Brunch in Palm Springs

Spring break was relaxed. It was the "lay in the sun until you get too hot and need to lounge in the pool" type of relaxed. I headed to Palm Springs and stayed a friend's luxurious family house where I read a book, attempted to get a tan, and ate delicious food. 

The weather was perfect in Palm Springs and the pool and community was beautiful. But, the most notable thing was the food. To be specific, brunch I had on Saturday morning. Also known as the BEST BRUNCH OF MY LIFE (so far). Yes, the caps are necessary and it is a very bold statement. I love my breakfast food and brunch is my favorite meal, so this statement is big one and 100% not exaggerated. 

While the rest of my week was filled with fun times--Palm Springs, Redlands, Sarah visiting, going out to eat, the Beach Club, jello shot syringes, and job applications--the one notable thing I have to blog about is this breakfast.

We went to Wilma and Frieda in Palm Desert around noon, excited and very hungry. The restaurant was in a mall next to ritzy stores and filled with fashionable retirees (aka the heart of the Palm Springs population). The restaurant already won me over when we walked in and there were small free samples of raspberry oatmeal bar pastries. Since I wanted to eat desperately, I snuck two samples and was blown away by how delicious they were. By the time we were sat, everyone already knew what they were going to order. Andrea and I decided to get our top two choices (one savory and one sweet). We ordered the strawberry french toast and the Crabs Egg Bennie with a side of salad with poppyseed dressing.

It was hand down the best breakfast food I've ever tasted--even the salad came with delicious dressing. The Eggs Bennie came on a home-made English muffin and a TON of crab meat. Since Andrea and I are both obsessed with seafood, I appreciated that it was more than just a few pieces thrown in. The hollandaise sauce was also on the lighter side which meant the whole dish felt refreshing and perfect.

The french toast was just as equally amazing. It was more bread pudding with baked strawberries than toast and covered with fresh strawberries and a little icing. It was sweet enough to not need maple syrup and the portion was just enough to where you wanted one more bite without getting too much sweetness.

I could write poems about this brunch, and for $17 dollars including tip it was worth every penny. I've never felt the need to document a meal in awhile (my trip to Italy aside), but I can't wait until I make it to Palm Springs to eat here again. Luckily, the rest of my spring break was just as enjoyable as the brunch and included lots of pool time both at Palm Springs and back at home. I should be back in Palm Springs in a few weeks for Coachella as well, so this needs to be on the schedule!

Surf City Half Marathon!

After 3 months of training and long runs everywhere from San Francisco to Santa Monica, the weekend of the Surf City Half Marathon was finally here. Running a half marathon is also on my new bucket list, so I was both nervous and excited to finally do it.

On Saturday, I drove to Long Beach to pick up my sister, and we both headed to the race expo to get my and my roommate's bids and swag bag. It was much funner than I thought it would be and Jessica and I spent most of the time grabbing all the free samples and admiring my new hot pink, long sleeve (!) race shirt.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out until we decided to grab a dinner downtown at Pitfire Pizza. Madison and I shared a pizza and spaghetti and meatballs (tip from my brother for our pre-race meal) before heading back, packing our running stuff, hyperventilating, and setting our alarms for 5:45 before finally heading to bed.

5:45 is a time meant for sleeping. Hearing my alarm and realizing that I was getting up to run 13.1 miles (which I had to keep reminding myself was something that I had not only chosen to do but also paid a decent amount of money for) made me wish for a few more hours of sleep. Especially since I found out when I'm nervous, I wake up and switch my pillows every hour of the night. I was happy that I already laid out all my clothes the night before, so it just took a quick change and grabbing my bag before I was downstairs eating my PB&honey English muffin.

The sun was rising as we drove the 45 minutes to Huntington Beach, and for once there was no LA traffic and the radio wasn't playing ads. We were trying to mentally prepare ourselves for the race, and the drive did actually help.

What didn't help was waiting almost an hour for the shuttle to take us to the starting line. It was really cold and we went from being intimidated to just wanting to get on the bus so we wouldn't be cold and late. By the time we made it to the start our heat was just about to begin. Without anytime to get nervous, we were instantly running.

