Bay Area Adventures: Baker Beach

When my favorite international friend Bernadette informed me that she was moving from New Zealand to Germany, I immediately realized that this meant one thing: A California stop-over!  So I convinced her to book her flights and come visit me for four days at the end of March. I was just as excited to see her, as I was to use her as an excuse to get a jump-start on my Bay Area Adventures list!

When she had lived in LA previously, Bernadette had taken a whirl-wind weekend trip up to San Francisco and did most of the touristy things - Alcatraz, Lombard Street, Ghiradelli Square, etc.  So when planning our itinerary, I asked her what she hadn't done and would like to do.  She was so polite and European about it, when she said "Well, we did all these things but it was so foggy, we didn't even get to see the Golden Gate Bridge.  So... I guess, if we could maybe see that, that would be really cool."

Luckily for her, I am still obsessed with the GGB myself and took this as the prefect opportunity to finally take some of my own touristy bridge pictures. I knew of a great place with an amazing bridge view, and with a bit of research (asking one friend who lives in the city) I learned that the place I wanted to go was called Baker Beach.  So we made Baker Beach our #1 SF stop for Bernadette's visit.

The few times I have been in San Francisco have been pretty difficult (to say the least) driving/parking experiences, and since this was literally the ONLY thing Bernadette requested, I was scared that we would make it all the way to Baker Beach only to find no parking within a 2-mile radius.  So we left extra early and took the scenic route up to San Francisco.  We got to Baker beach around 11:00 AM (had to give the fog some time to burn off) and of course, there were dozens of parking spots in the closest lot. We parked and walked along the eucalyptus-lined path, turned a corner, and saw THIS:

Taa-daaaaa!

Not even a wisp of fog!  Bernadette was beside herself, and I tried to play it cool, but I was loving it too.  Even Ronny knew how lucky we were to be seeing the bridge in all its glory on such a beautiful day, especially in March. What an amazing view of a world landmark!  I had never felt more excited to live in the bay area than I did in that moment.

So we took our shoes off and started walking along the beach, taking pictures of the majestic bridge as we walked.  And then we started looking around.  Despite the stunning view in front of us, we were surrounded by another view entirely: a decently-sized crowd of naked men.  Because, naturally, the beach with the most amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge in all of San Francisco WOULD be a nude beach. 

With naked men to our right, large families (with children!!) taking family photos to our left, and the Golden Gate Bridge in front of us, I realized then that I - and my foreign friend - were having a true San Francisco experience.  But of course, she is European and it wasn't even that big of a deal to her.

Overall, I was blown away by the view at Baker Beach.  I've seen hundreds of pictures that friends have posted of them standing in this exact spot, but seeing it in person was really special.  It was easily worth the drive, and I look forward to showing more touristy friends the beach - except this time I will warn them about all the nude men!

Please notice the naked men sunbathing

The panoramic postcard shot

Me and Bernadette in front of the GGB!

He allowed me to take one touristy picture, good thing it was the perfect one!

Bay Area Adventures: Another New List and a New Life to Go with It

In the four months that I've lived in the Bay Area, I have experienced a complete lifestyle change.  Besides being unemployed for the first two months, I have realized that I have moved to (though technically 9th largest city in the United States) the 'burbs.  San Jose is big, yes, but it is truly nothing like Los Angeles.

LA is a metropolis, and I wasn't expecting for it to be similar to San Jose.  But I guess I never realized just how busy my life was in Los Angeles.  I would go to dinner/movies/activities almost every night of the week, and then make plans to jet set somewhere on the weekends.  San Jose, though full of cultural diversity, inexpensive Asian food and more tech companies than I ever thought existed, is also much more relaxed, kid-oriented, and uneventful.

However, I have very happily and willingly traded that busy city life in for evening dog walks, The Voice marathons, and pho for dinner at least once a week. And general maturity, I guess. And though my bank account sure is grateful for this slow-down, my adventurous spirit is not.  I took a few months to settle into my new home, my new job, and my new life, and now I am ready to get back into my most favorite hobby: exploring.

