novelty.

it really is all happening, loves. one-way ticket booked. movers scheduled, check. only five more sleeps in this city by the bay. i am overwhelmed with an abundance of love from those near and dear to my heart, and their surprises and generosity over the past several days are unlike anything i could have imagined.

if i am absent from this space in the next couple weeks it is mostly because i'm occupied with the move. there are so many things i want to tell you and document for myself so i hope to be in and out more than i anticipate, but should i be unable to, i wanted to share this video.

a dear new yorker gal pal sent it to me in december two thousand eleven. a time when she had all intentions of making a move out west. but, guess who is beating her to it with a move out east? i had just paid her a visit in the big apple and upon returning home, this video was in my inbox with a note: this is what i watch to remind myself how amazing nyc is, i thought you would appreciate it...

oh how excited this video makes me to embrace a new city. to get lost. to explore. to learn. to take in so many things for the very first time. there's something to say for novelty, and it's quite clear my whole being has been craving it for quite some time now. 

i think i'll also take with me a lyric from the song called we don't eat by james vincent mcmorrow. 

so if i were you, i'd have a little trust.

so, here's to trust and new beginnings. and, let's be honest, friends, i couldn't have done it without you.

romantical.

one of the things i looked most forward to crossing off the 'ol bucket list {version i & version ii} was cavallo point. truth be told, it's one of the most romantical little spots in all of the san francisco bay area, so i highly recommend taking your hunny boo to the outdoor patio and plopping yourself on the couches in front of the fire pit with a glass of vino in hand. i'd go at sunset on a clear night, and i guarantee sparks will fly {bet you didn't think you'd be getting dating advice on this friday morning, did you? well, you are welcome}. if i could add just two more cents, i want to throw it out there that it's the perfect third date in my expert dating opinion.

anyhow, i was lucky enough to have not one, but two dates upon our cavallo point visit and now we can officially go like this...

sit by the fire by the bar at cavallo point

so satisfying!

thank you for coming with me!

lists are a necessary part of my life these days. i opt for the stickies app on the mac so i can easily write random thoughts that pass through my consciousness during the day. or at night when i toss and turn, and open and close, open and close my computer oh so many times. i've always pinned myself for a fairly decent sleeper, but i guess not in periods of stress when the brain simply won't turn off.

what a fun transition phase this is becoming. i feel caught between the present and the future, all the while trying to remain calm and at peace. well, sometimes, it's not so peaceful up in this joint. after all, it's hard to stay rooted when you are in the process of an up-root. oh, the details! and oh the little bumps in the road this universe is throwing at me like stolen wallets and run-ins with the law. i'm trying to dig deep to find the lesson in it all. because, there must be a lesson! 

i remember a dear friend told me once, it's not rainbows and sunshine all the time, geans. well, you're right, it's not. oh life, let's work together, okay? you and me. go team.

so tell me, how do you handle stress?

*photo credit on first photo: all jamie {or are we calling her ansel!?}

create.

we walked. and we walked and talked. we chased the evening light all the way home, but somehow it felt like it was following us. during our last few moments on this clear and still sunday night stroll, she asked me what are you going miss most about your life in san francisco? 

thank you for asking is the first thing that came out of my mouth. because i could genuinely thank minnie for everything she says, since it's all just so perfect.

well, this, for one. and i'm going to miss the simple things. like walks to work. and my daily routine. and yoga. and quality time with the people i love. and my apartment. and just how content my life is here.

and she replied, but you will get all of those things there...

that's when i realized that it doesn't take much to create a content life for yourself. you can take the girl out of her foundation, but you can't take the foundation out of the girl. because all she needs is just a few good friends who nurture her soul. a solid routine filled with inspiring work. a cozy place to call home. good health, endorphins, and love. the thing is, we create the love, don't we? so let's create it, no matter where we are.

*photo taken on my iphone5, enhanced with picfx.

sacred.

all of this moving business is really going to my head. it's like i've stepped out of my body and am watching a story that is my life unfold. as a result, i'm witnessing all of the main characters that play important roles in this glorious novel-o-mine. it's fun and interesting and, to be honest, quite humbling. i am learning that every single person who is apart of our lives {or has been apart of our lives} is for a reason. our relationships with others, both good and bad, are part of our stories on purpose whether we know it yet or not. always remember that. 

i am grateful for the connections that have brought me together with so many i wouldn't have had the opportunity to be lucky enough to get to know. i try to always always give that gift back to the universe by merging lives and making connections. i believe our stories are richer and sweeter the more good people we have in them, don't you think?

so, in this biography of sorts, that i am observing as of late, one character stands out in particular. her name is stacie. we'll call her the protagonist's wiser-older-sister-that-she-never-did-have. and for this self-proclaimed sister-seeking main character, this particular sisterhood was a given from the start.

i knew it during our first slumber party when i opted out of partying with the kids my own age. instead, i stayed in with stace and it was on this night that she gave me some of the best advice i've ever received, even to this day... i think life can be really simple. some people just make it really really hard for themselves. it was in context of course, but i knew at that very moment that stace and i were destined to be sisters. 

