Empowerment

Sola en la Plaza de Valencia, España

Never have I ever been afraid to do things alone - definitely one of my strengths. I'm that person you see eating dinner by themselves and maybe feel a bit awkward for them - don't! I love it. Whether it's the movies, outdoor activities, meals, or whatever, there is something peaceful in not relying on others to surround you in order to go out and do something fun (this was super helpful when I was single - maybe that's why I'm so good at it). I was so happy the other day when I visited Twin Peaks and saw other individuals making the same hike alone. Some were getting in their work out; others looks like tourists or perhaps live in the city like me.

One big thing that the company I work for pushes is empowerment. They empower each and every employee to make a special moment for one of our guests. That's the same feeling I get when I do something new and fun by myself - empowered. Maybe on a subconscious level it's soothing to know that if I somehow end up a spinster with twenty cats and no friends, I'll still go to see the latest Ryan Gosling movie or eat some fresh seafood, so at least my life wouldn't be completely monotonous.

I studied abroad in Spain for four months while in college. As most Europe study abroad ventures go, each and every weekend I found myself in a new city with the friends I made through the program. However, my absolute favorite weekend was a trip I booked for one to Valencia. I didn't have to wait for hung over people to wake up to go explore the city or have to make a group decision on which sites/restaurants/activities to see or do. I met some amazing people from England, Australia, Switzerland, and Indiana (Midwest girls need to stick together!) and had an overall amazing experience.   Sometimes the courage to travel to that foreign city, making your mother crazy worried that you're there alone, is the perfect way to make unforgettable memories :) See a few random pictures from Valencia scattered on this post.

So, I guess the point of me posting this is the following: go do something even if no one can join you! You've been waiting to try out that new wine bar, but no one has the time? Hell, go for it. Test out a running club or farmer's market; go to the movies or park or beach; visit to a cheesy tourist attraction or shopping destination. Whatever outing you've been contemplating doesn't necessarily need to wait.

I guess on a side note I should add, I'm not implying to push people away either. You can also empower yourself to make friends and invite them with you on any of your random excursions. For me, it's easy to invite people and rewarding to go do it alone. 

Citrius Club

So I love when plans sometimes don't work out and random moments have a chance to take over.  Tonight,  a friend and I were planning on attending a trivia night,  but due to a later than intended start and busy days tomorrow,  we decided to go for a late dinner instead.

Cha Cha Cha is a bar/restaurant in the Haightthat this same friend introduced me to my first few weeks in the city; they have pretty delicious Sangria. We had talked about returning for dinner,  but never made the time.  And tonight turned out not to be the time either.  Hungry girls don't want to wait 45 minutes for a table at 9pm on a Tuesday. We will try again another time!

We instead were drawn into Citrus Club - a Thai restaurant and bar across the street.  Outside definitely didn't do the inside justice.  I had passed this spicy gem up before, thinking it was the same as any walk in take out Thai place that I love in the city.  Wrong. Decent variety on their bar list, cheap prices, huge portions, and yummy spicy Thai food.  It extended much further back than expected and actually gave off a "club" feel in that it donned dim lighting and played club/hit music. We were able to easily relax, enjoy our drinks and food and catch up with each others' gossip. 

I ordered a mojito and semi-spicy Thai shrimp soup. The drink was pretty much what you would expect, but the soup was served in a gigantic (no joke - close to a half gallon) bowl. I will definitely have two days of left overs, at least.  Pictured below are what were left of our spring rolls (which were pretty standardly yummy) by the time I remembered to take a picture, but the real treat was the dipping sauce: delicious, spicy, and I'd return just to dip something in it.

Taking advantage of a sunny day

Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks

A warm, bright, sunny day in the city combined with a Monday off work provides numerous choices of how to best utilize it. Today I decided to go to Twin Peaks - standing on one while overlooking the other in the picture above. This city continually amazes me in the amount of nature it has. A short bus ride, semi-steep climb up city streets, and slightly steeper hike up the peak rewards you with beautiful views of the city on days like today. All of the city icons are visible: Golden Gate & Bay Bridges, City Hall, Golden Gate Park, downtown/Market Street, the Mission.

After taking several minutes to appreciate the beauty of San Francisco and identify the different neighborhoods as if I was looking at a map, I wandered away from the tourists to the other side. There, you can climb up and over each peak to get a view of the other side of the city, and a small work out. A couple took in the sights romantically together. The only thing that may have made it better would be wine and a picnic.

The neighborhood surrounding Twin Peaks is beautiful. The homes are large and colorful and obviously have floor to ceiling windows to take in the scenery. They make for a nice walk after leaving the hike.

I’d like to return with friends/my boyfriend. It would fun to bring lunch along and just enjoy the sunshine. Surprisingly, I didn’t see anyone with a dog, which if you are familiar with the city, they are usually everywhere. I’ll have to check if dogs are allowed and borrow a friends’ pet for a day.

Fun Cheap SF

http://sf.funcheap.com

Great site with activities occurring daily in the city. Perfect way to find a new adventure when the urge strikes.

Brief Introduction

I am from the Wisconsin - Illinois border, a farmer’s daughter. Two key factors stuck from my childhood: hard work and frequent travels. Work hard to play hard as they say ( focusing on increasing the play hard part of my life :) ).

A couple years ago, I graduated from UW Madison and found I didn’t want to use either of my degrees (Spanish & International Studies). I now work in the management side of Food & Beverage. In April of last year, I packed up and moved away from my fellow Badgers and set off to the West coast with a one way ticket and a couple of hopeful interviews. The spontaneous move panned out as I was hired and met my boyfriend on day 3 in the city. I love what SF and California in general have to offer, and as much as nostalgia hits for my family and the Midwest, I will likely spend the rest of my life here. You know, standard “I moved across the country and fell in love” story.

I feel so very blessed for the opportunities that have come my way over the past year. Last week, I as blew out candles for the 24th time, the realization dawned that it’s too easy to get caught in the day to day routine of work and relationship and I am too young to not take advantage of my surroundings. All of the events that happen daily in this city spin in circles around me - all you need to do is jump in for the ride. It’s time to jump and take advantage of today!

Ocean Beach

Go where the wind blows you :) Today it took me to ocean beach to go for a jog/walk (goal - go to the beach more). On the way, I started this blog and missed my stop. Got to jog through a part of the city (Outer Richmond) I’d never experienced. Can’t wait to go back. Asian cuisine, theater, cute cafe that had a line out the door, lots of people. Also made a nice 1 mile run to the beach allowing me to stand and lazily watch the kite serfers for a bit. Now I’m home and want Thai food :)

Day 1

I recently discovered that I am an introvert - and we all know that we live in an extroverted world. In an attempt to make myself go out into the world and experience what it has to offer on a day to day basis, I am beginning this blog to hold myself accountable.

My friend and I discussed over dinner last night how we want to take advantage of the great city we live in. So - we are out to tackle San Francisco. Our goal: 1 new place each week. Bars, hiking, theaters, farmer’s markets, tourist attractions, activities. Together or separate we share this goal.

These journies of making each day or week that much more exciting along with getting the most out of my travels will be the bulk of this blog. I will also likely document milestones in my life and accomplishments at work and in training for my first half marathon. I’ll attempt to only blog from my phone when in transit (not sure why I thought that was important). I’ll also try to be honest and candid.

I’m excited to begin :)