With the help of my dear friend Betsy (who made me a long list of inexpensive activities for me to do once a job I had been interviewing for before I moved fell through, and I was facing unemployment) I have compiled the following list of things I want to do in the Bay Area.  I don't really have a deadline on when to finish, and I'm hoping along the way that I learn all about my new home, and share it all with you!

1. Winchester Castle
2. Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
3. Jelly Belly Factory
4. Alcatraz
5. Santa-Con
6. Walt Disney Family Museum
7. Baker Beach
8. 17-Mile Drive in Monterey
9. Ghiradelli Square
10. Coit Tower Stairs
11. The Painted Ladies
12. Angel Island
13. Mountain Winery wine tasting & concert
14. Stanford University
15. Bike the Los Gatos Creek Trail
16. Napa/Sonoma Wine Tasting
17. Oyster Shucking at Tomales Bay Oyster Co.

18. San Francisco Ice-cream pilgrimage

19.  Muir Woods State Park

20. Pacific Pinball
21. Charles Schulz Museum
22. The Gilroy Garlic Festival
23. Monterey Bay Aquarium 

30 Before 30: A Color Run

If something is advertised as the "most fun anything on Earth," I will probably try it.  So it was no surprise that when I heard of The Color Run - advertised as "the most fun 5K on Earth" - I was determined to do one.  Even though I had only moved up to the Bay Area weeks prior, I traveled back down to Los Angeles in early February to do the 2013 run with Barbara and Marsha.

One of the main reasons why I wanted to do the LA run was because it was held at my beloved Dodgers Stadium.  The course consisted of twists and turns around the huge stadium parking lot, with four different "color stations" along the way.  We would go under an arch of colored balloons (first blue, then orange, yellow and finally pink) where volunteers would then cover us from head to toe in coordinating colored powder.  It was a bit unfortunate that they started with blue and orange, as those colors ended up looking brown for the majority of the race.

Marsha was smart and brought us all red hats which not only protected our hair, but helped us spot each other in the huge crowd.  They said 10,000 runners registered for the morning race, not to mention 10,000 more for the afternoon shift.  It was a bit crazy, but lots of people got really into it with full outfits, tutus, rainbow socks, wigs, and everything in between.

For $40, it was definitely worth the experience (and the cute free shirt), but it's probably not something I will do again.  The girls and I had a blast (not to mention a little exercise!), but the process of getting clean after the fact wasn't so fun!  Barb had green-tinged hands and I had blue between my toes for days!

30 Before 30: Get my Tarot Cards Read

It's fun to be a skeptic of psychics and clairvoyants, but it's even more fun to be a believer and to be totally blown away.  I've always wanted to get my tarot cards read, just to see how close they could come to the eventual truth.

My friend Barbara and I went and got our tarot cards read the other day.  It was a last-minute decision and I didn't even prepare questions, but had a great time sitting back and hearing what the psychic had to tell me.

She gave me 5 separate readings, each of which I picked 12 random cards out of a deck of about 50.  Each time, she was excited and happy to tell me that everything in my life was super, super positive.  Lots of good things coming my way (yay!!).  She had asked me if I had moved or relocated lately (yes!) and she told me that it was the absolute best decision for me and this new location was where I belonged.  She asked if I was looking for a new job (yes!) and said she saw big success coming to me in my job search, specifically that I would find a job I LOVE at a big, industry-leader company.

She also knew I had an older brother who was a Taurus who traveled a lot and loves to fly.  Like seriously, how could she know that?!  She said that my brother looks over me and I'm lucky to have such a great relationship in my life.  Awww, thanks Broski!

I loved all the positive messages, and she even gave me pretty specific times as to when I would get a job, get engaged, and have kids.  Not that I will hold her to the dates, but I am excited to see if she's right!

With all this positive news, it was a completely wonderful experience.  The psychic said that she really enjoyed my reading because she rarely gets to deliver such positive, good news!  I'm sure I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if my future was filled with negativity or uncertainty. 

However... She also told me that if and when I decide to have kids, I will have twin boys.  Lord help me.

UPDATE:  She told me I would find a job by the end of Pisces, which ends March 20.  I was giving a job offer on March 14 and signed the papers on March 18!  She said the pay would be great (it is) and that it would be an industry-leading company (also true)!

