Coachella 2017 Weekend One Recap

I can't believe Coachella 2017 has already come and gone. It crept up on us this year. Our lives were pretty hectic up until then so it was the perfect time to get lost in the desert and listen to some our favorite artists. Instead of camping this year, we stayed at an AirBnB in Rancho Mirage and shuttled over to and from the festival. Not camping was totally easier on our bodies (and souls) and I felt that even though we experienced less of Coachella, we were able to enjoy the parts that we were there for more. Here's a quick recap of our weekend!

Journal: Where I Belong

A lot of things in my life are compartmentalized: items in my closet (by color, type, and sleeve length), my work life, my personal life, my interests, my friends, files in my hard drive, the food on my plate, etc. It’s how I make sense of things—everything and everyone needs a place, a category where they belong. It brings me a sense of security, peace, and satisfaction knowing where things and people are, their purpose, and where to find them if I need them.

I remember in the early days of our relationship, Brandon was amazed how I was able to keep everything so separate. But as a professional creative, he didn’t have to. On Monday-Friday, I was a second grade teacher, a Starbucks addict, a hometown friend, a daughter, and a sister. On Saturday & Sunday, I was a girlfriend, a creative, a hat wearer, a fancy coffee consumer, a chaser of sunsets, and an explorer of alleyways. For some reason, that’s the way it had to be for me to maintain and exercise all the parts of me. The thought of merging those two worlds felt nonsensical, pointless, and counterproductive. I longed for a life where I didn’t have to be only one version of myself at a time. I just wanted to be me. I longed for friends who were creative and shared my love for traveling and stopping at random places along the way to our destination to take photos. I also longed for friends who understood and appreciated my passion for my work. I longed for a place where I belonged.

Festival Ready

Festival season is finally here! I didn't quite understand why a whole season was dedicated to music festivals until I went to my first one last year. Coachella 2016 had a horrible line up, but in the end, I was actually thankful that there weren't too many acts that I wanted to see that I could just soak up all of Coachella at a slow pace (aka my pace): the food, the music, the debauchery, the camaraderie, the sunsets, and the overall vibe were all just good. Everyone was happy and everyone was there to enjoy themselves and the music. I can't wait to go back in just a few days to experience it all over again.

Journal: Stay High

"I guess the biggest takeaway from 2015 was that I needed to start living more with intentionality and less out of habit. I want to be intentional with my time. Wherever I am, I want to be all there--mind, body, and soul...This year, I am going to do things intentionally with the understanding that the outcome may be different than my intention, and with the faith that everything will happen the way it's intended to." 

--Post from January 18, 2016: Intentionality

Paris is Always a Good Idea

Paris was always one of those places that I dreamed of going to someday. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of gazing up at the Eiffel Tower and walking along the Seine River. For a long while, I thought that the closest I'd ever get to it was the lamp stand I had in my childhood bedroom. But that someday has finally come and passed.

After dreaming of it for so long, I was nervous that it was the idea of Paris that I loved--that sipping coffee in a cute cafe, walking along cobblestoned streets in a striped top and a beret, looking up to see dreamy monochromatic buildings as I walked with a fresh baguette in hand only existed in my dreams. My nerves were made worse by the fact that we were going in February, and being the California girl that I am, I couldn't fathom winter in another place, let alone in another country. But Willa Cather said it best: "Paris is a hard place to leave, even when it rains incessantly and one coughs continually from the dampness."

Paris, you made it all too easy to fall in love with you. You had me at the first taste of your espresso and the flakiness of your croissants. You were everything I hoped you'd be and more.

When in Silverlake

This is now the third time these hauntingly and beautifully white walls have served as our background for a blog post. Whenever we're in Silverlake, we must stop by on our way to or from Sunset Junction. Its slow decay is how I mark the time since we've last visited. Even in its remains, there is still beauty in its minimalism. I will always be mesmerized by the plants' resiliency and strength to endure time, weather, and vandalism.