn’t wear bathing suits so we didn’t go swimming, but just wading out in the water to get to the waterfalls was quite refreshing after the hike uphill.

After walking back through the water and downhill to the parking lot, we decided to enjoy some fresh coconut water.

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I’ve never drunk out of a coconut before, and I have to say that this was so much better than the coconut water you can buy in the grocery store! My mom, dad, and I shared one and it was the perfect after hike treat!

The next stop we made was at Garden of Eden, an arboretum and botanical garden. We drove up to the waterfall viewpoint area.

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And right next to that were some picnic tables with one of the most incredible views I’ve ever seen!

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We had packed some fruit, pita chips, and spinach dip in the car; so we had a snack with a view.

Next on the Hana Highway tour was Puaa Kaa to see another waterfall. You didn’t have to get into the water to see this one, but my dad decided to do it anyway.

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After that, we headed back towards where we started. We made a quick stop at Halfway to Hana for some shaved ice.

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I have to say, I was expecting something very different from what we got. I’ve seen photos of Hawaiian shaved ice where it looks really fluffy and almost like ribbons of snow. This was more like a normal snow cone (but still yummy). I got half strawberry and half banana and shared with my parents (we still couldn’t finish the whole thing).

Our last stop of the day was something that casting director Marci Liroff suggested to me on twitter. We drove up to the top of Haleakala Crater to watch the sunset. There were a couple of viewpoints on the drive up the crater that we stopped at.

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But we made it up to the top (over 10,000 feet above sea level!).

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As you can see, we are all wearing sweaters up there. It was so cold! It felt like the winter in Lake Tahoe (minus the snow). We found an amazing spot to watch the sunset, and it was fabulous.

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And as we headed back to the car, the sky on the other side was so colorful.

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Finally, it was time to head back down the crater and back to West Maui where we were staying. Once we got home, we had been out for about 11 hours, so we were all pretty tired!

But I did get a lot of stuff done on my Maui list! Only snorkeling to go (and we are hoping to maybe do that on our last day here).

Exploring West Maui (or My Dad Found A Coconut With Jesus On It)

Day 2 in Maui was all about going around West Maui (the side of the island that we are staying on).

My brother and his almost wife arrived that morning, so my parents and I went for a walk around the neighborhood while waiting for them to arrive. Just walking down the driveway there were gorgeous views!

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We saw some really nice flowers.

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And as the title of this post suggests, my dad found a coconut with Jesus on it (at least we think that’s what we see in it).

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When my brother and his fiancée got to the rental house, they stopped by to say hello, had a quick snack, and then they were off to spend the day at the beach and at a bar to watch the USC game.

And my parents and I went driving around West Maui to do some sightseeing. My parents have been to Maui before, but this is my first trip to this island (and my first trip back to Hawaii since I was 11).

Our first stop was at Honolua Bay. We just parked at the overlook and checked out the view from there.

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There were a bunch of snorkelers in the water and even from up high we could see lots of fish!

Next, we went to this blowhole that my parents saw on their last trip here. We got a little confused on where we were supposed to park and walk down, but we eventually found our way (with a little help from this sign).

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The blowhole was pretty cool, but it was not easy to photograph because the mist coming up wasn’t too strong.

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We also did a little hike around near the blowhole, but I slipped in some mud and hit my hip pretty hard. I didn’t take pictures there because I was in a lot of pain (3 days later, I’m feeling better but still very sore).

After that, we drove on the “forbidden highway”. It’s called that because it’s a one lane road (meaning one lane for both directions to share) and most rental car companies say that if you drive there, you void your rental agreement.

The road was pretty easy. We didn’t see a ton of cars going the other way, but if we did, one car would always back up to a turnout to let the other car pass.

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For that driving trip, we actually went around the entire circle of West Maui. It was a nice day and I loved getting to see a lot of the island.

We did a BBQ at the rental house that night and enjoyed another wonderful sunset.

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And just after sunset, the moon was super bright and right about the water.

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It was a nice full day of adventure for me!

Coming up tomorrow: East Maui, waterfalls, and giant craters!

Day One In Maui (or The Only Way To Start A Vacation Is In The Hot Tub)

I got to Maui safely on Friday (only minor panic attacks on the plane which was nice). I had a direct flight from Los Angeles, so there was 5.5 hours to spend watching movies that I loaded on my laptop (I only with I had invested in some noise canceling headphones but I will do that one day).

