Graduation Goggles

"Graduation goggles is the nostalgic feeling one has about a time or someone in their life when it is about to end, even if the time was completely miserable." -How I Met Your Mother Wiki

Sweeping declaration: How I Met Your Mother IS the show of our generation.  It is just SO relate-able!  There have been more than a handful of times when I have felt that the show is portraying events that have happened in my life or could be applied to situations in my life.  This is no mere TV sitcom my friends, this is a guide for living life in your mid 20s-30s.  Sometimes a "what to do", and sometimes a "what not to do".  From "nothing good happens after 2AM" to "the mermaid effect" life lessons abound in HIMYM.

Today, we focus on the concept of "Graduation Goggles," defined above. And per HIMYM, it looks a little something like this:



Click here if the video doesn't show... sorry...

 Lately, I have been having Graduation Googgles ALLLLL over Santa Monica.  And honestly, I would not describe my time here as completely miserable (not even close), but there have been frustrating and difficult circumstances. For example, LA traffic, something I have complained bitterly about in the past, had me nostalgic the other day.  I was exiting the 10 on to Lincoln after work and was stopped on the exit ramp in a line of cars.  Right outside my window was the "Welcome to Santa Monica" sign, and as I sat there looking at it, Sarah McLachlan began playing in my head to accompany a sepia toned slide show of the good times in Santa Monica. Riding bikes down the beach, drinking wine with friends, splashing in the ocean after midnight, gatherings on my back patio... all interrupted by honking when I failed to see that I could move forward.  Whoops.

The marine layer has made me nostalgic lately as well.  Which is truly bizarre because this weather phenomena occurs in San Diego as well.  My June has not seemed so gloomy, despite a lack of morning sunshine.  It appears that I have made my peace with the gloom, possibly because after enduring a tropical storm in NYC at Kendall's graduation, I realized that a cloudy sky with no rain is pretty great in comparison.

And graduation goggles for my job?  Not so much honestly.  Maybe that will happen in these next few weeks?  Who knows.

Anyway, my point is that my time here in Santa Monica/Los Angeles is winding down, and perhaps my biggest disappointment is my LA Bucket List.  Whenever I am about to move or leave a place that I have been for a good portion of time, I like to make a bucket list of things to do in order to maximize my time.  I actually started this tradition when I was studying abroad in Australia. It was a wonderful tool, because in my last 1-2 months in Sydney, anytime I found myself in my room with nothing to do, I would pick something off the list and have a mini-adventure.  The bucket list I made for LA is simple and relatively short.  As I have stated before, I feel like I have most of the things I wanted to so since moving here. Regardless, here it is...

The next chapter...

As I alluded in my last post, it's time for a new adventure. And of course I have had something in the works, but, ya know, don't count your chickens before they hatch.  However, today the chickens hatched and I accepted an official offer to work at the Navy Medical Center in San Diego!  I'll be starting my new job on July 15th, and I will be providing all the genetic counseling for the entire hospital from my wonderful office complete with a table and chairs for guests!  I will be losing all the research time that I have at my current job, but I will be gaining a TON of clinic time with patients, which is my favorite part of my job anyway. I could not be more excited for this challenge and for a move to a new city that should be a bit more my speed than LA. 

So tonight, I skipped yoga and am indulging in two of my favorite things, champagne and red velvet cake. I believe in celebrating our victories in life, small or large. And after getting the tentative job offer back at the very beginning of April, I am ready to finally get excited and share the news!

 

 

As I gear up to head a little bit further South, I will have an LA bucket list to check off and plenty of moving action to share.  So here we go, let the next chapter commence!

 

 

Thrill Seeking

In my opinion, a little adventure is a necessary part of life. Wikipedia defines an adventure as : "an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome." Without a sense of adventure life can get boring, mundane, predictable.  A little bit of adrenaline is good for the soul.  It keeps you on your toes.  It keeps you truly living.

