Roller Coasters and such

A while ago, I was thinking of writing and entry about enjoying the kid in you (which I'm sure I still will one day), and thought that maybe roller coasters (and such) would go with that entry. However, these bringers of fun really deserve their own entry, so here it is.

I grew up being a "Disney baby". No, I wasn't born there, but before I was, both of my parents worked there (my dad even stayed there a few years after I was brought in to the world). We've always had annual passes, and for the most part have gone many times each year. Even after these 19 years, I've still never been tired of going. I could go day after day and still want to keep going. That being said, moving over 7 hours away from the happiest place on earth has been kind of suck-ish.

However, I do have a theme-park supplement: the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. It's missing the polish and "magic" of Disneyland, but it's still an awesome place that has all of the essentials: roller coasters, cheesy kid rides, bad-for-you food, etc. I went there today for the first time in over a year, and my sister and I managed to tackle pretty much every ride the place has to offer. She even went on a few rides she thought were scary at first. I'm so proud of her!

Anyways, for me, that type of atmosphere is just wonderful. I feel like I'm a kid again, and I don't ever worry about school or the serious-ness of life. I think now the only thing it makes me feel bad about is that I miss the times I spent with that special someone at Disneyland and other places, but I still have plenty of time to get over that. And even that isn't enough to keep me from giggling on a crazy ride that's like the teacups from Disneyland, just on a high dosage of steroids.

My Mom

I feel like I should have some stupid "your mom" joke to go with the title, but I really don't. Bummer, I know.

But in all serious-ness, I love my mom. She's one of the best mom's out there (all of my friends would say so, too), and is one of my best friends. I love talking to her about about my problems because I know she'll listen (she's my mom, she kinda has to, right?) and she has a lot of experience to draw on, so I get good advice that's comforting and practical. Pretty much every time I talk to her, I feel better, or at least more grounded about whatever my problem was. She's given me a really good example of how to enjoy life, and for the relationship I would love to have with my future children.

Thanks mom. I love you, and could never tell you enough how much I appreciate all you've done for me.

Exercise

So it should be obvious already, but it doesn't hurt to say it again and again that exercise is good for you. It keeps you healthy and in shape, makes you feel good, has tons of physical/emotional/etc. affects that are good for you; basically, it's just pretty awesome.

But why it deserves so much attention today is because I realized how much I missed it. I had, for the first time in my life, started a consistent daily workout plan last year that I stuck with for several months, and then after some breaks, stopped for another several months. 

Like most American's nowadays, I've been over weight for several years. In jr. high I started helping that by gradually eating healthier. I cut back on sodas, started to limit my deserts, and enjoyed a wider variety of veggies. Towards the end of high school I realized that wasn't enough, and after a long time thinking about it, I finally got around to actually getting off my lazy bum and doing some exercise. 

I'm proud of myself that I was able to start that in the first place, and that I'm now able to pick it up again after such a long break. I love the feeling I get from the physical activity; it lifts my mood, and makes me feel a lot better about myself and how drop dead sexy I'll look after a year of keeping this up.

Talking

Talking with people is the best (really only) way to get to know them. You find out what they like and don't like, what they're interested in, where they plan on going. You get to talk about things you do or don't have in common, explain why you think the way you do, or even just ramble on about something that makes you happy. It's especially great when you're thoroughly enjoying the conversation. This works when you both have the time, attention, and excitement for each other's company/opinions. Then you just click, and can go on and on about whatever. It's a wonderful feeling when you find someone you can talk to with that much enthusiasm, and it opens the door for a better connection with that person; it gives you a chance to find your mentor, best friend, or soul mate.

Surprise Cupcakes

Well, it was technically only one cupcake, and it wasn't this exact cupcake, but it was still a damn good cupcake. A few friends surprised me and came over tonight to hang out for a bit, and one of them sent along a cupcake in her place. It was scrumptious.

And obviously, having my friends randomly visit is super awesome, too. Especially when you open the door and are greeted by a super excited, lift-you-in-the-air hug (those are my favorite). Thanks for making me laugh and smile again guys.