30 Before 30: A Broadway Show

After living in Los Angeles for five years, you would assume I had seen lots and lots and lots of plays.  The sad truth is, however, I barely saw any.  I worked in Hollywood and went to lots of movie screenings, and saw some live improv theater, but never saw a Broadway-caliber production.  After seeing basically all of my friends at one time or another check-in on Facebook at this play or that theater, I became absolutely determined to see a big musical play production before I became a 30-year-old grown up. 

Being a life-long fan of South Park (it debuted when I was 11, which means it has been airing for more than half my life), when Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced they were developing a musical play called The Book of Mormon, I was intrigued.  When it won 9 Tony awards including Best Musical, I was set on seeing it. 

As part of my Christmas present, my boyfriend bought us tickets to see The Book of Mormon at the Curran Theater in San Francisco on December 29, 2012.  A day after he bought them, our $80 tickets were selling for $400 each, but since he knew how much I wanted to see it, he didn't sell them.

The theater was old and majestic, with a very intimate feel.  We sat up in the balcony but still got as good of an experience as if we were in the orchestra section.  The play was hysterical, the music was catchy, and it was overall a fancy and fun experience.  I hope we will be able to see many more Broadway-style plays in the future, and one someday actually on Broadway!

30 Before 30: A Pro NFL Football Game

The very first thing I did after finishing my Los Angeles list was promptly move from Los Angeles to the Bay Area.  It was a decision long in the making, and I'm sure that the majority of the items on my 30 Before 30 list will now have a Bay Area slant.  I've never been one to be afraid of new experiences, and look forward to all the amazing discoveries I am sure to make in the Bay Area! 

Of all the items on my new 30 Before 30 list, I'm sure seeing a pro NFL football game is the one my boyfriend was most excited to help me with.  Before I had even finalized my list, he had bought tickets to the San Francisco 49ers game vs. the Arizona Cardinals at Candlestick Park on December 30, 2012.

We tailgated beforehand with a large group of his - and now my - friends.  Fun was had by all, and since this was the last regular season game for the Niners, a win was crucial for a favorable playoffs position.  The air was buzzing with anticipation.

After a slow first quarter (not a single first down) and a few missed field goals, the Niners were able to pull it together, and beat the Cardinals 27-13.  I very much enjoyed seeing the "behind the scenes" goings-on of a football game that would have otherwise been filled with commercial breaks.  As we all know, Los Angeles hasn't had a pro team since 1995, and I am excited to be a part of a football fanbase for the first time in my life.  But don't worry, my heart still belongs (and will always belong) to the Los Angeles Dodgers!

A New List: 30 Things to Do Before I Turn 30

As my LA List has finally wrapped up, I am itching to start a new goal for myself.  My boyfriend had a great idea of making a 30 Things to Do Before he turns 30 List this year for his birthday, and he inspired me to do the same.  I tried to make the list ambitious, but also do-able, knowing that in the next 4 years before my 30th birthday I will be working a lot, trying to save money, and being a mother to this guy.

Without Further Ado:

1. Visit 4 new US cities
2. Visit 3 new states
3. Visit 2 new countries
4. See 1 Wonder of the World
5. Do a Color Run
6. Visit Yellowstone National Park
7. Donate 1 gallon of blood (that's 8 pints)
8. See a Vegas show
9. Buy a Mini Cooper
10. Go hot air ballooning
11. Go to Redwoods National Park
12. Take a Pottery class
13. Read 10 classic literature books
14. Go to Mt. Rushmore
15. Go to a pro NFL football game
16. Make a pysanka
17. Visit Yosemite
18. Go to a Broadway show
19. Get my tarot cards read
20. Ride an exotic animal
21. Donate 100 things to Goodwill
22. Visit the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve
23. Visit 5 more MLB baseball parks
24. See the Northern Lights
25. Take a glass-blowing class
26. Go on a 1,000+ mile road trip
27. See Paul McCartney in concert
28. Buy a pair of Louboutins
29. Take a watercolor painting class
30.  See a volcano, glacier or geyser in person.

It's going to be a fun four years!!