Making Travel A Priority:

Many years ago I asked my best friend how she was able to spend New Year's in Rome, pet tigers in Thailand, and zip-line in Costa Rica... financially, that is. (You can talk like that with your best friend... I absolutely abhor when strangers feel that this is an appropriate question to ask me. I'm quite confident that you'd be appalled as well if you knew how many times this has happened.) 

Anyways, her answer has stuck with me all this time. She answered, "I make travel my priority." 

[Me in the Barcelona airport back in March.]

She went on to explain that she didn't mind that her clothes weren't great, she was content driving her Kia around town, and she didn't eat out nearly as often as many of her friends. At the time I wasn't willing to make those sacrifices, but now I feel like I know what it is she meant... 

I have one watch. (It is Michael Kors, but it's also all I'm working with.) 

I'm not saving to buy a house like almost all of my friends are doing/have done. (I have a savings account for emergencies, but it's no down payment.) 

When I want fun I lay on the beach or hike in the mountains. (It's free, people.) 

My car has dents and dings aplenty. (Bodywork is expensive!) 

I live outside LA in a smaller town. (You pay premium for a zip code here in Cali.) 

This is the honest truth of it. Stripping down the glitz and glamor of it all (although that's not really what we're accustom to here in the blogosphere). I make sacrifices for the sake of adventure and expanding my mind to new experiences. At this stage in my life, it is just fine by me!

Champagne Birthday:

Tuesday marked my twenty-sixth birthday.

At the very last minute on Monday afternoon, I proceeded to text a few friends in an attempt to get a small group to go out and celebrate with me at midnight. Those who could get out of their obligations quickly attended, and it was awesome.

The next morning, with a hazy head, the beau and I went to the Santa Monica pier for some arcade games and sea breezes.

We went a little south to Venice Beach afterwards, where we watched skateboarders at the skateboard park and walked around the vendors.

A delicious dinner in Corona Del Mar, and then we were off to Claremont for more celebratory drinks with friends.

I am rarely one for excessive indulgence these days, but this birthday hit me harder than any other had. There were so many mixed emotions felt. But alas, here I am - 26 years young - ready to move into my future, whatever it may bring! Here we go...

Ultimate Independence:

I did something quite daring yesterday...

I went to the movies. Alone.

I'd been absolutely dying to see 'Moonrise Kingdom' since the trailer was released, and yet every time I had the beau convinced to see it, our plans would somehow change, thus making it inconvenient to make a specific showtime. Having the entire day to myself yesterday while he worked, I finally opted to just take myself...

Let me first say that it was ultimately relaxing! I felt oddly nervous about the idea of saying "One ticket, please." to the cashier, but sitting in the dark with strangers to experience something was quite liberating... There was no pressure to analyze the film for discussion immediately following its ending either, so I was able to just enjoy my own thoughts and reflections during the drive home. (I also couldn't help but notice that I was far from the only solo movie-goer in attendance!)

Secondly, I could not possibly sing the praises of the film enough. It would inevitably still fall sort of everything it deserves. A truly magical piece of work for so many reasons. Possibly even Wes Anderson's best? 

(Also worth noting: I have the most intense crush on Jason Schwartzman, like, ever. He is so handsome and ultimately alluring to me! His cameo made my heart pitter-patter.) 

Birthday Wish List:

For many years I have purchased myself a birthday dress to commemorate being another year older, but a closet that is bursting at the seams needs no encouragement. These accessories are both beautiful and space efficient... 

[Nixon Spur watch. For catching flights on time or ignoring on lazy afternoons.]

[Some stylish rose-colored glasses, Ray Ban style. To see the world in a better light.]

[This pretty artwork for my loft. So as to have plenty of pink around when those glorious peonies go out of season again.]

[YSL Arty ring. To distract people from my freakishly large hands.] 

[Tory Burch Robinson Envelope Wallet. For holding all kinds of foreign currencies during my travels.]

Where In The World:

When life hands you two first-class tickets to anywhere in the world that Delta flies, the only thing left to ask is "Where to?!". 

With the exception of the airport fees (which will run a couple hundred dollars for international flights typically), these tickets were free. A very generous friend gifted us with these employee buddy passes, and I am still having trouble wrapping my head around it all, to be completely honest. 

So the great debate began... Where the heck should we go!? A few factors were immediately established: 

• In order to utilize these tickets to their utmost, the typical ticket price to this location should exceed $1,000. 
• It should be a trip that we most likely wouldn't take otherwise but would still be engaging, eye-opening, and with plenty to see/do. 
• We wanted no more than one lay-over to limit the airport fees as well as the stress. (This involved a good bit of flight path map manipulation on Delta's website to determine.)
• The dollar needed to be in exceptional standing against the local currency so we weren't spending an arm and a leg once we arrived on hotel rooms, food, activities, etc. 

