It's Happening!

Official departure date for Norcal: November 14!! It's a little anti-climatic though, because the week after I'll be going back to LA for Thanksgiving.

The Freaking Huge Canyon

This thing is huge! It shouldn't be called the Grand Canyon. It should be called...like...the Freaking Huge Canyon. --Dutch guy we met at the Grand Canyon 

I fucking hiked the Grand Canyon this weekend. Excuse my unusual vulgarity, but it's mild compared to the other thoughts that were running through my head as I ascended seemingly endless miles and miles of uphill switchbacks on one hour of sleep and a backpack filled with way too much freaking food. I seriously think yoga saved me. If I hadn't been practicing regularly I don't think I would have had the physical and mental capacity to finish that hike. It was such an amazing experience in the sense that I didn't think I'd be able to love and hate something so much at the same time. Now that the adrenaline and searing sensations in my legs have faded, I feel more love. It's so wondrous when you take that view all in and realize how small you are. A literal metaphor reminding me to look at the bigger picture. Humbling.

We caught sunrise on the Bright Angel Trail.

At this point I was wondering how the hell I would make it back up later.

Longest 4.5 miles of my LIFE.

But it was worth it.

Ohhh

While looking for housing on Craigslist I kept coming across 420 friendly. I love the internet. Answer at fingertips. Don't judge.

Ew

Omg I am such a horrible person. Why am I such a petty bitch?

I hate myself ughhhhhhhhhh

Visionary

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do...If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on." -Steve Jobs, Stanford University Commencement Speech, 2005

The funny thing about death is, you don't truly realize what an impact the person made until they've gone and left this world. If Steve Jobs could see the deep imprint he's left in people's minds and in this world, how would he feel? I didn't really think about what an amazing person he was until today. Having cancer is a difficult ordeal to deal with even when you commit all your time to battling it. Steve Jobs battled it while rolling out the iPhone and iPad. And he did all of it with so much dedication until the very end, even the most cynical critics of him and Apple can't help but acknowledge that he truly was a great thinker, inventor, and man.

Many people throw out advice at a dime a dozen, but Steve Jobs did it. He did great work he was proud of. He didn't settle. Even when other people didn't believe in Apple, and even when people criticized Apple for being too corporate, too expensive, too branded, too this, and too that, he truly believed in what he was making. He truly believed in the quality, the value, the greatness of it all. I honestly believe that if he had been driven by profits, and not the genuine desire to create a great product he could be proud of, Apple would have tanked already. I am so humbled by him, and his passing once again reminds me that I should always strive to be a better person. Thank you, Mr Jobs, for giving me the words and ultimate example to believe in myself.

Not Talking Much?

This was yesterday.
Dad: Your mom never does anything around the house anymore. She's always out. That's probably where you get it from.

Today
Mom: Your dad does his own thing whenever he has his day off. Unlike me. I've been all around the house today!

This is the reason why whenever I want to tell them something I have to say it twice, once to each person, because they won't tell each other.

Perpetual Vacation

Some people still think I'm in China. I suppose maybe I shouldn't have announced the news so quickly when I first thought I was going. =.=

Well, life has been how it is now for the past, hm, about 3 months now, so even thinking about moving next month seems a little unreal. Although I'm excited to start working I think I will miss a lot of things. Like, having an open schedule, and drinking a lot of boba with my friends, and having all this time to read and blog and write Yelp reviews, and just thinking about things like why the universe is always expanding. I'll also miss sleeping until 10 AM. At the same time I know I'm very much in my comfort zone right now, and I won't grow unless I'm put into spaces and places that challenge me.

My friend told me about this amazing HDR photo blog, Stuck in Customs by Trey Ratcliff, today. I don't know anything about photography, but I know a gorgeous picture when I see one. The only standard I have is whether looking at a picture makes me want to go to that place (in the case of scenic photography, which is my personal favorite). If it does, then to me it's a good picture.

Bay Area. Excellent!

Wowwwwww. Pre-IFC days.

LA will always be home <3

Crazy beautiful.