That said, there are many ways that one can have an adventure and get the thrill that they are seeking.  As for Mark, he takes the use of the term "adventure" very literally; usually translating to some sort of outdoor expedition. This is definitely an interpretation of adventure that I can get on board with and Mark and I have had lots of great adventures together: ski trips, exploring the Chanel Islands and most recently an Oregon adventure weekend of kayak clamming and waterfall hiking.

Dogs like adventure too.

 

While this type of adventure is awesome and enjoyable, personally, I like to live a life were I can relish in more "everyday adventures."  That was really the whole point of this blog, to track my new adventure of moving across the country on my own and all the sub-adventures that came along with it.  As you may have noticed, the blog has not seen a lot of activity lately.  And it's not because I haven't wanted to write, it's because nothing in my life (aside from the above Mark-ventures) has seemed particularly blog worthy.  What once used to be my LA adventure has become standard. Predictable. Low risk.  The opposite of the Wiki definition above...

Now I know what you are thinking, "Girl!  Get your booty out and do something!  You live in the second biggest city in the nation!"  Sure.  Makes sense.  The real issue is, that I don't want to. Though a bit mundane, I'm content going to the same restaurants with the same friends. Settling into a routine of yoga, hiking, and beach biking.  Sure there are more things I have yet to do in LA, but now that I really understand the whole "LA scene" they don't seem as exciting or unpredictable.  I like my Santa Monica bubble and I prefer to live life repeating things I enjoy instead of experiencing things I'm not really into just to say I've done it.  Lately, my biggest adventures have been in my kitchen which, while enjoyable, are truly safe and thrill less for anyone but me. But if you are interested, you can check out my monthly featured recipes for Cosmo's Spicy Ranch here.

So, where do we go from here?  Is the blog dead? Have I transformed from an active, outgoing, adventure seeker to a passive yogi with a food and wine fetish?  Not a chance (but I do love yoga, food, and wine).  Even though I'm loving my life and routine in Santa Monica, I would be lying if I said I wasn't restless.  I am.  And after having my first Kardashian sighting and feeling my first earthquake in the past month (both more underwhelming then I thought they would be, hence why they do not have their own blog posts) I feel like my LA to-do list is about done.  Or that I'm at least done with it, I'm there. I'm settled. This place is no longer foreign and unique. And once I've completed one challenge, I need to find another.  I thrive off taking risks, embarking on new challenges, and enjoying the ride along the way. So, I guess what I'm saying is that I'm ready for a new adventure. A big one.  Stay tuned folks, I promise it's about to get good :)

My Life as a Nomad

I have many positive associations with multicolored nylon fabrics fashioned into large structures. Also known as tents.

Circus Tents 

Who doesn't love the circus?  Unless you have a huge fear of clowns or had a bad experience as a child, I think that any excuse to watch animals and eat nachos and cotton candy under the big top is a win.

Camping Tents

I grew up camping. My sister and I had Mickey Mouse tent that we would set up in our basement to play in and later a small purple one. Sometimes we went on family camping trips and occasionally we would go crazy and pitch it in the back yard!  I think there was one summer when I spent a whole week sleeping out in the tent. And then in high school, camping became a great excuse to have uni-sex sleepovers! Oh, and s'mores.

Parachute Tents

This is probably my favorite association. I LOVED to play with the parachute as a child. Probably for longer than I should have enjoyed it. I loved to play popcorn (were you throw balls in the middle and toss them around) and I always wanted to jump in the middle and get tossed around too.  I realize now that would not work so well... anyways, my second favorite part was when you lift the parachute up really high and then duck under and sit on the edge- creating a large tent with a hole in the top where you can see the sky.  And then is slowly starts to deflate around you... totally safe...

With all these positive tent associations it is regrettable that I now have a negative association to share.  See, when you get the news that your house is being tented, it does not mean that you get animals, s'mores, or hours of tactile play time (unfortunately).  It means that there are termites in the building and that you are being kicked out for two days while they cover the building (in a pretty tent!) and fumigate with poisonous gas. (Yep, I looked it up.  When they assure me that the gas is not water soluble, I immediately become curious as to its other properties... *cough* Chem nerd *cough*)

 

 

 

And for those of you that are unfamiliar, this is what my complex normally looks like...