We finally found a place that met all these criteria and are going in January! Waiting six months is going to kill me, but I am elated with the thought of the adventure that this trip will be for us! 

Big reveal tomorrow, but in the meantime, I'd just love to know where you would go if you were given an opportunity such as this! Do tell.

Finding A Calling:

I've been doing a lot of that self-discovery stuff as of late. Here's what I've come up with:

I am both resilient and strong. (When I want to be.) Anything that I have wanted to achieve thus far in my life I have been able to accomplish. This is an overwhelmingly powerful discovery... That I have never failed at anything that I truly wanted with all of my being. It let's me know that I could move mountains if I wanted it badly enough!

All of this being said, I have lacked a feeling of true purpose (and consequently any motivation) since moving back from the Caribbean after college. That was a huge blow to my self identity that I have been stuck on ever since. Moving to California has given me a glimpse back into my old self... The me that craved adventure above all else. The me that took action towards this goal.

I now know that I'll be able to obtain success... Once I find something that I deem worthy of pouring all of my energy towards. And now that I'm open to finding this "calling", I know that it is only a matter of time before I discover exactly what that is and can begin working towards it. Most importantly though, I feel like I am mentally prepared for it when I do happen to stumble upon it.

Did you hear that, world? Bring it.

Birthday Wanderlust:

With my champagne birthday fast approaching, I am already beginning to throw around a few ideas for the ultimate celebration. I am not the type to throw myself a big party or go to a club; I would much rather go somewhere memorable. Here are a few locations that I'm dreaming of turning 26 in:

Charleston, South Carolina

[All photos from the ultimate source for Charleston inspiration, Everyday Musings.]

We could lay in the sun and sand, shop the darling boutiques, eat fabulous food for each and every meal, and I could soak in the Southern charm that I've been pretty homesick for since moving to SoCal.

Miami, Florida 

[Photos from Hotels.com.]

We could work on our tan in white sands, eat Cuban food all day, and enjoy the opulence of the city. 

San Jose Cabo, Mexico

[Photos from here and here.]

Just east of the more well-known Cabo San Lucas,  this town is likely to be considerably less touristy with all of the same beauty that the Baja coast is known for! Added bonus being that I would get to add another country to my growing list.

...

Are you noticing a trend? Beaches. Even if we just spend a few days down in San Diego, I would really just love to lay around in the sand or next to an opulent pool. That is what summertime birthdays are for, no?

Hair Care:

I have been way overdue for a hair appointment, so Tuesday I went and got a cut/color from Levi (Jasmine's hubby)! I am still growing out the length, so nothing drastic went on there, and my main objective with coloring is to have something that is easy to maintain (i.e. doesn't look awful when it begins growing out) but adds some dynamics to my somewhat dull natural color. It did seem that the Biotin I have been taking helped with some additional growth since my last visit to Levi, which was exciting! 

A little darker and a whole lot healthier...

[Excuse the iPhone self-portrait, we are getting a new camera next week! Hooray!]

I've also been doing some professional whitening on my teeth, which has made me so much more confident in my smile! It really is a great feeling!

Funderemployment:

If you've read my About Me then you already know that I have an undergraduate degree yet am currently working as a bartender. This often baffles people to no end. 

"Why, oh why would you be wasting your degree like this!?" ...Thank you for telling me that I am wasting my life without even knowing me, sir. 

"Don't you want to be a teacher or something?" ...Because chasing after snotty children and grading finger-paintings 60+ hours a week for meager wages is high on my list of desirable professions. Nope, it's not.  

[Photo of our beer taps at the bar I currently work at.]

Truth is, I love my job. I make good money, it is always interesting, and best of all? My schedule is incredibly flexible to allow for what I really want to be doing with my life at the tender age of 25: travel! I understand that this is not a good long-term plan I've got here, but I am purposefully underemployed for the sake of ::gasp:: fun. Since I don't necessarily need to find a profession at this point in my life, I'd honestly rather just not. Irresponsible? Maybe. But it grants me the ability to utilize my youth to it's fullest extent which, to me, is priceless.

Naturally, as my situation changes, I will adapt and transition into a professional field... I'm just not even sure what it is that I want to do yet, to be honest! For now though, I'll enjoy being funderemployed and that's alright by me!

