A Weekend in Berkeley

With life getting busier by the minute the past few months, a 500 mile move coming up next week, and trying to work a ton before I leave, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my dear friend Kirby in Berkeley this weekend.  I had friends over for a final hurrah at my house Friday evening and when we woke up Saturday, the sun was shining and I was feeling like my free spirit needed to get out of the city and let the universe guide me. With no plan in mind, we headed to the baseball game to meet some family and let our sweet souls wander into Berkeley without a care in the world. Oh, how I have missed those days.

Kirby moved recently into a beautiful old Victorian house with charm and character like I've never seen. I instantly felt at home and spent time relaxing in the living room under the sun roof. We chatted with her roommate over wine and eventually left to take a walk downtown to eat a late lunch. We found the perfect little french restaurant and sat outside in the 80 degree weather, threw scarves on our heads and ate like queens. We made friends along the way, stopped to take pictures, and laughed together all while knowing in our hearts we will be apart again soon. See, Kirby is such a special friend. We used to live together in OB and reunited in SF. She is one of those friends that you're never really far from. She is always in my heart. She is still and quiet and listens all while assuring me everything will always be okay as long as I let my heart guide me. She is a wonderfully compassionate friend who opens her heart to new experiences and encourages me to do the same.

After the sunset, we danced at a tiny little bar all night to 80's music, while wearing feather earrings and our hearts on our sleeves. I woke up Sunday morning feeling as though my spontaneous adventure might have been just a dream, but reality set in and before I knew it I was walking out in the sunshine once again in this bohemian little city while grabbing coffee and laughing with Kirbs over our previous days journey.  I have been lucky enough to travel to quite a few places in my life, but I forget how fantastic it can be to venture close to home with absolutely no plan. For it's those days that make for my favorite days in the world.

Kirby's house- love it.

Sweet friend

So happy!

Full Circle

The days are winding down for me not only in this incredible city, but at work as well. I have been having so much fun with the kids the past few weeks and really enjoying the time that is left as a class. These kiddos know how to tug at your heart strings and light up life! A few weeks ago we received a Butterfly Life Cycle Kit from one of the parents, and we watched their transformation from caterpillars to butterflies. A transformation feels really significant in a lot of areas in my life right now, so taking the time to watch these beautiful creatures was pretty awesome. The kids loved watching the caterpillars eat and grow bigger everyday. One Monday we came back from the weekend and the little guys had built themselves into their chrysalis' and were couped up for a few weeks. The kids waited so patiently as we transferred the chrysalis' very carefully from a cup to a huge new home for when they hatched into butterflies! Within a week, they were here!

The kids were just fascinated with the butterflies. To be honest, I was fascinated too! These tiny little critters turn into fluttering, lovely creatures and fly away to find their way in life is just beyond me. It truly makes me believe in some sort of beautiful higher power. Here are some pics we snapped today:

Making wishes for the butterflies :)

This past week was a really hard one for me. The way I am feeling right now is like night and day from how I was feeling last Tuesday. I was able to spend some quality time with D as he was up here for a wedding down in the Central Valley. It was a gorgeous wedding to say the least and we danced and laughed with friends the whole night. The past few nights we were able to try a few new restaurants in my hood that I hadn't had the chance to try before, so it was fun to be so close to home after an amazing meal and just relax together. The house hunt is still on for us, please send us good vibes for OB.

Even though it is a little stressful trying to house and job hunt from 500 miles away, I feel as though I am stopping to smile at every little thing in the city right now. I am wanting to try new places to eat, taking walks down different streets and enjoying all the moments with my amazing friends here. I am feeling exactly the way I felt when I first moved here, entranced with all the sights and sounds. I am in love with SF again. It feels wonderful.

 Tonight, Jill, Dan's sis in law is in town and we are heading to dinner and having a little slumber party. To say I love her, is a HUGE understatement. I absolutely adore her.I have a really fun weekend planned with friends between packing my little house up and can't wait to share all the fun things I will be doing before I go! Lots of love!

Road Trip!

Sunset at the wedding

Such a perfect night!

Precious little dessert table

Out trying to spots in the city

A Weekend Away with Friends...

Of all the special things in my life, my favorites involve friends and foreign territory. It is true pleasure, multiplied. When Emily sent an email saying she wanted to get our friends together for camping in Big Sur, I jumped at the chance. I love Big Sur. It is a place that captures the true essence of natural beauty, with ambient hues at sunset, and with the water glistening along the coast. It feels like a step back in time.

I have been reading a book called "Off the Road" by Carolyn Cassady, who was married to Neal Cassady (of The Merry Pranksters fame) in the 50's and 60's and was a sometime love of Jack Kerouac. Jack Kerouac wrote a lot of "On the Road" in San Francisco, but also would go down to a tiny little cabin in Big Sur and write in complete isolation. Caroyln and Neal used to come down and visit and roam around the beach with Jack and their friends who were all writers and drink wine by the fire. Sounds like heaven to me. I was pretty excited to finish the book just as we were leaving to head down. Being able to see all the spots that they talked about in the book was very cool.

My companions were my friends, sunshine, Redwood trees, and a million squirrels.I wanted to soak in every moment, and preserve the awe and joy that you feel while driving along the coast. It is such a spiritual place and full of such beautiful energy. The whimsy envelops you and feels so peaceful. We all laughed, narrowly escaped a little trouble, and lived happily amongst ethereal nature.

This trip was so memorable because I have just 4 short weeks before my move to San Diego. A little trip out of the city with my dear friends was wonderful. We were able to escape the sounds of the city and enjoy being together in such a special place. Until next time...