 

 

 

The Elephant in the Room...

So there is one VERY obvious difference between LA and the Midwest that I have avoided talking about for quite some time now. Not because it doesn't come into play in my life nearly everyday, but simply because acknowledging it, especially so publicly, makes it real. And having this become real puts me at risk for being uncomfortable and possibly feeling bad about myself. However, the point of this blog is to be open, honest, and push myself; embracing change and new experiences. So, in that spirit, it's time for me to admit that when I go almost anywhere in LA, I become the elephant in the room.  Like, literally the largest person in a sea of toothpicks.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not think I'm fat.  You may think I'm fat, and that's fine, you are entitled to your opinion. I am also not writing this for sympathy or reassurance.  I am not fishing for complements.  I'm trying to broach a topic that plagues FAR TOO MANY women today with some honesty and humor. Hopefully it will at least make someone smile; at best I would love to help someone feel like they aren't so alone when they are sitting on a bench outside of a store that makes seemingly child-sized clothes, waiting for their friends.  Also, for those of you that have never met me in person, I am 6 feet tall. End scene.

Ahem, back to my original point. Seriously.  I'm not kidding. Most days it feels like this:

 Buuuttt some days it feels like this:

I'm swear I'm not exaggerating either. I have never bumped into so many things with my ass when just trying to walk through a place; tables, clothes racks, bar stools, the occasional person in yoga class... it is pretty obvious that the businesses of this city are not planning for people of my stature and girth as their clientele.

"Arctic Blast"

Yeah... so it's "cold" here in LA.  I'm not gonna lie, this is the coldest I have been since I moved here, but I'm not about to break out my parka and my gloves.  And it's extremely comical to see how everyone here is reacting:

 

Again, I'm not going to pretend I'm warm, but I certainly know how to handle a night where the temps drop to the 30s. I think that weather is one of the cultural phenomena here that is most interesting to me.  Any deviation for the standard 70 degrees is thought to be "so hot" or "so cold."  What is really funny is that I have never been able to feel the difference in a few degrees as much as I have since I have lived here.  70 and 75 degrees feel different to me out here. Anywhere else, the difference would be pretty moot. But out here, you get used to the relative lack of weather, seasons, and significant temperature changes.  A deviation from the norm can be a huge difference. In the Midwest  Colorado, almost everywhere else I've lived, deviation is the norm.

Though I can admit to feeling chilly in our mild temperature drop, one thing I'm not going to do is act like this is the end of the world. Yes, the temperatures are annoying and, quite frankly, my house is not insulated for weather like this. But, it is a little refreshing to snuggle up with a few extra blankets and feel the brisk air on my skin.  Also, the "cold snap" is a good reminder of how wonderful the weather is here most of the time. When things are too perfect, sometimes it's hard to appreciate it. In Chicago, everyone in the city was outside on the nice days, taking advantage of weather and enjoying it. Here, perfection is the expectation, and nice day can easily be brushed off as another is soon to follow. I hope if anything, our "freezing temps" can serve to remind LA residents how good they have it.  In the meantime, I am going to continue to laugh at everyone that dresses the way I would dress when the temperatures drop into the 'teens.  It is really unnecessary, and the day I "get soft" and ask for a parka in this weather is the day I need to move.  For sure.

Fa La LA-LA Land

Last night, as I drove home from work and up the Lincoln exit ramp off the 10, I noticed a a panhandler, which is pretty typical.  What was atypical was the sign he was holding. It was small and said simply, "Love."  It made me smile and almost give him a dollar.  Almost. I learned in St. Louis that you don't open your car to people on the street... anyway... the point I am actually trying to make is that his sign felt like a perfect way to sum up the holiday season that has just come to a close.

