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February 11, 2015

Alamo Square

I made three New Year’s resolutions this year: eat less pizza (an inevitable fail), eat less chips (a so-so success), and visit the city more often (a resounding success). San Francisco is a 30-minute train ride from Berkeley, both the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge are visible just blocks from my apartment, yet for the better part of 2014, I did not make the trek into the city often. But then 2015 arrived and invited change, and San Francisco has been a delightful addition to my life ever since. Trips into the city now make me feel undeservedly accomplished, as if each is a story in New Year’s resolution success. They have included lounging at Alamo Park, coffee at Sightglass, 2 AM gin and pizza in the Marina, the Redwood Grove at Golden Gate Park, a night of ramen and Intersellar, and another night of spaghetti squash and Finding Vivian Maier, all of which have contributed to a general excitement for what is to come between me and the city.

P.S. It is so fun to discover that many of you are Jane Austen devotees. I am a novice, so I take every recommendation to heart. Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, and Emma are on the list.

January 23, 2015

Sebastopol

This was taken in a cabin on one of the first adventures of the year, a one-night stay in Sebastopol, CA. It was a small space and looked exactly like the wall in this photo would suggest. Though cute, it was a level of cuteness that I imagine is comfortable for no more than 24 hours. The surrounding area brimmed with trees, the sun was bright, and an orange stray cat weaved in and out of the day. About half of my Airbnb bookings have been within a 100 mile radius of where I live, as I’m convinced traversing your own neck of the woods is its own brand of adventure. I’m excited to explore both near and far this year. Everybody seems to have a really good feeling about 2015, a sentiment I shared until realizing that indeed everybody felt this way, making me question what I thought was my intuition. But I’m crossing my fingers for all of us.

December 30, 2014

Bayside

I am bundled up in a navy wool sweater under another thicker brown sweater, plus a black wool scarf, in case you could only make out a blob. I was alongside the San Pablo Bay on a cold, albeit California, winter morning. The chill seems stronger now than it was at the close of 2013. Last year, riding bikes to the marina just before midnight on New Year’s Eve, I remember hurriedly pulling on a salt and pepper hoodie and leggings. This year, a similar ensemble hardly keeps me warm inside the house. I may have to brace myself for a cooler winter, but the change in the air is exciting. I also tend to feel guilty for staying indoors for too long, quickly suspecting myself of being inherently lazy, but the cold air makes staying indoors the most sensible thing to do. I glimpse the post-holiday blues on the horizon, but I’m trying my best not to suffer such blues preemptively. I want to be present in every moment, or at least every few moments, and what better time to practice than before a brand new year.