Moving (again)

In the last month, a lot of things have (again) changed in my life --some of which are quite personal. Although my initial intention for this blog was to write about this period in my life so that the family and friends who I do not often get to see or talk to will still have a chance to keep up with what I have been up to. And now...well, some parts of my life have gotten to be a bit "controversial" and have me hesitated to share. I still have family and friends in many different places of the world that I want to keep updated, but I am beginning to realize that I may have a number of unwanted audience since this is a public blog. Because of this, I may be switching over to a password-protected blog in the near future as some of my friends have done.

I have recently signed a lease for a new apartment. Because I really like my current location across the beach and how affordable this neighborhood is, I decided to simply move to the building next door to my current complex! It is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, quite spacious, with some potential garden space, for only $1500 a month. The new bedroom alone is the same size as my entire studio apartment now. And the living room is enormous and will allow me to fit at least a couple of couches, a TV, and maybe even a salt-water aquarium... The kitchen is a good size, I will finally get a dinner table to eat on instead of on my desk or on my bed. The kitchen and bathroom are not updated, but for the price, the apartment is a steal and will allow me to save some money in the long run to continue to pursue my traveling.

My significant other has officially arrived in San Francisco and I can't be happier. Although it's been a hectic couple of weeks, but in about a month, I am hoping that things will settle down and we will get to explore and enjoy what the city has to offer. Things on my immediate TO DO list:

Visit the Legion of Honor
Visit the de Young Museum
Go see live theatre
Go see some live music
Go beach fishing

Currently, I am still working on getting my research up and going and established, as well as applying for post-doctoral fellowships (many of which have deadlines in Sept and Oct). I am moving into the new place in a few days (this FRIDAY!). It's been crazy finding a new place (found, applied, got the offer, and signed the lease in a span of 3 days), getting someone to take over my current apartment (4 hrs craigslist post, an evening and an afternoon of open house, >20 people came through, >10 applicants, and the new tenant signed the lease less than a week later), and dealing with my demanding job all at the same time. Being an adult is kinda hard, but I am just letting it ride and enjoying every minute of this experience. My life is pretty crazy, but I have everything that I ever wanted. Considering myself a pretty damn lucky girl.

Sunset over Ocean Beach

Free.

Matinenda recap --next trip suggestion?

Sorry it's been a while --I'm gonna continue to use the same excuse over and over again (and it's always true) --work has been crazy! And it keeps getting crazier. My lab will be moving to Stanford by November and it's kind of a big deal. Because of my experiments, I will begin going back and forth between Stanford and UCSF, where we are now, starting this Monday.

We had a great time at Lake Matinenda. I was disconnected from the internet, email, my iPhone and my social network for almost a week and I did not once miss it. I didn't miss make-up, electricity, or plumbing either. Yes, I used the outhouse and it wasn't so bad at all. At 27, I am slowly getting over my fear of non-home-bathrooms. I loved the lake that we stayed at, and it meant a lot for me to be there with my special person. We did not catch any lake trouts (we tried, but were unsuccessful). Although I did catch some small mouth bass and rock bass!

Campfire at dusk our first night

Waterfall

Pretty flower

My fav picture...our breakfast after a morning of fishing

View of Lake Matinenda from a hike

Lake at dusk

Happy campers :)

Am starting to think about where in the world I want to go next year --I am thinking in the Spring. I love nature and the outdoors, and I LOVE food. I also like people --especially locals. I'd like to go to a place with some character. But I need it to be somewhere affordable! I'm down to camp most of my time abroad. Any suggestions??

Next adventure

The next adventure this year for me is a fishing trip in the middle of nowhere Ontario, Canada! Just kidding --it's a cabin on the shore of Lake Matinenda. Except the cabin is only accessible by boat, and there will be no electricity or plumbing. Sounds like my kind of vacation :) I can hang out with a beer in my hand, the sun over my shoulders, and the water around my ankles. A propane lamp will be my light at night, the lake will be my bathtub, the waterfall my shower, and an outhouse will be my site of relief. And of course, my host has provided me with a great news story just to get me even more excited about the trip: Bear drags Winnipeg man out from outhouse. Lovely! As long as a snake doesn't end up in my bed I will be okay. I'm excited for 7 days of being outside, away from the city, out in the countryside and in the middle of the lake. Looking forward to hiking, swimming, exploring the island, and picking wild berries...I do like blueberry pancakes ;) My goal is to catch a lake trout fishing --I like a good challenge once in a while! But until then, I will have to continue bustin' balls in the lab 10-12 hrs a day, 7 days a week. But like I always say, when science works, you just gotta keep moving and milk the shit out of it. Although work is trying to kick my ass, I think I am doing a fairly decent job countering the brutality of the long hours by producing some pretty interesting data and getting my boss (and myself!) really excited. Let's hope the luck continues!

