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...

 

 

 

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.

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.

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??

Gettin' Dough

I'm a big fan of cupcakes.  Big fan.  I'm one of those people for whom a completely terrible day can be totally turned around by someone handing me a red velvet cupcake. Seriously.  As intellectual as I can be, I'm really still as easily pleased as a small child.  I've earned me the nickname "The Little One" at work given that I'm the youngest and that things like my new business cards are the COOLEST thing ever even if they have my e-mail address wrong and I have to rip them from the Avery printable sheets myself. Anyway, I digress...

It's no surprise that receiving the following e-mail from my father on Sunday completely changed the focus of my week:

Sprinkles Announces 24-Hour-Cupcake Access

Maybe something that you guys should check out while Kendall is visiting.  It’s a 24 hour cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills. http://laist.com/2012/02/28/sprinkles_announces_24-hour-cupcake.php

Oh yeah, my sister is here.  That's pretty cool too, but I've had her for a little over 23 years.  A cupcake ATM is brand. spanking. new.  I'll write more about her visit later.  Right now- cupcakes.  Clearly, Ken and I made sure to jaunt over to BH on Sunday after dinner to check out the newest way to get your sugar fix.  The result:

FYI: Kendall's shirt is a brand new style
from Jill  Aiko Yee's upcoming spring line!

Yep.  The ATM was not yet up and running.  The article was extremely misleading.  And we were heartbroken, as you can probably tell by Kendall's expression.  Regardless, I began following the ATM on Facebook.  On Tuesday, the ATM updated it status and announced that it was open for business.  On Wednesday, Kendall and I again made our way to Beverly Hills after dinner to find this:

Psh.  Yeah.  Even I am not enough of a fat kid to wait in that line for a cupcake that may or may not even be fresh.  According to YouTube this is what my experience would have been like:

Chelsea Handler also had some comments about the new addition to our metropolis on her show (that I was not able to find on YouTube), namely recognizing that there are no drive-thrus in BH for a reason, the ATM is just asking for an "influx of drunk assholes" to the area and that they should really focus on a cupcake delivery service.  At this last point, my heart filled with pride and nostalgia, knowing that such a magic thing existed and that it was only in Boulder.

http://www.boulderbaked.com

Yes ladies and gentleman, Boulder,CO: Home of the Drunk Asshole has been doing delivery desserts since... well... at least since 2003 and probably for many, many years before that.  And they are fabulous.

In summary, the Cupcake ATM is exciting and seems awesome.  But like most over-hyped places in LA, there is no way that you can get near it for the time being and trying is going to be annoying as hell.  When they install one at the Jack in the Box I live next door to, life will be complete.  Mostly, I'm just bitter because I've failed at using the ATM.  Twice.  And because I drove down Rodeo Drive.  Twice.  In one week.  Wha wah.

Also, delivery deserts would be so clutch in LA and Boulder rules.

Make a list, check it twice...

Soon after I made my trek out West, Gnat gave me a list of things that would make me a true Angeleno and measure my assimilation to the Cali lifestyle.  Since receiving those items, I have accomplished getting stuck in traffic.  That's it.  It's quite clear that I belong here as much as an arctic penguin.

With that said, it's no surprise that Gnat sending me an e-mail link to 150 Things to do in LA a few weeks ago struck fear through to my very core.  I was already sucking at one list and now here was 150 more things for me to suck at.  Awesome.

Soooo... I took a deep breath and prepared to feel overwhelmed and hickish- yet determined to read the entire list and really see what I'm up against out here.  The result- pleasant surprise!  I've actually done a lot of things! And I got some great ideas for new things to try!  For the full list of 150 items, feel free to click the link above.  Otherwise, enjoy my highlights below...