The start was scenic and felt good. I instantly warmed up even though I had tossed my jacket to the side, and running the two miles to a three loop mentally made the first half go quick and painlessly. I ran the first half of the course with Madison which meant that I had someone to talk to.

For some reason, I had decided to train for the entire half marathon without listening to any music. It actually made the run feel much more special, and it became a more meditative experience. During a good run, I can just zone out and think about nothing for several miles or focus on mantras that motivate me.

Until mile 8, we were running to Bolsa Chica Beach on PCH. I was shocked about how good I felt--I didn't want to walk, was at a comfortable pace, and was enjoying having so many people around me to "target" since I usually run alone.

At that point, I grabbed a free Cliff Bloc (first time eating during a run) which helped get a little energy back. I was also tempted to grab a donut that people were handing out, but refrained when I imagined the stomach cramps that could result. As the race took us back to Huntington Beach, I started to get more and more tired. From mile 9-10 I was cursing the slight uphills (while also happy that my house was surrounded by so many hills during my training runs) and debating at what point to turn on my music. Mile 11 was a rough point--I finally turned on some Beyonce before realizing that without headphones, I couldn't hear anything. Luckily, at the point there were more spectators and I had made up several mantras that I was chanting in my head to make sure I didn't stop running.

Although slightly nauseous, I knew my one goal was to run the whole marathon. I had to keep reminding myself that I would be so disappointed if 2.1 miles from the finish line I started walking. It also made me think about how far I've come and how well the training worked. Achieving a goal was taking actual hard work, and I was amazed that this was possible for me. A red vine handed out by a spectator also may have helped too.

A huge motivator was also knowing that so many people came to support me. Scott drove out from Redlands, Jessica came to watch, and my two friends from school Andrea and Maddie had driven out as well. It wasn't until I was running the race that truly I realized how much it meant to me, and how much it helped keep me motivated.

I saw them right at the finish line and waved before crossing over with the biggest smile on my face. That smile quickly turned to shock when I realized that instead of relief, every muscle from my butt down was KILLING me. I could barely walk, but I still managed to grab all the free food and my medal on the way out before meeting up with Scott (who may have offered to carry me ;).

I cannot put into words how proud of myself I am that I completed the half marathon and stuck to all my goals. Finishing the race was a combination of awe at how feasible the race felt (up until mile 9 I felt strong and in the zone) and how much mental strength it took to not take walking breaks. I was amazed I could run so far and so long without listening to music and really focusing on myself, my goals, and at the same time nothing at all.

A half marathon has been a goal of mine for years. I would print out half marathon training plans and look up races, but never got past a three mile run. Crossing the finishing line was so empowering, and I'm already looking forward to my next one (not in the near future however). I was also beyond appreciative to have such an amazing support system and people around me.

Even better, we celebrated with a mimosa and some chicken and waffles from Roscoe's in Long Beach. My eyes may have been a little bigger than my stomach, but it was amazing (and I had the leftovers for dinner). What's the point of a half marathon if you can't brunch?

Disneyland at Christmas

2014 started with a little bit of magic. From fireworks and sparklers all New Years Eve to Disneyland on January second, the new year is off to a great start.

Right before midnight we lit some Chinese lanterns and all made wishes. It made for a very Pinterestesque event and a great photo op if I do say so myself.

The next day to get excited about our Disneyland trip, Scott and I saw Saving Mr. Banks. Besides the fact that I got teary multiple times, it was the perfect way to get in the Disney mood. I was on the look out for a few things from the movie (like Disney's father's name on the window) and was newly inspired to make sure I got a ride on the carousal. It was the last holiday week at Disneyland so I enjoyed the last piece of the Christmas season. Plus, the park just improves when even more glitterly lights are added.

I've been to Disneyland so many times that there was no rush to get to all the rides. This made our experience pretty ideal since we weren't stressed despite it being peak tourist times and packed. We still made it on to our favorites through out the park including Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear, and obviously It's A Small World.

Of course there was time for one obligatory photo with Pooh Bear to match the one we took seven (!) years ago on our first date. Disneyland holds a special place in my heart like most SoCal residents, and it's always a million times more fun with Scott.