I've officially been in LA for over a year and it's crazy to think about how far I have come in that time. A year ago, I was lamenting the warm, snowless December and trying to navigate my new life.  This year, I was fully embracing the holiday spirit in my new home:

I found a more appropriate place to hang my stocking

I upgraded my tree from last year

And I even added a touch of Mistletoe

 I also embraced typical winter activities with a LA twist, like ice skating in 60 degree weather:

I tried (and kinda failed at...) some new holiday baking ideas:

It was too hard to frost his face...

And I enjoyed a winter bike ride that could only take place in LA:


Manhattan Beach Pier with Christmas Lights

Mental gymnastics.

I've been struggling with yoga lately. It's definitely my preferred workout of choice, but I'm just not getting out of it what I used to.  I was initially so drawn to yoga because I felt like it did a lot for both my mental and physical health, but recently, going to yoga has seemed like more of an obligation and has felt more stressful to me than relaxing. Probably because I have been so crazy busy this fall... but despite that, I have been trying to sprinkle in some other ways to maintain both my mental and physical health. Here is a look at how I have been trying to keep a balance over the last few months and find time to enjoy the fall (which apparently means random 90 degree days in November here...).

MENTAL HEALTH: Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
As we speak, I am sitting on the couch drinking a glass of wine. And I skipped yoga today. It was rainy, chilly, and I was in a bad mood. The traffic getting to yoga and parking would have been terrible and I wanted nothing more than to feel cozy and cook some comfort food. Shocking I know, that cooking and eating mac and cheese relaxes me. But I needed it tonight. There is just something about dancing around your kitchen, listening to music, and making-up an ingenious culinary creation.  That's right, totally made this up and I am super proud of it.  (The recipe is at the bottom of the blog post for those who are interested.) Then of course, putting on fuzzy socks and eating a bowl of the stuff is pretty divine too.

PHYSICAL HEALTH: Heroes of Hope 5K
As many of you probably know from Facebook, I ran a 5k last Sunday with some girls from my sorority Alumni group to benefit brain tumor research. It was a great day to run on the beach, a bit warm, but really beautiful. This was actually quite a big accomplishment for me. Since breaking my ankle 4 years ago and getting hardware to repair it, I have really struggled to run like I used to. I have had a lot of problems with leg pain and sciatica and have been really frustrated and annoyed with myself and my body.  It was really great to balance running with yoga to train for this and I really focused on not pushing myself too hard, too fast (my main problem post-new ankle). I'm proud to say that I ran the entire 5k in 29:16. My goal was to run it in 30 minutes, so I was spot on. The best part is that I feel great and more pain free than I have felt after running in a really long time.  And all of my wonder friends and family almost doubled my fundraising goal for the race. THANK YOU to everyone that donated.  It means so much to me and of course to those who will benefit from the research that is being funded at all the major hospitals in the LA area.

This adolescent bear is quite proud of me.

LA and I make amends...

So, after getting in a bit of a fight with Los Angeles, I spent sometime getting back to one of the things that made me excited about this city in the first place, nature. Being active and outside has always been somewhat of a reset button for me and a reset was definitely necessary these past few weeks.  I've been traveling a lot lately and I haven't had much time to relax. Any time that I have had in LA has been short and spent trying to cram in friends and events.  Without time to recharge, it's easy to get frustrated. Fortunately, between all of my trips and traveling, I was able to spend some time with nature.

A few weeks ago, my friend Carrie invited me to join a girl she knows from college and her friends to go hiking in Malibu. I've been hiking in Malibu many times, but I had never heard of these so called "moon pools" that we were going to see.  After a bit of a slow start, we made our way up PCH and up into Malibu Creek State Park.

Aside from being an absolutely gorgeous place to spend the day, the park has also been used to film many movies and tv shows, as part of it used to be owned by 20th Century Fox. One of the most well known things to be filmed in the park is the tv show M*A*S*H, and you can actually do a hike to the filming site.