Down & Derby

"Red carpet" entry into the Doll Factory

I've never seen the movie "Whip It"- but for those of you who have, Drew Barrymore apparently did her research for the film with the LA Derby Dolls.  Since I haven't seen the movie or a Roller Derby... match? jam perhaps?  contest?  I dunno what you call it...  anyway, with this being my first Roller Derby experience, I didn't really know what to expect.  I knew it was girls on roller skates and I knew that it got physical.  I guess I kinda pictured girls randomly skating around and body checking each other into walls, hockey style.

My foggy conceptions of Roller Derby were clarified on Sunday evening at "Baby Doll Brawl"- a competition for the newest LA Derby Dolls, the ladies of the Fresh Meat program who are training to make one of the 4 home teams.  The Derby Dolls are one of the few banked-tracked derby leagues in the world, most (98%) are flat track and from my research on Wikipedia, banked-track seems way cooler.  One of Steph's friends was actually competing on one of the teams under the pseudonym "Belle Scorcho."  Yeah... so one of the awesome things about derby is that the girls compete under skater names and some of them paint their faces and add some flare to their outfits.  Yep, little bit like pro wrestling, lotta bit awesome.  Speaking of awesome...

Naked Bonding

As a self-imposed condition of living alone out here, I promised that I would push myself to take advantage of social opportunities.  As an outgoing social person, you would think that would not be a tall order- however, you may be underestimating how much I like my new patio and how much I like my wine fridge.  Last night, I not only made good on my promise and hung out with a bunch of new people on my own, I also powered through a situation that was EXTREMELY out of my comfort zone with these new people and had a blast.  Let's start at the beginning...

I've known Steph since college.  She was good friends with one of my Senior year roommates, Tara and the three of us always had great fun hanging out together.  I saw Steph at Tara's wedding this summer; she had been living in LA for almost 4 year and graciously agreed to hang out with me when I moved out here.  Fast forward to last night...

All "decked" out

One of the biggest criteria I had for my new place in LA was that I wanted to have easy access to the outdoors.  Whether that was living close to the beach or having my own patio- I was determined to get something.  One of my favorite things about my Chicago apartment was our deck space.

  On the nice days, I practically lived out there.  A LOT of stuff when down on those decks:

Stay classy San Diego

I'm not good with down time.  I am, in fact, so bad with down time that when I was in Australia I got a job, joined a gym, joined a club and made multiple "To Do" lists with different places, foods, activities and events to experience in order to minimize down time and maximize... well, my Type A personality...

When I was unemployed in Chicago, I baked.  A lot.  My roommates would come home to a kitchen full of literally hundreds of savory tartlets, various vegetable salads and dessert concoctions (ya know, for balance).  Packages of treats were sent to the neighbors.  It. was. obscene.

With my California  "To Do" list at a seemingly never ending standstill I really have no choice but to embrace the down time and learn how to relax and have some fun.  Not that I don't know how to have fun.  I'm really fun.  It's just usually... scheduled fun.  Earned fun.  At it's best and most wild, it's responsible spontaneity.

Hurry up and wait...

Today is one of those days were I do everything I can to move a process forward and them am left to rely on others to finish their part before real progress is actually made.  Thank goodness it's sunny and nice here or I would be going crazy right now.  These past few months has been a total exercise in patience for me, something I am not very good at.. on with the life updates!

Out with a bang

Alright, so you know when you were a kid and you would get a new toy and play with it all day, everyday for like a week and then never again??  I find that as an adult-ish person, I still have this quality though now it mostly applies to workout plans and guys I attempt to date.  I'm also concerned that this may happen to my blog.  So my first 5 posts were all consecutive (*cough* excited child) and then followed by about 5 days of radio silence however, I feel that I have a perfectly good excuse for my lapse: playing in Chicago!

Before I head out to California, I really wanted to make one more visit to the city I love enough to consider one of my three homes (Iowa and Colorado would be the other two) and soak in all of my favorite things.  It seems logical that I should have memories of having fun, knowing my way around a place and spending time with people I love before I'm lost, confused and friendless on the coast.