Dates in Redlands

I have been to Redlands more times than I can count in the past few years, but I've never actually ventured to far off from the college campus. Just an hour away, the trips there were not based on the location, but revolved around seeing Scott and hanging out with him. The Redlands campus is beautiful, so I had never really thought to explore the surrounding neighborhood.

But a few weeks ago, Scott decided we would have a day full of dates/activities around the area, and it was so much fun. From hiking to waterfalls to more sushi than we could eat, we spent the entire day driving around Redlands exploring the area. Sadly, I lost my iPhone the Tuesday after the weekend so my many pictures of beer, sushi, and ice cream were lost. This post is long overdue, but pictures or not, the date day in Redlands deserves a blog post on it's own if for no reason other than to brag about how awesome my boyfriend is :)

Our day started with the drive to the San Bernardino National Park. 20 minutes away and you're surrounded by much chillier weather and cute little wood cabins. For $5 daily parking, we started our hike to Forest Falls. While it was short hike overall at just around 3 miles, we added our own little excitement by challenging ourselves to take the hardest route to the waterfall. Our little rock climbing shortcuts were briefly interrupted by stopping to take pictures of the beautiful surroundings. It was so much fun making it to the park, and I didn't realize that a quick trip to the Mountains was just about 20 minutes away from Redlands. Scott and I are already talking about going back for a longer hike next time.

After we finished the hike, we made a quick stop back at campus to meet Zeus--aka the cutest German Shepard puppy in the world--and to change out of our gym clothes.

Our next stop was to Hangar 24. The business is actually owned by a friend from elementary school, and it's a really laid back brewery across from a private plane hangar. The whole place overlooks the small planes and the mountains, and it would be a fun place to go back and order a tester tray. For now, I just ordered their orange beer and really enjoyed it (although, I'm pretty sure it was the girliest option I could have picked haha).

For dinner, we went to a cheap sushi restaurant that I've been to once before. It has an awesome half off menu, and we decided to be more adventurous since everything was cheap and delicious. We got a little overzealous on ordering and after a side eye from the waitress we mildly toned down our order to California rolls, cucumber rolls, spicy tuna rolls, tiger rolls, scallop and shrimp rolls, and even octopus (which was surprisingly good). They also have an all you can eat option which may be the smarter option for our next date ;)

The date ended in downtown Redlands at the ice cream shop A La Minute. It's a super cute shop which makes the ice cream using dry ice and liquid nitrogen, and the end result is super creamy and delicious. I got salted carmel which was delicious and stole bites of Scott's mint and chip. The rest of the weekend was spent doing our usual hang out on campus and get breakfast burritos routine, but I was so happy that Scott had planned a whole day of dates for us. Any day filled with hiking, food, and visiting puppies is pretty much a perfect day in my book. 

The Last Weekender: San Francisco

San Francisco is one of my happy places. It was one of the first places I ever traveled too, and one of the few cities that I've had the chance to visit over and over. From going to Berkeley with my Model United Nations team twice during high school (complete with a day of sight seeing in SF both times) to two weekend trips to San Francisco in college for the Weekender, I was excited to spend the weekend in the Bay area.

(Every year, USC students head up to San Francisco for the Weekender--the weekend that our football team plays either Stanford or Berkeley.)

Every trip has been spent with good friends and have only lasted a weekend, but slowly and surely I've been checking off all the To Do's around San Fran---multiple trips and vintage shopping adventures on Haight & Ashbury, Golden Gate Bridge photo ops, eating a bread bowl with clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf, shopping in Union Square, riding Bart and Muni all over the city, and exploring Berkeley. I was excited to relax this trip and just spend the weekend hanging out without worrying I was missing anything. I only had one goal for the weekend: to make it to Ghirardelli Square for the first time to try an ice cream sundae.

Since I had a night class until 8, we left for our road trip at 8:30 and started the long drive to my roommate's house in Los Gatos for the night. Despite an I'n'Out drive through stop (sense a theme happening?) and stop for gas and snacks, we made it to her house by 2am. After sleeping in and eating a Starbucks breakfast, we drove the last hour into the city. It was my first time staying in a hotel in the city, so I had zero expectations. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Union Square because my roomie's dad had work connections with the hotel. I was already impressed by the location and skyscraper, but my jaw dropped when we walked into our room and raised the blinds. Our room was on the 31st floor (woo! highest I've been in a building) and the view of the bay, city, and Alcatraz was incredible.