i would not be where i am today without her. and you guys, this is not a joke. the course of my life would be completely different. please don't let that sound dramatic, it's simply the truth. and if i was on a different course that one would be great too, i'm just sayin'...

i got my first job in digital advertising because of stacie. i learned about the blog universe because of stacie. i got built-in everyday advice about navigating your twenties because of stacie. i gained confidence and courage i didn't know i had because of stacie. i became fully prepared for pregnancy because of stacie. i met wonderfully amazing people i wouldn't have otherwise met because of stacie. see what i mean? pretty prominent character in this story. because. because. because. of stacie. of stacie. of stacie. i promise i won't use those words throughout the remainder of this post. but, you get the picture, a lot of things in my life would not be happening if i did not know the one and only... stacie.

no one. and i repeat no one knows me better than her. she is my daily rock. she lets me talk. and talk and talk for hours. with no filter, of course. and she listens. and she is my biggest fan. how did i ever get so lucky to have this angel by my side? i am an older sister myself, but i swear in another lifetime {because most of the time i believe in those} i must have been the wiser-older-sister-that-someone-never-did-have, and the universe gifted it right on back to me.

stace, you are truly the most pivotal character in my story. i am leaps and bounds beyond grateful for you. thank you, from the bottom of my heart. for everything. for the inspiration. for the encouragement. for the advice. for every last ounce of energy and love you have ever given me. it's made me who i am. and you know what? because of you, i am a better version of myself than i ever thought possible. our sisterhood is sacred to me. i love you. forever.

particularly.

i walked my usual route to the bus stop this evening and something felt a little different than usual. no music. no phone calls. just the sound of my boots. click clack click clack. one foot in front of the other.

it's not a particularly scenic walk. in fact, there are parts that are downright sketchy, but something about it charmed me tonight. i found myself getting all nostalgic and thinking oh, i have to try that boba tea place on the corner where all of the cool asian teenagers hang out. 

it's a mishmash of characters, this walk. the artsy cigarette smokers lingering outside of vesuvio. the nomadic guitar player in the alley hoping for some spare change. the backpack-wearing tourists flowing in and out of city lights book store. the franchino himself sitting outside of his restaurant with his feather-adorned fedora and thick italian accent. the late night coffee-drinking lovers at café greco. the many many hostesses greeting every passing stranger: would you like to join us for dinner tonight?

anyhow, i stood on the corner of broadway and columbus and it just felt beautiful. i took in the moment. the tacky neon lights against the clear dusk-ridden sky felt more beautiful than they ever have before. and i felt particularly grateful. like i was really going to miss this place. miss this simple routine walk to washington square park in all it's vibrant and quirky glory. whether i realized it or not it'd become my walk home and very much apart of me.

and so i must ask, is there anything you feel that is apart of you?

*pictures all taken on the iphone5 and edited via picfx.

love letter to san francisco.

not too long ago there was an email exchange with my very talented friend lisa. it started something like this...

can i hire you to do a photo shoot on it's all happening?

and then i found out i was moving for sure and it turned into a happy memory shoot caught on video about all of the places i heart {literally} in san francisco... the ones that have been important to me over the past five years. we'll call them heartmarks {aka landmarks}.

we planned in advance to shoot on a saturday afternoon, and even had a very important early morning business meeting to sketch out our ideas like actual creative bloggers. it felt like the real deal!

so, i can't wait any longer to share this video with you, my beloved readers. without further ado, here it is in all of it's glory...

you can find my written love letter to san francisco here, but, see, in this post i really just want to thank lisa. we are so different, and yet, inherently so so similar. those are the most interesting and unique kinds of friendships, don't you think? i feel obligated to share an email written to her from her own dad upon sending him her latest work: the love letter to san francisco video...

monkey,
this is absolutely fantastic!!!!!!!!! probably the best work you have ever done. it captures the theme, mood, joy, and excitement with superb photographic background and soulful music. this video should serve as ample proof and demonstration of your ingenuity and creativity. keep it as a reference model - it shouts out professionalism. it's unbelievable that you did this by yourself. i would guess that another shop would charge $5,000 for this kind of work and probably use a lot of clip art. no doubt in my mind that you're destined for some aspect of film/video making. i would like to see you pursue this path. look up some schools - i'll pay the tuition.
lots of love and admiration,
dad

you can't beat the words of a proud father. is it just me, or does this note bring you to tears? it so perfectly sums up lisa's talent and selfless nature. i am beyond grateful that our careers brought us together on this so-called life path. lis, you choose your friends wisely, this i know for sure, and i am so lucky that you put your kind energy and attention into me. i can't thank you enough for this brilliant work of art you've created that i will absolutely cherish forever and ever. thank you for being brave enough for all of us and pursuing your own creative path, and for continuing to inspire me to push my creative limits {no idea is a bad idea, right?}. the world doesn't know what it's in for yet, lis. you've only scratched the surface of sharing your greatness with the world. please remember, no matter where life takes us, i will always be one of your biggest fans.

all my love and {like your daddio} admiration,
elks

ps. see more of lisa's videos here.