Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts

had you on the open road and now we're singing

I'm back!
Six months later and here I am back with a travel post. The last six months have flown by and I can honestly say that this year has been going way too fast for my taste. I will admit that I haven't posted in a while for two reasons: one being I spend my days either working or sleeping, and two, because I don't go out as much. So basically, I've been a turtle (an employed turtle at least). I can't even remember the last time I sat down and wrote a blog post, and quite frankly, I've really missed going on adventures, taking pictures, and writing about them. This post is about a very spontaneous trip my friends and I went on, and I took so many photos I wanted to write about my day out in the desert.
As I mentioned, this trip was spontaneous. One random afternoon, one of my closest friends texted our group chat about the art installations in Coachella Valley. Who declines a road trip? So we grabbed our bags, gassed up the car, got hold of our cameras, and drove the open roads to the desert. What a day it turned out to be. We made a full day out of it and decided to hit up Joshua Tree, where I tried climbing rocks with sandals on (difficult and dangerous, don't recommend it at all). Then, my friends and I somehow ended up near Slab City to take the cutest photos during golden hour at a place called, Salvation Mountain. Mind you, it took us about two hours to drive from the north side of Joshua Trip to Salvation Mountain, but it was definitely worth it.
This adventure has inspired many more and this post is definitely a jumpstart to my blogging habits. I put my love for writing and photography on hold while I grew up a bit and got an actual adult job, but who says I can't do both? Well, here's to hoping... and trying. However, I do get the chance to start posting again. Summer solstice is in six days and if there's one thing I will continue to do here- it's my summer series. My summer is quite packed with adventures (as much as I can during the weekends when I'm not working, but still). I can't wait to start sharing them with you. (:
* The Mirage by Doug Atkins installation has been extended to stay open until October and I recommend going if you are even a wee bit curious as to how it looks. (33°50'59.6"N 116°33'57.5"W) 
"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." - Jawaharlal Nehru
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jawaharlal121014.html?src=t_adventure
We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. Jawaharlal Nehru
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jawaharlal121014.html?src=t_adventure

Chasing the Sun: Viva Mexico!

Hello everyone!

This past weekend, I went on a cruise with some of my friends. When we were all getting together and planning the trip, my friend Sheryl asked people who would be available for that weekend. The people who said yes were those who could come. Don't get me wrong, we're all friends and have known each other for years, but quite frankly, the eight of us haven't hung out as an actual group prior to this weekend. Nonetheless, it was an amazing experience and such a fun weekend.
Friday, we all met up in Long Beach and parked our cars at a friend's house. From there we Ubered to  the cruise port (by Queen Mary). It was a hassle checking in (but when is it not). We had to wait in line and our excitement didn't really help since we just wanted to get on the ship already. After embarking, we put our luggage in our rooms and began to explore the ship. [Fun fact: My first cruise was when I was 15 years old and it was nice remembering old memories.] After looking around for a while, we went back to our room to unpack a bit. Then it was time to meet at the muster stations to hear about safety drills for emergency evacuations. Afterwards, we headed to the buffet for a late lunch. I'll be the first to admit, we were all definitely excited for the food. Later that evening, we headed to the the dining room for dinner. Then we hit the club around 11pm. After going to the club, we went back up to the buffet area for some late night pizza and ice cream because it's open 24 hours. HA! 
Saturday, we woke up around 6 am to get ready for a fun day in Mexico. We had breakfast then got off the ship. As soon as we got on the bus, a guy was explaining all the promotions and fun things to do. Our group heard, "$25 for unlimited drinks and food," and we all looked at each other and pretty much agreed we'd be there for a while. Got off the bus and immediately got wristbands for the cantina. We got in a few drinks and some chips, then got on another bus to head to the beach. The guys all worked together and they were able to hook us up with transportation from the cantina to the beach (round trip). Our bus driver dropped us off at the beach and we asked him to pick us up again in 2 hours. Some of us went swimming, some of us chilled and took pictures. From the cantina, we got to-go mango drinks and I soon needed to use the restroom. However, we didn't exchange our money. I needed to pay 5 pesos for to use the restroom. I went around asking people, "Habla ingles?" Everyone said no. I was getting really desperate and I asked a woman if she spoke English. She said no, but she proceeded to ask me what I needed in spanish. Let's just say 3 years of spanish in high school helped me in this situation because I was somehow able to communicate with her in spanish. She gave me 5 pesos and I tried to give her 50 cents in exchange but she didn't want it and helped lead me to the people in charge. Afterwards, when my friends needed to use the restroom, did I come to find that the man in charge spoke English! HA!