A Slap in the Face

I don't mean a literal slap in the face. I mean a complete reality check, where a bunch of things you thought you knew for certain turn out to be wrong, or you find out things you simply had no idea about. So yeah, they may not be the most pleasant experiences in it of themselves, but they still deserve love for what they do. They give you a better sense of yourself and your surroundings, and let you look at things in different ways. You learn new things or hear new opinions, and you grow from all of that. 

I just got one myself, and even though I'm still recovering from it, I'm grateful that it happened. There are things in my life I wouldn't be able to have to get to eventually without this little slap. Now I just need to make the best of it.

The Ocean

I'm actually kind of afraid of the open ocean. Being stranded out in the middle of the water with no land around for miles is probably one of my biggest fears.

But from the beach or a cliff top, the ocean is one of the most calming experiences. The smell is clean and fresh, the sight is (usually) beautiful, and the sounds are soothing. It's amazing that I managed to end up in a house for school where I'm only a few minutes walking distance away from seeing this natural wonder.

I wish I could thank the ocean for the setting it gives me to relax and think.

Spot

I love my cat. He's the cutest, silliest, grumpiest little tail-less fluff ball on four legs I've ever met. Just yesterday, my mom came up from home for the weekend and brought Spot with her so I could keep him up here with me (we had discussed this a week or so ago). I've heard him meow more in these past two days than I have probably over his whole life, and even though some of this meowing happened at 5 in the morning, it was still cute enough for me to not be annoyed at that. I think Spot is more than deserving of his own song, but since I'm not very good at making those, I'll just stick to a list of the things I love about him (f.y.i., this is only what I can think of on the spot; the list should be much, much longer):

- The softness of his fur.
- The stub of fluff where his tail would be.
- The many different sounds his meows have.
- How intense his cuddling can be.
- The way he's been following me around the house the past two days.

5-Minute Boba

So yeah, if you've never had boba before, you're missing out a funky, but super yummy snack. Boba are the little black balls you see at the bottoms of those cups up there. The black/dark brown is the original flavor, but they also come in green tea, some pink flavor, and completely plain rainbow (they look pretty, but really, they don't taste like anything).

Anyways, I was introduced to this drink by my boyfriend's cousin a few years back, and have loved it ever since. I haven't been able to find many places that offer boba, so finally I got around to getting and making my own. To make it the traditional way, it takes about half an hour of boiling and such for them to be done. But just this summer, that same cousin gave me some "Minute boba" (it really should be 5-minute boba) that's literally done in 5 minutes.

I love it. I can now get my boba fix whenever I want, even if I don't have a lot of time. It's just wonderful.

Heaters and Slippers

Living only two blocks from the beach can have some downsides sometimes. Mainly that when it gets cold, it gets really cold. My house, for some reason, really love to embrace the cold weather and become one with it. Now I would say that I like cool fall-like weather over warmer "my face is going to melt off" weather, but extremities can only handle so much.

Thankfully, this house comes with two conveniently located wall heaters (so I can stand right in front of one if I need to), and I have two amazing pairs of slippers. One pair is even a new Pikachu pair (both of the slippers have little tails on them too!).

I think being able to wrap myself up in comfy warm things is my favorite thing about cooler weather.

Get Your Walk On

There are few people in the world who will deny that walking is one of the most enjoyable and convenient exercise out there. You don't need any fancy equipment, you don't have to worry about not having enough room, and you don't have to totally exert yourself. Plus, you can take different paths every time you go out. You can even go at different times during the day (morning walks are my favorite)

Walking is even better when you're talking with a good friend. But then most things are better with friends.

Sunsets

Sunsets are beautiful. Especially when there's perfect cloud coverage. And yes, there is such thing as "perfect" in this case. You want a variety of shapes and sizes and types of clouds around; there should be a good collection of the whispy kinds as well as the puffy kinds. And you don't want any directly blocking the sun.

With this perfect set up of clouds, you get the perfect rainbow in the sky. The clouds catch all the oranges, reds, pinks, and yellows, while the sky itself is a bright blue, with green and then yellow closer to the sun. And as the sun goes farther down, the intensity of the colors goes up.

What makes all of this even better is a wonderful view of it all from atop an ocean cliff, where you can see the colors mirrored on the waves. Adding the extra senses of hearing and smelling the salty sea, the whole experience is pretty damn great.