Meet Betty Lou:

I am no car enthusiast, but my boyfriend possesses quite possibly the most exquisite vehicle I have ever laid my eyes upon, which only makes me love him all the more to be honest. What's even more endearing is the name that he gave her: Betty Lou. She doesn't currently run, but there are plans to put her back on the road in the very near future with newer Mercedes parts under the hood!

We pulled her out of the garage on one sunny afternoon, so I decided to take a little video in front of our house. Take a gander!

1966 in all its glory, no? I absolutely cannot wait to drive her down the road in a sundress with all of the windows down! 

Camera Collection:

Like my developing perfume collection, I have recently decided to accumulate cameras as well. I have every intention of scouring France during our trip for a lovely new addition, but in the meantime, here are my meager beginnings: 

[Most bloggers are familiar with the Lomography Diana Dreamer. She can be so beautifully unpredictable at times, and her mint green color is just adorable. Can be bought here.] 

 [Joey's old film Canon that still works. I have yet to test this guy out yet though!]

[We found this guy at my favorite vintage store in Athens, Georgia over the holidays. It is the real version of the Instagram logo! I've been dying to use him, but the Polaroid film I have for my One600 doesn't fit it, so I need to order the correct size from the Impossible Project.]

Fresh Fragrances:

Some time before Christmas I arbitrarily came to the conclusion that I wanted to start building a perfume collection. Because what's more opulent than a wide array of pretty bottles filled with lovely scents for every mood or whim? Not much.

Luckily I have an amazing auntie that helped me to realize this by gifting me with my two current fragrance obsessions over the holidays:

Viktor & Rolf "Flowerbomb" with its sweet florals and Marc Jacobs "Lola" with its more musky florals (both 3.4 oz bottles) now adorn my dresser, waiting for the perfect vanity tray to cross my path to complete the look.

What perfume have you been wearing lately? What kind of scents do you tend to gravitate towards?

Catching Up:

I keep telling myself that there is no time like the present to play catch-up with this little space I have here, and yet it feels ever so daunting. I'd love to proclaim that I am here to dive back in, confident and full of engaging content, but really I am here to stick my toe into the shallows with a cliché post that easily summarizes some recent moments in my new life... Yup, Instagrams.

[I drove Sunset Avenue, Mulholland Drive, and Santa Monica Boulevard.]

[Lily and I basked in the sunlight on her 4th birthday.]

[I enjoyed the forests and the waves of Big Bear Lake.]

[I traveled to New Hampshire during the changing foliage to see my darling family yet again.]

[I celebrated a milestone in San Diego.]

[I continued to wake up to this sweet face nearly every morning.]

[I learned roulette and craps in Las Vegas and won.]

[I rang in the New Year with two wonderful ladies that I am lucky to call "friends" here.]

It would be truly unfathomable to recap for you all of the experiences, travels, and little victories that I have had since moving to California back in May... I wouldn't even know where to begin. But know this: Things are just as they have always been, only better. 

Soapbox sidenote: Why is it that we, as bloggers, feel the need to excuse any span of absence? Why do we sheepishly ask for a reader's forgiveness for embracing the very life that we are documenting? I beg of you, put the shame on the top shelf of that closet and repurpose the indignity into pride of a life well lived, be it away from the glow of your MacBook screen.

2011:

It is the day before New Year's Eve, and I just began reflecting on the past year... Where I was 365 days ago, everything that has transpired in that time, my current mindset, and of course where I think that 2012 will take me. Better late than never, yes? Here are some highlights of that session of introspective evaluation:

Early in the year I lost my job. I was devastated at the time. I realize now that it was less of a job and more like a nasty parasite that had taken over every minute of my time, stripped me of my sanity, and then left gaping holes where it had been (which was everywhere) when all was said and done. I was professionally purposeless and monetarily broke. I spent quite some time like a wide-eyed doe that looks for the hunter around every corner, believing that in any moment she may be shot down again. I felt as if I was hanging by the smallest of threads mentally.

Since then I have slowly filled those spaces with the adventure that I have been in search of all this time. I have honed my skills of independence. I found the reward in taking a huge risk (i.e. moving clear across the country on a whim and a prayer) and have reveled in it. I abandoned my crippling anxiety and my predisposition towards hopelessness, and then I embraced content in a whole new way. I have nurtured a budding relationship into one that embodies the term "partnership" in it's truest of forms and in the process learned to love and to be loved unconditionally or without doubt, despite all of my preconceived notions.

In short, I am living life how I had always wanted.

So here's to growth, to making big changes when big changes are due, to happiness, to never settling for anything other than what you truly want, to love, and most importantly, to continuing the trend in the coming year!

[Photo of a recent trip to San Diego.]