Once I arrived, I called my parents, whose flight landed about an hour before mine and had gone to get the rental car. They came to pick me up at Kahului airport and we were off to the rental house.

I had seen some photos of the rental house before when my mom emailed me the website, but it was way more awesome than I expected!

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It’s so amazing here! I’m so lucky that my parents rented such a cool place for us.

As soon as we arrived, we got a tour from the house managers, but all I could think about was getting into the hot tub. So as soon as the tour was done, we turned on the tub to heat up and we all went to get changed into our swimsuits.

I spent a good majority of my afternoon in there. It felt so wonderful! I also spent a lot of time on those patio chairs reading my book (I’m currently reading “Scarlet”). My parents are both book nerds like me, so we were all super happy to just relax and read.

My Aunt Nancy stopped by our house for some snacks and then it was time to go back into the hot tub!

And of course, as soon as the sun was setting, we had to take some sunset photos.

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I’m finally putting a photo of me in a bathing suit on here! I know it’s not the best photo, but I’m sure in the next week I’ll have plenty more. But I wanted to do this one at least.

Plus, check out my badass mom!

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We were all pretty jet-lagged (and Hawaii is 3 hours behind California time) so we all went to bed pretty early. But considering that I left LA at 9am and took a 5.5 hour flight, I think we got a whole lot done on our first day of vacation!

More fun and adventures to come (plus my brother’s wedding)!

Off On An Adventure (or It’s Hawaii Time!)

Most likely, as you are reading this, I’m on a flight headed to Maui right now. I’ll be there for the next week for my brother’s wedding.

I had a bunch of goals connected to this event. I really wanted to lose a lot of weight, but that didn’t happen. I did lose weight, but nowhere near the amount I wanted to lose.

But you know what? I don’t really care. At this is the first time that I’m not devastated about missing a goal. I’ve done so much good stuff for my body lately that the number on the scale isn’t the be all end all for me anymore (I still weigh myself obsessively, but I don’t focus as much on the number).

I’m excited to spend this next week with a lot of my family. Besides the actual wedding, there will be plenty of other times that I’ll get to hang out with family that I don’t get to see that often.

I’m a little nervous about spending a lot of time in a bathing suit (I wonder if I will ever feel comfortable in one). I’m also nervous about the ocean. I hate swimming in the ocean. I have a fear of any creatures that live in there (even the fish). But I’m hoping to at least try to swim in the ocean, but I’m not going to force myself to do it if I start to get panicky.

But I’m super excited for getting out-of-town and recharging my batteries some more. I got a taste of that during my weekend in Tahoe, but I can’t remember the last time I was away from LA for more than a long weekend. I will be posting on here every day as usual, but besides that I will be trying to stay away from the internet and social media as much as I normally do. It’s so easy to be on vacation and spend the whole time with your face in your phone. I want to focus on the experience of my trip. I don’t get to do things that like that often and I want to fully take advantage of it!

My next post will be from Hawaii!

Saying Goodbye To Tahoe (or Going Rafting Before Flying)

On my last day in Tahoe, we decided to drive over to Donner Lake to have some fun in the inflatable raft my parents bought a year or two ago. Donner Lake is significantly closer to our place, plus I’m sure Lake Tahoe would have been packed on a Sunday.

My dad and I got a head start so we could get everything set up. It was pretty empty by the lake when we arrived, so we got a picnic table for all of our stuff before heading back to the car to inflate the raft.

Fortunately, we own an air pump that is powered by the cigarette lighter in my mom’s car (and there is an outlet in the trunk). So it didn’t take too long for the raft to be ready (my dad did most of the work).

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Finally, the raft was ready and we headed out of the lake for a little adventure!

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On the way out, my dad did the paddling, so I was checking out the sights on the lake. There were a bunch of people paddle boarding right by us, including this lady with her two amazing dogs!

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I also had my dad take a quick picture of me because I was in my new bathing suit top and wanted to make sure I posted it on here (it’s not the most flattering photo, but whatever).

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We got over to a little cove area and it was my turn to try paddling.

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It was tough! I managed to do a little by myself, but then my dad and I decided to work as a team to get back to the beach. When we got back, my mom and dog had gotten there, and they decided to take a turn out on the lake.