M*A*S*H Site hike from Feb 2012

Dear LA Cab Drivers:

First of all, and with all due respect, SUCK IT! $10 minimum on a credit card? Forgive me for not tipping, but sorry I'm not sorry. The duration of my ride was less than a mile ($4.25 on the meter), get over yourselves. I know this crap flies here because "everyone drives" but frankly, I am sick of paying the financial punishment for being responsible or trying to find a safe way home (aka: not with a drive with someone who has been drinking or not walking alone). Here is a tip, EVOLVE!  New York and Chicago both have standardized cabs with regulated fares and credit card machines stationed in the back of every cab. Hell, St. Louis is more accessible and accommodating when it comes to cabs!  News flash: there is no minimum credit card payment in the actual cities of America, they allow you to pay for your actual fare with a credit card like civilized human beings. LA gets away with murder here because they can. I personally, cannot believe that that people here don't realize how disadvantaged they are with the entire transportation system. Seriously. Second biggest city in the country? Step up. I am continuously penalized for choosing to NOT drive my car. I choose to drive to LAX because it is cheaper and more cost effective than taking a shuttle or cab. I ALWAYS took the train in Chicago because was cheaper and more cost effective for me, not to mention better for the environment and at some points, a time saver.  Health conscious?  Environmentally friendly?  Seriously?!?!  Get over yourself LA. You have the worst public transportation of any city I have ever been in. Right now, I'm calling poser. So many people here have good intentions and noble, organic ideas of how to live life, but there is an underlying current of money and corruption that dominates. I'm sick of it. I have pretty much caved to a lifestyle that involves not leaving Santa Monica to try and not be exploited and I still loose. People of LA- demand more.  This is crap. Your services her are overpriced and under-functional. It is not ok. I even hesitate to call LA a city. I have for a while. This is a sprawling metropolis of bullshit. Talking it up doesn't make the shortcomings disappear. And tolerating it perpetuates the problem. Believe me, I want to love LA, but these "nuances" are making it difficult...

and stupid and elitist...

Cheese and Wine

Sunset and cocktails the top of the Shangri-la on my birthday

Oy, once again, time has gotten the best of me and I find myself weeks behind in my blogging  with several post ideas to write.  In my defense, I have been crazy busy- July was packed with visitors, trips, and my 27th birthday. I have not, and will not, have a free weekend until the end of September.  I'm not complaining, but this schedule leaves very little time for retelling all the action packed fun. In order to ease my burden, I'm using this post to kill two birds with one stone by combining two of my favorite July events which happen to feature two of my favorite things in the world: Cheese and Wine.

The cheese comes in my favorite form; mac and cheese. This year, my birthday party was a mac and cheese tasting hosted by my friend Danielle at her apartment. Guests were asked to bring a variety of mac and cheese to share and everyone at the party tasted the dishes and voted on their favorite.  I felt like a very lucky girl as many of my friends, new and old, showed up with various combinations of cheese and noodles. Even Joni and Sean made the trip up from San Diego!

My creation, Chorizo Mac and Cheese, surrounded by all of the
delicious contributions of my party guests.
Pure heaven.

Though everything was absolutely delicious, in the end, there could only be one winner...

Dreams DO come true!

This weekend I reached an epic milestone in not only my LA life, but my entire life as a whole.

I

FINALLY

used the Cupcake ATM!!!

If it were possible, I would be hugging the machine...

And my wonderful friend Emily was in town to share my special day with me.  After a weekend of fun, sun (perhaps a little too much...), and some quality time with one of my favorite college friends, we decided it was only appropriate to finish with dessert.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, and since I do not have the words to justly describe my epic experience, please enjoy the following picture montage of my fourth attempt at cashing in some dough.

Off the Wagon...