It was around noon and we started looking Ike's place's online menu for lunch. With some scandalous names and crazy combinations--the Kryptonite sandwich has 7 meats and 6 fried food items shoved in there--Ike's Place was recommended to us as having the the best sandwiches that are also the size of a small child. After ordering the Nacho Girl sandwich with avocado, lettuce, cheese, and salmon burger, we all hopped onto Muni to grab the food. Once we walked a few blocks and found the shop, we skipped the growing line and picked up our sandwiches, chips, and Ike's sodas to go. The concierge at the hotel told us the local thing to do would be to picnic in the park, so we grabbed a spot on the hill at Dolores Park and dug in.

With one brief stint of someone crazy yelling and strangers helping people fly kites barefoot, I think we all felt pretty satisfied that we were experiencing the true city. We hung out for awhile and somehow all of us managed to eat our entire sandwiches while promising we were never going to eat again.

Our never eating again plan quickly ended once we got back to the hotel, put on some warmer clothes, and taxied over to Gharadelli Square. While it was underwhelming, I wanted to finally check this tourist stop off my list. I wish I had saved more room to have a sundae all to my own, but the bites of the original sundae were absolutely delicious. After eating, we moved on to the next stop request of irish coffees. I tried a sip of a friend's, but seeing as how I don't drink coffee and don't like whiskey I was happy not ordering my own.

A quick taxi ride back to the hotel, and our food adventure continued with hotel treats. One of the best parts about our hotel was that we were allowed into the hotel's "club" which had free breakfast, snacks, and appetizers at 6. Our food intake for the day was already reaching all time highs, but we managed to grab several fried macaroni and cheese appetizers and fruit for dinner in the room while we got ready to go out for the night.

Friday night was spent at the Triangle Bars, and although I had a great time there last year, I ended up in a bad mood and having a pretty meh night. I'm going to blame it on sleeping on a couch the night before and walking all over San Fran that made me get tired and grumpy.

The next day we had breakfast and quickly threw on our USC game day outfits before catching BART to UC Berkeley. I always geek out over public transportation and BART has always been my favorite, so I was very happy to start off game day that way. The weekender game day went pretty similar to USC: we stopped at the frats to tailgate, ate a bacon wrapped hot dog, and headed to the stadium. It was fun hanging out with so many Trojans and friendly Cal students at a few frat houses. After spending half the game in the stadium and realizing we were going to win, we celebrated at the college sports bar Pappy's next to campus. It was so much fun being at a college bar which was actually affordable and nicer than the bar at USC. As much love as I have for the 90, having actual cheap drinks and a bright atmosphere was a very nice change of scenery. It was a ton of fun, but by the time we finally took BART back to the hotel we were all so exhausted that we napped and rested until dinner.

We ate dinner down the street from the hotel which was slightly expensive and average (except for an amazing Russian Mule drink) before heading to a bar called Playland. Although we were skeptical of the name, it ended up being so much fun. With a chiller bar on the first floor and a dance area on the second, we stayed there for most of the night and had a great time. A little after 1 we decided to try to bar hop with little success--we made it to another bar before realizing that it was a little too odd to hang out in or mention on the blog and called it a night.

Best drink of the night.

That Sunday was the end of my first week of half marathon training (btw training for my first half marathon!), so I knew I had to do my first long run or lose the momentum I had just started. I ran 4 miles down Market Street and along the harbor. It was nice being in cool air and getting to run downtown and along the ocean in such a pretty city before having to make the 7 hour drive back. Before leaving, I took advantage of free breakfast with a view at the club one last time before throwing all my stuff in my suitcase and heading out.

The rest of the road trip back was filled with In'n'Out (duh), playlists, traffic, and a million weird conversations. It was a little sad knowing that was our last Weekender as students, but if Instagram is any indicator of after grad life (obviously the best source to take seriously) then we will soon be one of the millions of alum that make the annual trip up to the Bay next year.