Since AD 43...

I'm thoroughly enjoying my last little bit of vacation. Instead of doing a post, I'm going to point you over to sfgirlbythebay for susannah conway's guest post about my favorite city in the whole world: Bath, England.

Beautiful

(via)

I'm currently flying to the top half of this state! So excited to be home with the fam.

Take me out to the ballgame!

Another essential part of summers, for me at least, is a baseball game. My family and I were able to go to an Anaheim Angel's game and it was a blast. It's really not even about the baseball, but just hanging out and cheering occasionally and eating ridiculous food. Ticket prices can be pretty decent and you have a pretty great view no matter where you sit (thanks to the jumbo tron, though you can still bring binoculars). If you don't have a major league baseball team nearby, Triple A or minor league games provide the same experience and typically at a lower cost. When I lived in northern California it was all about the Sacramento Rivercats.

Now onto the food. Sometimes 500+ calorie ice cream sandwiches are okay. And it's pretty much the only appropriate time to eat peanuts-in-the-shell. The fresh squeezed lemonade was totally worth the 6 bucks. Not kidding, we watched the girl squeeze the lemon in front us, then added the lemon rind to the drink along with a little bit of simple syrup, ice and water. Of course you HAVE to get hot dogs too.

Plus there's fireworks just about every night, and even though it starts out warm, it cools off nicely at night, especially close to the coast with Anaheim and with the Delta breeze in Sacramento.

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The Getty Villa in Malibu made me feel like I was back in Europe. It's a gorgeous setting, right off the pacific coast highway, tucked on a bluff. It is much much bigger than you think and the little building you see from the highway is not even part of the tour. It is filled to the brim with greek, roman and etruscan pieces, mostly statues, which are mostly of deities, along with metallurgy in the forms of serving platters and goblets and vases. There's also gorgeous roman inspired gardens including an herb/fruit tree garden with over 50 different species (my favorite part!).

The best thing about the Getty? It's FREE. Just make a reservation ahead of time online (our mistake...but the nice man let us in anyway).

(green roof on the parking lot! my inner nerd...)

remember

Hi friends, my dear uncle is getting married today! So I am off celebrating with the family. I will return with more tales of my LA vacation but for now I want to leave you with this:

I collected at least one postcard from each city I visited in Europe. This is currently hanging above my desk, directly across from my bed. Two years ago I was settling into the dorms at Cambridge and getting ready for a road trip to Scotland. I need to start saving my pennies.

starstruck

Sometimes the best way to beat the heat is to be in it, doing something distracting.

Amusement parks are always key. Everyone knows that Disneyland is here in Southern California, but my personal favorite is Universal Studios. The smaller and much less populated park featuring everyone's favorite movies. Located in Studio City outside of Hollywood, the park is situated in a canyon which actually allows a nice breeze at all times (but just in case they provide giant misters and plenty of cold beverages!).

There are a few rollercoasters that, while not huge, are fast and still adrenaline producing. Try the mummy ride or the simpsons 3D experience. If you want to get wet, Jurassic Park will ensure that you are soaked no matter where you sit. Then there's the shows and more low key events. They have Shrek and Terminator 3D shows, A water stunt show based on the movie waterworld and my favorite is the Blues Brothers R&B Review. The Blues Brothers with Dan Akroyd and John Belushi is one of my favorite movies. At universal they've got actors that look just like the SNL alum singing and dancing away.

But of course, no trip to Universal is complete without the studio tram tour. Adjacent to the park is an active, working backlot used in many films and television shows. It has been around since the 30s I believe. For about 30 minutes you sit in a tram escorted by your host and video monitors as you travel around the various soundstages and outdoor sets. After the fires here in 2008, the "new york" street set has been rebuilt, there is also a little europe section, little mexico, miniatures from peter jackson's king kong, the house and hotel from psycho, set from jaws, pieces from fast and the furious, jurassic park, the mummy, backdraft, and wisteria lane (from desperate housewives), whoville from the grinch and the plane crash set from war of the worlds with the giant destroyed 747 still there.

Pier

You must head over to Malibu Pier. It is always lined with a couple fisherman hoping to catch tonight's dinner and more.

View to the right

View to the left

Looking back toward Pacific Coast Highway

Our mission: Breakfast at Ruby's. A lovely 50s style diner.

I loved the vintage postcard style photos

sand

I have so much to share! I'm still trying to organize my thoughts and journeys. But I thought I'd begin with what was central to my vacation: the beach.
The beaches in Malibu are just lovely. We visited corral, zuma and the point (next to malibu pier). Free roadside parking (get there early for zuma!), plenty of space to spread out, surfers to watch and the occasional dolphin to spot off in the distance.

