By the Sea

I grew up going to Seal Beach each summer with my family. There is a certain comfort about going back to the places that used to be so familiar to you. We would spend the day splashing in the waves then when we were sunburned and tired, we would venture off to the small restaurants and boutiques with ice cream in hand. My favorite shop was this little shell store. They sold an assortment of shells, rocks, jewelry, and pretty much anything beach themed. The store was filled with a concentrated aroma of the ocean. I would always beg my mom to buy me a shell to add to my modest collection.

Today I decided to drive out to Seal Beach. It's not to far from where I am. I spent the day exploring the darling boutiques and taking in the crisp ocean air. I didn't take too many pictures which I regret but I did take a few.

Doesn't the water look so enticing?

Sailing Away.

Soaking up the last bit of summer.

Creative Inspiration

Sometimes we get an idea and let go of it. Instead of holding onto it and creating something out of it, we just brush it off. There are metaphorical landfills filled with long lost ideas that people threw away. I think that as people age, they face the harsh restrictions of reality and believe that there are limitations to everything. As a kid, we grew up thinking that the world was full of possibility and adventure. As we grow older, we are given rules to follow and goals to attain. Goals are a great thing, but sometimes we chase after goals that we don't actually want to achieve. How silly is that?

We grow up being instructed to follow rules. But, who makes these rules? I don't understand the concept of following a tradition that I have no interest in just because all of the other fish are swimming that way. I think in order to be content in life, we have to begin to break those rules and pave our own path. It is utterly useless to follow someone's path when you have a mind of your own (unless you don't then feel free to follow). Now, I'm not trying to brew up a bunch of rebellious kids set on breaking everything. I just think that it is feeble-minded to continuously live in a mediocre loop that we call "life."

I always get stuck in a cycle where I wake up, do some things, go to bed, and repeat. If I block out laziness and begin to follow the intentions of what my inner most being wants to do, then I can break out of this cycle. So, I guess my challenge for the week is to be more creative and block out any doubt or hesitation.

Dodgers Game

The bumper to bumper traffic, long lines in the parking lot, the crisp fall air, crowds of blue, and the bright stadium lights means its time for a Dodger game! And yes I can say I'm a Dodger fan without the sarcastic tone of Father John Misty featured in his Ladiesman song.  My family have been long time Dodgers fans, so when my uncle offered tickets to the game tonight, I couldn't say no! The seats were about 20 rows behind home plate so we were up close for all of the action. The Dodgers have been doing so well this season that the Monday night game was sold out which is surprising. The Dodgers ended up winning 8-1 against the Diamond Backs. I hadn't been to a Dodger game since last season. I was flooded with nostalgia because ever since I could remember, my dad would take us to the games. There is something absolutely wonderful about going to a baseball game even though the Dodger Dogs are mediocre. I hope they continue to do well the rest of the season!

Seats behind home plate.

Weekly Favorites

This is my first weekly favorites. I have included a few things I have been loving from music to movies. I hope you have a good week!

Favorite Movie:
I recently saw The Spectacular Now and loved it! One of my favorite movies is 500 Days of Summer, so when I heard the same writers (Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber) of that movie wrote The Spectacular Now I was very excited to see it. It is a coming of age story about a girl and boy in high school who are quite different from each other. The film is written and directed in a very realistic approach. I love when movies are like this because the story line seems more authentic and realistic. I highly recommend this film.

Favorite Musicians:
Ever since I attended Outside Lands in San Francisco with my friends last month, I have not stopped listening to The Tallest Man on Earth and The Head and the Heart. Both of these played at the music festival. The Head and the Heart is in my top list of all time favorites. They are the perfect blend of folk and indie music. There lyrics are beautifully written and there music style is so different. I cannot wait for their second album which will be released mid-October. I already pre-ordered it! The Tallest Man on Earth or Kristian Matsson is a musical genius. He is an incredible guitar player and has the most authentic voice. His lyrics are carefully written masterpieces. I couldn't say enough good things about him. I definitely recommend purchasing all of his albums (he is that good).

Favorite Website:
My mother showed me the website Short of the Week and I have been obsessed with it. This site shows a new short film each week. The films range from romantic comedies to dark dramas. All of them are always really well done. The best part is, the films aren't over 20 minutes so it doesn't take up too much time. Beware though, I find myself browsing through the films and waste a few hours watching a lot of short films.