 
 
Once we were done with the beach we got fish tacos. Who doesn't like a good taco? The place we headed to had several food places right next to each other and one of them sold piña coladas. I bought me and Sheryl one. I was excited. All I wanted was fish tacos and a piña colada during my time in Mexico, and I got it! Our bus driver picked us up and we headed back to the cantina where we ate our tacos. We ordered more drinks and food just because. Who doesn't take advantage of an open bar and unlimited food? Good drinks, good food, fun music, and amazing company definitely set us up with some fun memories. Once the clock hit 5pm, the bus came to take us back to the cruise ship. It took a while to get back on the ship but once we did, we all just fell asleep since it was a long day. We woke up for dinner and we went to our sit-down dining room (instead for the buffet). Our server Jomer was the man! He was so fun to talk to. Also, after having dessert did he tell us that the captain's dinner was that night. We didn't know! We got dinner pretty late and once we were done, we decided to split. Some of us went up to the upper level deck and some of us went clubbing. The hard part when splitting was the lack of cell service and internet (we didn't get wifi), so we couldn't contact one another to find out where the other people were. Luckily around 2 am, my friend Jenilee and I decided to head to the buffet. We wanted pizza and ice cream, and soon after, we met up with our group. Once we were all done eating and talking, we went back to our room and slept.


With our server, Jomer
Sunday was a day at sea! I have no idea what the ship does, but we spend all day in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We got breakfast then walked around. The girls went to tea time while the guys went swimming and had fun at the water park. We met up to watch Zootopia at one of the big meeting rooms. After the movie we decided we were all tired so we went back to our rooms to take a nap (we had late nights and early morning so we kept going back to our rooms for naps throughout the trip). We woke up and got ready for dinner. Jomer was our server all three nights and that night while we sat down he asked if we wanted Filipino food. Thinking it was a joke, we said yes. After finishing our entrees, Jomer brings us bowls of Filipino food to share for our table. HA! Once we were done with dinner, we decided to go to a karaoke bar. We stayed until closing then headed right next door to the club. The club got tiring after a while so we went to the upper level deck to play mini golf. It was so windy and my feet hurt so I tapped out after a bit. I chilled by the pool and then my friend, Jenilee, joined me. We played some games, went back to our rooms to exchange our heels for sandals, then went back up to the buffet. It was 1 am and soon after, we met our friends there again. It's quite funny actually, because once it hits around 2 am everyone from the club goes up for pizza and ice cream. See the reoccurring theme there? Afterwards, we went to our rooms to pack our stuff since we were heading home to next day.



Monday morning, I woke up first to get ready. Once we were all ready, we went up for breakfast and had a nice last meal. Sadly, we needed to go to guest services and waited in line for two hours. After getting our situations handled, we look around and learn that we were the last people to get off the ship! I was so exhausted from the weekend I got home and fell asleep. Woke up a few hours later, had dinner, and took another nap. Woke up again, chilled with my brothers, our friends, and the family, then fell asleep while watching the Olympics. Although I'm still a bit tired, I'm so grateful to have had such a great trip with my friends. It was nice to be able to spend time with my friends without being distracted by our phones and social media. Also, what better way to build friendship than being stuck on a boat? If you ever get the chance to go, I definitely recommend it!

Thanks for reading!
 
Uploaded a quick video here but the quality decreased. Sorry!

“Traveling—it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”

Chasing the Sun: My Sunlit Sky

Hello everyone!
Today's post is kicking off my summer series! I have officially set the countdowns for my summer adventures and this year, I'm calling my summer series: "Chasing the Sun." On Saturday, June 25th, I held my annual welcome summer bonfire. This bonfire was a celebration not only to welcome summer, as well as a delayed graduation celebration.
Last year, I held the bonfire at Bolsa Chica. I liked it so much I decided to host it there again this year. When my friends and I arrived, there were no pits left. Instead of wasting more time in hope of finding an unsaved pit, we set up in the middle of the beach, and spent time frolicking in the water. By sun down, my friends and I were able to find a pit! We were able to roast marshmallows and make s'mores, listen to music, and just be.