Hi. I'm Taylor, and I'm a Target-holic. The last time I had shopped was in December back in Iowa.  It was a quick trip, very under control.  My sister and I were putting some finishing touches on Christmas gifts. I didn't really choose to stop shopping at Target, it just kinda happened. See, there is no Target in Santa Monica. There is no Target in Venice, West LA, Marina Del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Westwood, Beverly Hills... there is no Target that is remotely close to me and my job.  It is one of the top things that I dislike about living here.

The closest Targets are in Culver City, there are allegedly 3 of them (selfish hoarders) according to Google maps though I can only account for two in my mind. Distance wise, Culver City is not far from me, but it requires a trip on either the 405 freeway or the 10 freeway and during peak hours, this is a nightmare.  I could plan to go on a Saturday morning or something, but I usually end up sleeping in, going to yoga, and enjoying relaxing and fun weekend time in Santa Monica.

So, due to distance and travel time, my relationship with Target had to end.  It's been a challenge for sure, but I've figured out where to buy things that I would usually get at Target around Santa Monica. The combination of the grocery store, Walgreen's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and the hardware store pretty much take care of it.  Four stops in a day can be super annoying, but it's better than the 405 at rush hour.

After semi-making peace with my Target-free life, I saw an opportunity yesterday, and I took full advantage.  Yesterday, my boss, one of our research assistants and I went down to the San Diego VA to hold a focus group and collect data for our new research project.  My boss lives south of me in Manhattan Beach, so we met at her house and went to San Diego from there. On the way back, it struck me. I was away from the Westside, and making my way home would be the perfect opportunity to shop at Target.  My excitement turned to elation when my boss informed me that there was a Target right in Manhattan Beach. Boom. Game on.

PaulSale's Corner: I majored in Tacos...

In honor of Father's Day, I bring you another tale from PaulSale. Some of you may have heard this one already from my sister, but I think it is worth being shared again.  Happy Father's Day to a man who is proud of all we do...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: PaulSale
Date: May 24, 2012 3:23:59 PM EDT
To: Kendall Sale
Cc: Taylor Sale
Subject: Letters after Taylor's Name?

Kendall,

Note the letters that are after Taylor’s name now when she sends an email from the VA.  One of them is CGC.  Isn’t that what you used to like to order all the time from Taco Bell? J

Taylor J. Sale, MS, MEd, CGC

 Thanks,
Paul Sale

Dream Big: 2012 Summer Fun Goals

So far, we are just about half way through June and the gloom has been manageable.  I can only remember one or two days where the marine layer hasn't burned off and even more days where there has been no layer at all!  However, when the gloom sets in, it does make it a bit difficult to get out of bed in the morning...

Regardless, I have decided that in order to take advantage of my first summer on the West Coast (also known as my first summer that feels only moderately warmer than winter), I've set some "goals" that I would like to accomplish:.

Barcycle Ride
So last week, I was driving down Main St. in Santa Monica, and I saw this:

A Barcycle.  It's a bar on wheels that is powered by the patrons pedaling it.  I think I may have seen one of these before in Boulder (?), but that's not really the point.  The point is that I want to take part in this. In Santa Monica. This summer.  Accomplices welcome.  Nay, encouraged.

6/17/12 UPDATE: After looking into the Barcycle, we discovered that there is no alcohol allowed on board. So basically you pay $30 to ride this thing three block down Main St and go to a few bars.  Totally not worth it...


Vino, te amo.
Way back in my first post of substance, I promised that I would be enjoying wine country soon after making my way to California.  That hasn't happened yet, and I can think of no better time to take a drive up PCH to the SoCal wine regions than the summertime.  Thanks to my lovely friends, I believe this trip is already in the works.

PaulSale's Corner: Hamster Kidnap

Our first installment of PaulSale's Corner features a text message (or multimedia message I suppose) that I received from my father while I was getting ready for my best friend's wedding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PaulSale:

Two Kia Souls and zero hampsters. I think this lady kidnapped them!

Sent: May  19, 11:52 AM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He later explained in person that this lady looked creepy and suspicious.

Bring on the Gloom...