Favorite Quote:
"I will tell you one thing, we ain't gonna change much. The sun still rises even in the pain. The sun still rises even through the rain."
 -The Head and the Heart, "Another Story"

Favorite Snack:
Hummus and Pita Chips from Whole Foods. It's such a easy and healthy snack. It's perfect for school because I'm at school until 7:30 P.M. so its a great snack between classes!

A Lovely Sunday

Sundays are my favorite day of the week. I always think of Sunday as the last day of the week, like most people do. I'm not sure why I love Sundays but they have always been my favorite. Since I moved, I haven't really been doing my normal Sunday routine which consisted of working (when I had a job) and being lazy all day long. I normally stay in my pajamas all day and catch up on my Netflix. Unfortunately, I have watched all of the New Girl episodes on Netflix. When will season two be uploaded?!?! I'm getting very anxious!

Today, I slept in, which is nice because I was up late last night. I read a little bit of Game of Thrones which is the current book I am reading.  It is really good thus far but I am still just at the beginning. Then I had a cup of coffee and breakfast. I also practiced my guitar. I have been practicing the basic chords a lot these past couple of days. I want to be able to play some of my favorite songs on guitar but I obviously have to get the chords down first.

After doing chores around the house (laundry, washing the sheets, cleaning my room, etc) I decided to go over to my aunt and uncle's house. My cousin Ryan turned eight this week and I still hadn't given him his gift. I got him The Hobbit by Tolkien and the matching Lego set. He is a huge Lego enthusiast and wants to be a Lego Engineer when he gets older. I guess those are the people who create the various sets. Sounds like the perfect job for him! After catching up with them, I decided to head to Whole Foods and go exploring.

Whole Foods has become one of my new favorite places to get groceries besides Trader Joe's. They have a huge assortment of organic food and it is every food connoisseur's dream.  I picked up a few things that I would need for the week which included an abundance of fruits and vegetables. I also got their California Rolls from the sushi section. I know that grocery store sushi sounds unappetizing but I have to admit, Whole Foods sushi is pretty good. After getting the essentials, I headed down to the Marina to take some pictures and enjoy my late lunch. I also got a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. Sushi and coffee seems like an odd combination, but I love both of them! It was my first festive drink of the season. I was pretty excited.

Now I am home and I have to catch up on a few homework assignment which is always fun. I don't have school on Monday but I want to finish my assignments early. It's getting close to dinner time as I write this blog post. The sun will begin to set soon. The rest of my evening will probably consist of homework, dinner, practicing guitar, and reading some more Game of Thrones. I sound like I am a elderly lady! Overall, today was a lovely Sunday and I feel refreshed for what the week has to offer.

No visitors after sunset.

Out to sea.

The first of many Pumpkin Lattes from Starbucks.

A day at the bay.

Day One

Today is the day that I write my first blog post. At since I moved, I thought this would be an easy way to keep in touch with my family and friends. Isn't that why most people make blogs? I'm not exactly sure what I am going to post but I do love to write and take pictures so this might work out...or not. It has been about two weeks since I moved from the lovely Central Coast to the overpopulated and traffic congested Southern California. It has been a little rough but I'm getting used to the change.

My first week of college felt like the first week of elementary school. I left for school so early that there was no way that I would be late. Of course, I was late. I ended up missing my first class, which resulted in me dropping it. I'm currently taking History 2, Media, and French 1. I have had a lot of down time recently because I don't have very many friends out here or a job. I know I'm making myself sound very cool and impressive. But, as a result of all of this additional time, I am getting the chance to do things that I haven't had the time to do before. I'm currently learning to play guitar, I've gotten back into art, I also have been reading books that I said I would read months ago.  Maybe moving out here wasn't such a bad idea.

This is going to be the place where I post pictures and write about my day. I titled it Birds in the Sky because I love how birds look when they fly together in the sky. In life, we as individuals are just a few birds in the vast sky. It is how we live our lives which makes those moments of flight worthwhile. I think its easy to get caught up in life but sometimes we just need to take a few deep breathes and remember what we want to accomplish. Through this blog, I hope that I can enjoy things for what they are and share them with you. I hope you enjoy my blog. Thank you for checking out my own little internet show and tell space!