Staying Zen

"Let go or be dragged" is one of my favorite Zen proverbs. I definitely struggle with letting go, especially of control. After a rough couple of months of feeling like we were dragged by life towards one direction, we gladly welcomed celebrating our anniversary in Portland where we hoped to find some peace and quiet. The Japanese Gardens was the answer to our weary souls. We left behind our stress and woes with each step that we took deeper into Washington State Park towards the Japanese Gardens. Our breaths were taken away as we explored every nook and cranny of this intricate garden. As we admired the view of the waterfall, koi pond, and beautiful greenery, we didn't talk much but that was more than okay with me. It reminded me of how comfortable we were already with silence in our early dates. Being in such a beautiful and peaceful place was the perfect way to kickoff our stay in Portland.

Market to Market

What better way to kick off the Summer season than with ice cream, fresh flowers, and hanging out on patios? We couldn't think of a better way and so we took to one of our favorite spots to bring in our least favorite season.

Westside Story

With summer vibes in the air, our wanderlust was at a high and so we took a mini road trip to the west side. Having lived near the coast, we both always had easy access to the beach while growing up and we get pangs of feeling landlocked while in Pasadena. With LA's notorious traffic, our trip to Venice was quite the trek. When we finally made it to our destination, we were greeted by Venice's eccentricity. From colorful graffiti to loud personalities, we became consumed in the novelty of this pocket of LA. After living the boardwalk life with greasy pizza and chili cheese fries, we made our way towards the beach. In contrast to the boisterous boardwalk, we were surprised with the shoreline's tranquility. It was the perfect quick getaway to satiate our wanderlust for a little while.

May Outtakes

Creativity is often sought after, but it is hard to define or explain. It's a quality that is used to describe certain kinds of people. It's a process that usually results in something beautiful, but it's also a state of being that seems to come and go in waves. It's not something that can be forced, planned, or bought. But is it something that you can run out of? If so, how do you replenish it and can you get more of it? Can it be learned or taught? Is it more like a river that keeps flowing or is it like a bucket that you have to keep filling? These are all questions that we've been pondering over the last few months.

The Sweet Return

We all know (maybe a little too well) how awkward first dates can be. The opposite can be said about our first date, which lasted a record-breaking thirteen hours. We should've known then that we were meant to be. If that wasn't enough of a clue, the fact that we both showed up wearing heathered grey v-neck t-shirts and dark skinny jeans pretty much sealed our destiny. The Getty Museum will always hold a special place in our hearts--not only because of its gorgeous architecture and stunning views of the city, but also because it's where our story began. Over the weekend, we tried to recreate the magic on the anniversary of our first date.

Redemption

None of our trips to the Griffith Observatory are ever the same. Every time we go, we have new stories to tell. Each time we look at the view of the city, different emotions are evoked. We've gone early in the mornings when there's hardly anyone there. We've gone on insanely hot days where we only went as far as the shade went. We've gone on days where the sky was so overcast that the view of the city was under a blanket of clouds. But never had we gone during magic hour to watch the sun set below the mountains...until now.