Tomorrow is June. JUNE!  I have no idea where May went.  To jog my memory and catch everyone up (since I'm sure you have all been on the edge of your seats wondering where I am...) here is a photo recap of my Magnificent May:

First stop, SAN DIEGO for Joni's Junior League fundraiser gala and some quality time with her and Sean:

Island Divine

La Jolla Glider Port

Next, off to my favorite state, COLORADO, for Ms. Krystal's  mountain wedding:

Transplant Theory: Oxen and Chameleons

Along with palm tree and fake boobs, another thing LA is full of is transplants: people who have moved to LA from other places.  People who actually grew up in LA are about as rare as snowflakes.  I've met many a transplant over the last six months and have actually started to categorize them into two groups in my mind: oxen and chameleons.  Stay with me here, it's good I promise.

Oxen are the stubborn people.  The ones who move to LA and refuse to give up their customs and traditions from their old way of life.  They are often the ones who have moved to LA for a job or a relationship, not because they actually wanted to move to LA.  They tend to pick out the negative qualities of the city and claim that it's fake, plastic, and materialistic. They refuse to let the city change them.

Chameleons are eager to blend in and become "Hollywood." They are the people who have come out to LA to try and live the California lifestyle. They often have preset ideas about how living here will change their lives, and genuinely want to embrace change and absorb what LA has to offer. They may desire fame, fortune, or something else entirely, but they see LA as they key to their success. They want the city to make them.

Now, obviously not everyone fits into one of these two categories, and quite honestly, the people I gravitate towards and all of my friends out here have a healthy mix of both animals, perhaps we call them, oxeleons. They are open-minded, up for trying new things and having adventures, yet they are grounded and confident in who they are and where they come from.  They want the city to inspire them, but not define them.

The real question I have been asking myself lately is, which animal am I??

Greener Grass

Growing up, my childhood was filled with limericks to describe the process in which Winter would morph into Spring:

 "March comes in like a lion, out like a lamb."

"April showers bring May flowers."

In California, these rhymes are essentially useless since seasons as I know them aren't really a thing here.  To me, moving to the beach meant sunny skies and warm to mild (mind you, not hot) temperatures all year round.  Over the past week, I have learned the true meaning of "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."

In the middle of last week, the forecast for the weekend was absolutely thrilling:

I know, right!?

To be fair, this did play out as predicted, however, not in Santa Monica...

Challenge accepted.

Saturday was quite a day.  James, Emma, and I had all signed up to participate in the L.A. Challenge, an urban scavenger hunt put on by Challenge Nation.  We really had no idea what we were getting into until we got started, so I'm going to allow you to have the same experience by figuring out what this whole shindig was as you read the post...

After registering and deciding on our team name, "The Wild Westsiders," Emma purchased matching team t-shirts and we read the website and gleaned that we would be wandering around Downtown LA solving clues.  Before the challenge, 5 hints to the 12 clues we would get the next day were posted on Facebook:

Yeah... this gave us no advantage at all...

So after trekking downtown on Saturday morning, we went to check in for the race/hunt/adventure thing at a delightful restaurant/bar called "Big Wang's" (really?) and got our bibs before we grabbed lunch.

When we returned to BW's we gathered 'round with the other 163 teams to receive our clues.  I stood in a circle as team captain and was handed an envelope that I had to hold out in front of me until every team had an envelope and the organizers had counted down from 10.  Then everyone ripped open the clues and ran for the teams.  Naturally, I had lost Emma and James, but fortunately they found me and we got to work on our clues:

I realize you can't read this... don't worry

We were greeted by 12 clues, 11 of which needed to be completed to finish the challenge.  All needed picture evidence to prove that we had accomplished the task.  After trying to quickly and strategically figure out the areas of Downtown that we needed to go to and what order was best, we RAN to the Staples Center.

**Disclaimer: I apologize for my extremely stupid face in ALL of the pictures.  I was trying to say in character with the clues.  In hindsight, I look really tired, sweaty, and dumb.  Enjoy!