First, my dog had to get his life jacket on (which seemed to humiliate him).

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He has to wear it because he is not a strong swimmer. And if he fell out of the raft, the life jacket has a handle on the back so it’s easy to rescue him.

My mom and dog got comfortable in the raft and then they were off for a quick spin in front of the beach.

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Dante didn’t seem to mind being in the boat too much. He’s done it before, and he’s pretty happy wherever he is as long as my mom is with him. I tried to get some good photos of them while they were out in the lake, but Dante was laying down in the boat most of the time, so you can’t see him. I did get this one shot as they were coming back into the beach area.

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After we were all done rafting, we just hung out in the shade and enjoyed the views. My flight back to LA wasn’t until the evening, so we just enjoyed relaxing and hanging out as a family (minus my brother). I’ll get to see my parents again in a few weeks at the wedding, but I hadn’t seen them since Mother’s Day so I was soaking up all the family time I could get.

Before we went to the airport, we had a quick dinner at a burger spot (I forgot to take photos, but it was quite yummy). And then it was off to Reno for me to fly home. Normally at the Reno airport, it’s pretty empty. But for some reason this time, it was horribly crowded. I had to wait about 30 minutes to print a boarding pass and then another 30 minutes going through security. I got to the gate just in time to sit down, catch my breath, and contemplate playing the slot machines right at the gate.

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I ended up not playing, but that’s probably a good thing.

It really was an action packed weekend in Tahoe. I’m not sure if I’m going to make it up at all this winter because of my job, but I’m already planning on going back next summer. My dad and I made a list of things we didn’t get to do on this trip that we want to do next year.

I’ve been home for a few days and have been really lazy about unpacking. But I probably should get my butt in gear because in about 2 weeks I fly out again!

Hiking And Off-Roading (or Taking Advantage Of Every Moment Of My Vacation)

Day 2 in Tahoe starting off pretty relaxing. I woke up early (since I’m used to always waking up at 7am) and spent my morning hanging around the condo reading. Once the rest of my family was up, we were out the door for our first adventure of the day.

There is a railroad track right behind the condo. So we have done a lot of walking back there. And if you follow the path next to the tracks long enough, you get to some really cool ponds. So we decided to do a loop around the ponds.

On the way out toward the ponds, there are some pretty awesome boulders that you can walk out onto. During the winter, my dad likes to snowshoe up them (but in the summer they are too steep to hike up).

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We got to the path that led us down to the ponds, and of course I took advantage of another photo op.

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We are so lucky to have this in our Tahoe backyard!

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It was probably around a mile or so for the entire loop, but there was some elevation change and I was in a high altitude, so I was pretty out of breath at some points.

After getting back to the condo and having some lunch, we decided to go off-roading. A few years ago, my parents got a Jeep to off-road in (they are very adventurous people if you couldn’t tell already!).

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We went up a dirt path in the mountains. It was extremely bumpy, but fortunately there are hand holds to hold on to!

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When we got to the top, we were rewarded with a gorgeous view of Lake Tahoe.

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I mean, seriously, it’s so beautiful in the mountains! I really need to make sure I go there more often!

Also while we were at the top, I got a really cute photo of my parents with the dog.

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We headed back down the mountain, where at times it seemed like the road was just dropping off into nothing.

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Finally, we were back on a paved road (but I really did have so much fun on the dirt roads). We then went over to Northstar, which is the ski resort that I grew up skiing at. There is a Ritz-Carlton hotel on the mountain, and I had never seen it. So we rode the gondola up there and went to the outdoors bar for a snack.

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Again with the views! Bars in LA have some awesome views, but nothing like this!

Once we took a look at the menu, we realized it might have been a bit expensive.

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$14 for chips and salsa?!?!?! We all decided to have some frozen drinks. My mom had a pina colada, I had a strawberry daiquiri, and my dad had a margarita.

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It was the perfect refreshment for the hot mountain sun!

Finally, it was time to head back to the condo. My mom made a nice steak dinner with baked potatoes at the condo, so we had a relaxing evening. We all earned it from the on the go day that we had!

Tomorrow I’ll write about part 3 of my trip!

Hello Tahoe! (or The Start Of My Weekend Getaway!)

As I mentioned before, I spent this past weekend hanging out with my parents (and dog) in Lake Tahoe. I’ve been going to Tahoe since I was a baby to go skiing in the winter and do some hiking in the summer. Several years ago, my parents got a place in Tahoe (we rented a cabin before then), so now there are more chances in a year for me to get up there.