One of my greatest treasure is being around water. Whether it's taking a bath, being at the beach, going swimming in a pool... I love water. I grew up with a pool and spent my summer swimming every day. I grew up with trips to the beach and swimming in the ocean. I've always called the beach home because I love being by the ocean. It has always had the power to calm me and bring me peace. 'Till today, I carry the same appreciation for water as I did as a child. 

I've always loved having summer bonfires since it allows me to be around water and spend time with my friends. When I was in high school, my friends and I always had one for our end of the year celebration. I decided to continue it into college. I usually host my bonfires with a specific set of friends. This year, I invited people from different groups of my social circles and loved being around the company of people that bring me so much joy. Last year, I had an amazing summer. I can't wait to see what this summer brings.

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald

With a Grateful Heart: A Letter to My Fellow Eagles

Dear Eagle,


In September 2012, a few days before my very first day of college, I wrote a letter to my future self. I sealed the envelope and titled it, "Do not read until you've graduated college." After four years, that letter currently sits on my bedside table waiting one more day to be opened.

Today's post is me expressing my gratitude to people who I've met throughout college, people who have supported me, encouraged me, and loved me these past four years. I've personally thanked individual people to say my thank you, but today, I'm writing to personally acknowledge these people. Without any of them, I wouldn't have enjoyed college and be the (soon to be) college graduate that I am.

COHORT

The girl who is right next to me wearing glasses and" is always on my snapchat"? That's my day one. Her name's Heidi. The guy wearing the keys around his neck? And my OOTD partner? His name is Kyle. They are the first two people I ever met during my very first day of school, in our very first class together. Our cohort were the set of friends I hung out with for my first quarter ever at Cal State LA. You all made me feel welcomed. After all, we were just a bunch of kids going to college for the first time. 

Kenny, Vanessa A., Joey, Eliana, Kyle, Michelle, Michelle, Heidi, Christian, Noeli, Vanessa H. Thank you for being the best cohort to start off my first ten weeks of college with.

CSULA KIDS

I wouldn't have met these people if it weren't for one of my long-time childhood friend, Jenilee. Jenilee, Kyle, Jessica, Tammy, Mel, Eileen, Megan, Robin, Andrew, Bridget, Jeffrey, and Misty, you all adopted me into your group and welcomed me in with open arms. I spent a lot of my second and third year of college at the Student Union because one of us was always there. From our Spring Break adventures, karaoke nights, and fun food runs, you guys gave me so much to be thankful for.


 COMM/LPE

When I declared my majors, I was Business Admin (marketing) and Communication (Public Relations). After hearing it'd take me six years to finish with a double, I changed my mind. I didn't want to stay for that long! So I chose COMM as my major and Marketing as my minor. I don't regret that decision. Being part of Lambda Pi Eta and knowing people who had the same major as me made me enjoy the last two years of college. This group has some of the smartest, kindest, beautiful, and hard-working people I'm blessed to know. Without any of you, I wouldn't be as confident with my self as I am today.

Here's a list of things I learned being part of this beautiful family:
- Don't try arguing with us cause I'm pretty sure we can argue for hours.
- We can talk, but we also know when to stop talking.
- If we want something, I'm pretty sure we can persuade you.
- We can present just about anything. After all, our PR classes were all about presenting.
- We can write. PR strategic plans, rhetoric papers, and 25 page thesis proved that... but please don't ask us to proofread your papers, we're not English majors.
- Try your hardest to keep us away from math. We like words, not numbers.
- COMM people are the best and nicest people you'll ever meet.





Of course, I want to say a BIG thank you to my parents, brothers, family, Ohana, second fam, Wave group, my favorite advisor Evelyn E., teachers, and friends. You have no idea how grateful I am to have such an amazing support system. It's your kind words, encouragements, guidance, and relentless love that makes me want to aim high to make you all proud.

Just as I wrote in the acknowledgements section of my thesis, "...with every commute I made, each class I took, and every friend I made along the way, I found my place as an eagle in this bird's nest."

Thank you. All of you.

Now it's time to soar like an eagle.

xoxo

 -Mira
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