This will be my 3rd location this year (Bali and Singapore in March) and I can't wait for more!

Andy Grammer - Fine By Me

Someone special

Yes, I am seeing someone special. We get along really well, we have a lot of things in common, and I love that we both feel most at ease outside and in nature. We have similar life philosophies...to live simply and modestly without the need for too much "stuff". I can be myself, and feel accepted. I don't have to pretend to be anything else other than who I am just to save face. I can drink, swear, and challenge the status quo without being judged. At the same time, he makes me want to be nurturing and responsible. I think that we bring out the best in each other without meaning to. He makes me really happy...I hope you can be happy for me.

Music

I love music. A lot of people would find that my taste in music is uncharacteristic to the music they think I should like...If you just met me, you might think that I am into hip hop, or pop, etc. However, I love country and folk/indie (ex. Pandora stations Today's Country and Andrew Duhon/Ray LaMontagne) particularly for their melody and the content. I don't think you can find more beautiful lyrics anywhere else besides these two genres. Everyone loves music, probably for different reasons. Mine is because this is an avenue where I feel most understood. I find that the words can really relate to my experiences at that particular moment, and I feel...empathized, understood, accepted. And sometimes, they help put into words my thoughts and emotions, even when I sometimes don't know how to best express myself. I also love instrumental rock (ex. Pandora station featuring David Garrett, Escala, Ronald Jenkees, Bond) --mostly for putting me in the right mood and perfect rhythm when I am reading or writing for work. My instrumental rock Pandora station is my secret to getting through writing my Ph.D. dissertation. While on this station, I could frequently produce 2-3 pages per hour. It's like when one would listen to fast pace music during a run or exercising. The rhythm helps me set my pace for writing. On the subject of music, I want to share some tid-bits of songs that touch my heart right now.  

Bright Eyes - This Is The First Day Of My Life

This is the first day of my life

...

Yours is the first face that I saw

I think I was blind before I met you

Now I don't know where I am I don't know where I've been

But I know where I want to go

...

And I thought it was strange you said everything changed

You felt as if you'd just woke up 

And you said "this is the first day of my life

I'm glad I didn't die before I met you 

But now I don't care I could go anywhere with you

And I'd probably be happy"

Carrie Underwood - Do You Think About Me

That first cold September night

You were the blanket holding me tight

You were kissing me and the years stood still

...

We ran in when the thunder came

You told me sugar melts in the rain

Don't want to watch our love go to waste

So we ran inside for it was too late

Ray LaMontagne - Can I Stay With You?

So can I stay here with you, til the day breaks?

There's something you should know

I ain't got no place to go

So can I stay here with you, til the day breaks?

How happy it would make me to see your face when I wake

So lay with me in your thinnest dress

Fill my heart with each caress

Between your blissful kisses, whisper

Darling, is this love?

Guess I am just a bit sentimental these days. Growing up and starting over can do that to a girl.

Marriage and Love

Well, it's about 9:30 and I've been in lab now for roughly 12 hrs...the usual, really! Work has definitely picked up. I am here in the lab a lot, but my work has been somewhat paying off because I've got preliminary results! Yay! Group meetings and developmental biology seminars are still sometimes difficult to follow when they contain too much genetics or jargon I don't know yet. But as far as the work I do, everything is so far so good!

I have done much less exploring of the city since my first two weeks being here because all of my time has been sequestered by research. I still try to meet up with some friends once a week to have dinner or lunch on the weekends to catch up.

In other news, one of my best friends growing up, Sherri, just got engaged to her boyfriend of 13 years!!! They've been dating since they were freshmen in high school at Silver Creek! I am so.so.so.soooo excited and sooooo happy for them! Sher and I still have a great friendship after knowing each other for almost 16 years now. No matter how long we could go without talking, once we get together again, it's like no time has passed. Consider yourself lucky if you have at least one friend like that. Luckily for me, I have a handful and Sherri is one of them. Sher and Rhalph are two of the kindest, most caring, most positive souls in the world and I couldn't be happier for any couple. Sher and I have already started texting pictures of wedding dresses back and forth. Looking forward to Summer 2013!! Wedding expos and dress shopping, here we come! One of my other good friends, Whitney, and her boyfriend of about 10 years are getting married in 2 weeks! I am a bridesmaid and awfully excited about that too. Then, in August, I will be attending the wedding of two other good friends Huy and Gina. Then, in October, it's Amanda and Jonathan's turn in Madison, WI! Kelly and Dave will be getting married on July 7, but unfortunately, I won't be able to make it. Either way, it's gonna be a very joyous few months coming up that I will get to witness!