Somehow, with all the craziness of work and life, I hadn’t been to Tahoe in a couple of years. So I was more than excited to make it up there and get some nice outdoors time in.

As soon as I go there on Friday, my parents and I had to do some errands. We had some things to figure out on our family cell phone plan, and since I was listed as the primary account holder, I had to be with my parents when they changed things. So most of the afternoon was spent at the Verizon store doing not so fun stuff.

That evening, we went out for dinner. Since we were technically celebrating my 30th birthday, I got to pick the restaurant. For me, there has only been one place that has been my go-to restaurant in Truckee (the town in Tahoe where we stay): Cottonwood. Honestly, I cannot remember a time when we didn’t go to Cottonwood when we were in Tahoe.

We had to sit inside because there were about a million bees out on their deck, but we sat near the windows so we still got to enjoy the view of historic downtown Truckee (and of course, I forgot to take a picture of the view).

The menu had some great specials, so I decided to get the chicken dish (it sounded relatively healthy).

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For a starter, my parents and I split something that we always get every time we go to Cottonwood. The whole leaf Cesar salad.

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This is seriously the best thing in the world! It used to say on the menu that it is traditionally eaten with your fingers, so that’s how we eat it (except my mom who goes against tradition by using a knife and fork). This salad is so wonderfully garlicky. I love it! You do smell like garlic for a few days after, but to me, that’s totally worth it!

After we got through most of the salad (it was pretty huge for 3 people), our entrees arrived.

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The chicken was delicious and the mashed potatoes were great (although they didn’t seem too garlicky after having the salad).

We didn’t have dessert since we were so full on salad and our entrees, so we headed back to the condo my parents’ own to take Dante (the dog) for a walk.

Near Tahoe there is a fire, and that made the sunset pretty gorgeous.

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Although the smell of smoke in the air was pretty strong.

So that was day one of my Tahoe trip. More to come in the next few days including our off-roading adventure and going out on Donner Lake in our inflatable boat!

Trying To Be An Organized Packer (or Another Bit Of My OCD)

I spent this past weekend in Lake Tahoe with my parents (and my dog) to celebrate my birthday. I promise to have some Tahoe recaps (and photos) coming up this week, but first, I wanted to share some of my travel tips. Particularly when it comes to packing.

I don’t think that I’m an expert packer, but I’ve picked up some helpful ideas over the years. And when some of my friends traveling with me have seen these in action, they always comment on how they should use them too.

First of all, I try to keep all of my travel stuff in one location in my house. In my storage area behind my kitchen, I have my suitcases and all my travel toiletries stored. This way I can just grab them together. I keep my toiletries packed (one bag for liquids and one for non-liquids due to TSA rules), so I only have to grab those bags and not have to pull everything together.

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I also make a note if any of my toiletries run out on a trip so I can get a new one and put it in my bag as soon as I’m home. This way I can prevent last-minute CVS runs for a travel size toothpaste or contact lens solution.

For almost all of the trips I take, I only bring a carry-on bag (this will change for the Hawaii trip). So I have to be pretty mindful how I pack.

I always wear my bulkiest shoes on the plane, so they don’t take up room in my suitcase. And I try to only pack one other pair of shoes in my suitcase. I broke that rule on this trip because I just got some new barefoot-style sneakers (they look normal sneakers and not like barefoot shoes with toes). So I packed those up too so I could start wearing them in.

The best way I’ve found to pack shoes is to put them in shower caps. This way the dirty bottoms are covered and won’t get your clothes messy (thank you Pinterest!)

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Aren’t my new barefoot sneakers cute! They are by Merrell and I got them $30 off at Off Broadway Shoes!

I know that some people believe in packing each outfit in its own bag, rolling clothes to save room, or laying all their clothes on top of each other and then folding it as one piece. I’ve tried those all, and they don’t really work for me.

My favorite way to pack clothes is what I like to call puzzle packing. I put one layer of folded clothes in my suitcase. Then I start on the next layer, trying to fill in all gaps and maximizing the spaces (fitting things together like puzzle pieces).

