Favourite Food Item: Pasadena Salad

The chefs at Trader Joes are amazing. I secretly want to be them. Now we all know there are a plethora of amazing little delicacies there. The tomato basil hummus, the potstickers, the scones... but I just discovered a new salad they prepare. It's called the Pasadena Salad. Now I'm already addicted to various other salads they have- the southwest and salmon salad- but THIS IS AMAZING. I'm not even going to give you a description. Just buy one and try it. "I know you'll love it"- you've got mail

March 19th.

It's been awhile. A busy quarter equates to very little free time- but oddly enough in a good way. It makes me realize how I really spend my time outside of class or work or yoga. Suddenly I'm immensely efficient at what I do in school. Hm. Too bad this lesson what learned around the approach of my last quarter.
So I was thinking yesterday whilst booking my last nights of accommodation in Costa Rica for (Can I scarcely believe it?!?) our trip NEXT WEEK! when I realized that last year on the exact same day I was flying to Paris. An absolutely mind boggling fact to me, though probably scarcely interesting to anyone else. I wonder if this should become a tradition? The only problem is that that day is my Da's birthday. It just made me sit and be immensely proud of myself for a moment. Yes this is all a blessing to have traveled to so many places, but most of it is sheer drive and will to go out and do it. I'm very happy to push myself in this regard. Sure, it's intimidating to go to a foreign country, but the rewards far surpass those hestitances, don't you think? It's interesting how it costs relatively little to fly to another country. It's simply a few meals out to eat that can equate to a round trip ticket. And so I'm glad I just go. I'm especially most grateful for the people who have a similar passion for travel and encourage me (or go with me!)

Santa Cruz

I love this year here. It's been an immense year of growth for me. I've come to truly love this place I live in, and I think it took some pretty immense disorientation to do so. I think I had to come to experience the city in my own right, doing things by myself before embracing its eccentricities. My mum asked me if it is a strange thought that I won't come back after I graduate in June. At first I said yes, absolutely- that it would be weird to never be in this town after living here almost four years. But I think, after some reflection, it won't be altogether odd. I'll miss elements of it (such as the sunsets pictured above on a random walk), but I feel I came to know this city and to grow in it exponentially. I will definitely take a lot away from it, including lifelong friends, but I realize it is not so very different from my life in Lancaster, U.K. which I left for good as well. It feels most like a chapter concluding. The time was just enough. It's okay with me to have these chapters, I think. To fragment my life into places I inhabited where I met certain people. I realize I wouldn't change a thing about the path I had here... and it was a time I'll have grown probably the most in my life, but now I am extremely confident in me, and the path of life I lead.

my plant.

this little guy is growing very slowly but the colors are starting to change. yay for sunshine. gosh this makes me want to garden.

PS-Lindsay! Why have we not named our plants yet?

Um, these are amazing.

These are a Dutch wafer cookie called Stroopwafels, but they are filled with caramel. You have NO idea how delicious they are. Or addictive. I warn you now that you may eat a whole bag in two sittings (or less!). You can get them at Trader Joes and they are called Daelmans Caramel Bites. Don't think that it would be better if you never try them... you need these bits of heaven in your life.

Coeur de Pirate

Prague, Czech Republic
I adore this song/artist. She is a very young songstress from Montreal, and she reminds me of a lot of people like Regina Spektor, and Ingrid Michaelson (lots of piano), but with a more delicate sound... and in French.

Also, this song evokes a lot of memories from my travels- here are some of pictures:

Berlin, Germany

Kildare County, Ireland

Warwick, United Kingdom

Warwick, United Kingdom

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

I realize thus far in February, I've unconsciously been making posts only about things and people that I love... so we're just going to be continuing that for the duration of this month.

I know it's a week into the month already, but I love people immensely. I think it's tremendously easy to be disappointed with humans when we look at the news and occurrences in our life... but on the whole think how blessed we have been. Think how many smiles you have had, how many stomach-cramping laughs. Think of the love you've given and received. Suddenly it is incredibly contradictory to lose hope in humanity. So while I know it's a week into a short month, (and also that it's tremendously overused as a month of love, but why not celebrate the people that make us happy?) happy February.