I just wanna say that I am so happy for all my friends who know that they're with the right one for them, and tying the knot. Marriage is such a long term decision...this is the person who you will share and RAISE CHILDREN with, share your finances, a mortgage, families, etc...I commend you all. I do believe that you will just know when someone is the perfect person for you to share the rest of your life with and for you to create beautiful memories with. In the past, I always had doubts at the back of my mind, sometimes they were small, sometimes they were big enough to take me down, and that's how I just knew that he was not the right one for me. It's not easy breaking the heart of someone who has never done anything wrong. I've done so much thinking and reflection the last few months and I think I know now how true, passionate, inconvenient, serendipitous, unconditional love should be. When push comes to shove, I believe that I should want to sacrifice everything I have to be with that person, to make them happy, to make them feel wanted, loved, and appreciated, without any resentment or any desire to look back. I believe that when it is the right person, I would turn my world upside down for him. And it wouldn't feel forced...it would feel natural. I am so happy for my friends who have found their right-one. I can't wait and I feel so honored to get to celebrate your marriage with you!

Love is definitely on my mind tonight...it's almost 11 pm, time to head back to the Outer Sunset. Goodnight. Hope to update again in less than a month.

My favorite flowers are in bloom :)

Clay Walker - I'd Love To Be Your Last

My 7 mile walk

...through the woods and up a mountain for some breathtaking views of the ocean. On the way, I got to see wild orchids for the first time, and a banana slug after almost 20 years.

Northern California coast

wild mustards

Beautiful day for a walk in the woods

Waterfall

Pretty spring flowers all along the way

First sight of the ocean

Indian paintbrushes lined the path

Oak branches

First sighting of the wild orchids in bloom!

I dare you to take a bite.

Orchids sprouting up from the ground.

Hello, sir banana slug.

Sap.

A walk in the meadow with the ocean in the background

I think that lagoon might be Pt. Reyes.

Lupines.

Eagle? Hawk?

Sucks.

Couldn't ask for a more beautiful day for a hike.

This hike started down at Stinson Beach through Matt Davis, Steep Ravine, and then DipSea trails. They connect to make a wonderful 7 mile, 4 hour (moderately difficult) walk in the woods, a meadow, and on the side of Mt. Tamalpais. Click here if you're interested in doing it yourself.

Carrie Underwood - Do You Think About Me

My attempt at "baking"

Here's a picture blog post of my attempt at making a red velvet cake and a Canadian classic "icebox pudding."

Putting my kitchen to use for the very first time!

Started with preparing the batter for the velvet cake...clumpy.

Okay, this is starting to look right...

Getting closer with that food coloring and cocoa...

Yeahhh!!! We're getting there! Pop it into the oven.

While the cake was baking, I worked on the icebox pudding...and found out that I'm quite good at separating egg white and yolk (a critical step to a successful icebox pudding)!

Whipped egg white (making meringue can't be much harder than this, right?)

Lots of citrus for the pudding

Combined the whipped yolk (with sugar), whipped egg white, and citrus juice. Hm, looks like I forgot to get the cream...

Red velvet cake success!

Icebox pudding...had to be frozen overnight.

The final product. Happy early birthday :)

P.S. The whipped cream is a critical component to the icebox pudding. Guess I dropped the ball on that one!

My walk on the beach

So much for a day of unpacking, and working on my paper today. It's a gorgeous day in San Francisco, and it's actually HOT in the Outer Sunset --a rarity I could not pass up by sitting in my apartment. So I crossed the street and went on a walk with my camera. Gotta love my front yard.

The Great Highway

My apartment complex is the taller one next to the building with the red roof.

Spring flowers on the pathway.

Hello, ocean.

Pretty pebbles and the sand pattern they make. 

Pretty.

More prettiness.

Crowded beach.

People enjoying a beautiful Saturday in the city.

Yes, I really liked the pebbles.

This couple actually asked me to send them this picture. I was happy. :)

So many ladybugs on the beach, this one found nice place on my sandals.

I like the sun.

"Hey! Can you take our picture??" Incredible how many people asked me to take pictures of them today.

Okay, time to get some work done around here.