Once I got all my clothes in, my suitcase looked like this:

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Inside are 2 pairs of shoes, socks and underwear, a dress, a sweater, a tank top, yoga pants, a workout top, a t-shirt, a bathing suit, pajamas, and a hat. And there is plenty of room in there for my toiletries and other items I might add at the last-minute.

The final step to my packing is making my day-of list. This is my list of things that I have to do before leaving for the airport.

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After taking this photo, I realized I left about 4 items off this list. But mostly what it is are items that can’t be packed until the last minute (I need to wear my glasses at night so I can’t pack them until the morning, I want to be able to brush my teeth and put on makeup in the morning).

I know this is a little crazy, but it does help my anxiety about flying a bit. Also, I have yet to forget a major thing for a trip. Hopefully you will find some useful tips for your next trip. And if not, you just got a peak inside my crazy mind!

Positivity (or Maybe My Luck Is Changing)

In the past, I’ve wondered if I just have bad luck in life. I mean, lots of not so great things have happened to me that I don’t deserve. Like 2 car accidents in one week. Or my hip issues (which is something that I was born with but didn’t discover until the cartilage tore). Or having to worry about a day job (I’ve had plenty of times of unemployment that were not planned nor could I collect unemployment).

But lately, things seem to be going my way.

I had a really amazing week at my day job this week. I had a huge group sale on tickets. The commission I will get from that sale alone will almost completely pay for the deductible when I get my car fixed. I also sold tickets to one lady who has told about 50 of her friends that they all need to buy tickets from me (as long as people calling in ask for me, I get the sale). A few of her friends have called in so far, but I’m expected several more.

I was able to find a bathing suit that not only fits me, but I like! I’m pretty sure that’s a big accomplishment for anyone of any size, but for me, the task felt like it would be impossible. At least until I ordered some things online. Now I’m feeling pretty silly for stressing out over it.

I’m in a good place with my workouts right now. I’m still loving spin class (I mean, I even went on my birthday!). I’m excited to see how the workouts pay off when I go to Tahoe this weekend to see my parents. I’m not used to high elevation, so I’m expecting to have some issues with that. But hopefully I will feel stronger during the hiking and kayaking I’m planning on doing there.

And finally, I’m just all around happier right now. I’ve found that going outside my comfort zone has really allowed me to grow and become a better person. I don’t know others have noticed my increased happiness, but I have. I can mainly tell because I’m having fewer and fewer panic attacks. I still have my big triggers of needles and flying and I doubt those will ever go away. But even the big triggers aren’t affecting me as much as they used to. I’m flying tomorrow and usually by now, I have to start taking my medication to calm me down. I haven’t had to do that yet (I’ll probably starting taking them tonight so I don’t have a crazy panic attack on the plane).

So maybe all those years I was complaining about having bad luck I was bringing it onto myself. I don’t know if having a more positive mindset has changed my luck for the better, but either way, I’m planning on keeping the positivity in and the negativity out.

Rain In July (or Sometimes Things Just Don’t Go How You Planned Them To)

After the amazing beach day on Saturday, I knew I had to get to the beach more this summer. And yesterday, I happened to have the day off (I had somewhere I had to be during most of my shift), so I figured why not go to the beach?

The morning was a bit gray, but that’s pretty typical for summers here. But when I went outside to get something from my car, I realized that it had been raining all night and it was still drizzling! I don’t ever remember it raining in LA in July since I moved here!

Still, I figured it couldn’t be as bad at the beach. So I picked up a friend, and we headed up the coast to the same beach as last time. The whole drive it was pretty gray and drizzly, but we convinced ourselves that it was looking a bit clearer up ahead.

We finally arrived at the beach, and it looked like this.

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While it’s still nice to be at the ocean, it was windy and cold. We tried to wait it out a bit in the car, but it never seemed to look like it was getting better.

After waiting it out about 20 minutes, we decided to cancel the beach day. There’s no reason to be miserable and cold. And there will be plenty of other chances to go to the beach (probably not on a weekday, but that’s ok).

It did kind of suck to drive all the way out there and just turn around, but I wanted to take the chance that maybe the weather was a bit better there.

Oh well. I ended up going home and doing some reading that I’ve been excited about (I recently downloaded several of the book series recommended on this list to my e-reader).

While I didn’t get to enjoy the beach and sunshine, I did have a nice quiet day off. Which is good because this weekend I have a lot going on! I’ll be writing about it next week on here, so be on the lookout for those posts!