As you can see, it was overcast. Here in southern california the end of may and beginning of june signals "june gloom". We get a marine layer of fog that doesn't quite burn off till nearly noon, if it goes away at all. But that doesn't stop the locals, it's still in the 70s and you can definitely still get a sunburn. Also in this area the ocean rarely goes above 65 degrees even in summer, but you'll still see people of all ages running into the waves.

Here's a clearer day. You can see one of the lifeguard towers, painted with brightly colored murals for this particular summer.

You must be prepared for any situation. Have a lightweight knit sweater and coverup, especially if it is overcast. Apply and reapply sunscreen throughout the day. Bring snacks and lots of water so you don't get dehydrated. An extra big towel and your favorite book or iPod help pass the afternoon lazily.

Return from wanderings

I'm back! Armed with a boatload of fun things to do right here in southern california. Plus plenty of travel dreams and inspirations. Also I will be moving in 3 weeks! I start a summer internship in downtown LA so I will have a new neighborhood, city and county to explore in more depth! I'm really excited.

Peace

I officially have a bachelor's degree. After four years of college I will be taking a much needed vacation with family this week. I'll see you on the other side with plenty of fun things to do in southern california.

p.s.

After I finished finals yesterday I decided the best use of my time would be to trek over to the beach. it's only 10 minutes from campus after all. So I ran to target and bought a book and sunscreen and spent my afternoon reading under palm trees. Sometimes I take this place for granted and that is a travesty.

Newport Beach & Pier (sorry for the terrible cell phone pics)

i feel most alive when...

so maybe I'm crazy but I'd like to lean on my passions instead for my excuse, between finishing finals yesterday and graduation tomorrow, I spent today digging trenches on a Habitat for Humanity jobsite. I'm tired and sore but it was amazing. I spent the majority of the day working alongside a couple future homeowners. There's nothing like volunteer work in the form of physical labor. Helping make someone else's world just a little more beautiful.

Here's a couple photos from a Habitat build I helped out on a couple years ago

(that's me in the back holding down the wall)

(myself (left) and a couple other ladies taking a breather)

just in case

If I ever have $2000 burning a hole in my pocket and a long weekend ahead of me...I'll be booking a flight on last minute. The cheapest tickets are generally for flights that take off within the next week.

For example, leaving LAX to London Thursday through Monday, airfare and hilton-type hotel included, $1300. Yes please!

my heart is beating

Um...definitely the coolest tourism video ever: (I recommend full screen)

Inspired by Iceland Video from Inspired By Iceland on Vimeo.

From the Inspired by Iceland , promoting tourism in, yes you know by now, Iceland. Just in case you were wondering, the volcanic activity is officially over as of May 24. It is so beautiful! Looks like something straight out of a fairytale.

"online purveyers of high quality crimefighting merchandise"

um, coolest thing ever. In New York, there is the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. The storefront specializes in all the superhero apparel and gadgets one may need for a life of fighting crime. And in the back is a center that tutors children after school in creative writing. All cape sales, etc. fund the writing center. Genius. On the list for when I make it to New York.

Fiance is definitely a comic book kid. He doesn't have any tattoos yet, but the first one he wants to get will be batman related. (i secretly think he was more excited to see the dark knight than he will be for our wedding. he saw it in theaters 7 times including the midnight showing.) i do love that boy.

russia

(via)

Itching to scratch some landmarks off my list...

free college

Go figure I would want to take more classes by the end of senior year. My curriculum was quite regimented and didn't leave much room for electives. Now that college is just about over, there seem to be a million things I'd still love to learn about. More importantly I've always wanted to audit classes. As in attend lectures but not do any homework, not have to worry about grades. I'm an auditory learner, and taking notes further helps me absorb the information. Writing essays and taking tests never made since in classes that I was simply interested in learning about. I've spoken before about iTunesU courses. Now I've discovered this: 250 free online courses. (Also see free foreign language lessons). Most are available from iTunes or YouTube.
My favorites:
Intro to Archaeology
Roman Architecture
Intro to Nonviolence
natural resources and population
france since 1871
modern physics: from the atom to big science
spectacle entertainments of ancient rome
the ancient mediterranean world
existentialism in literature and film
dante in translation
old english in context
the literature of crisis
virgil's aeneid: anatomy of a classic
kant's epistemology
proust and philosophy
the examined life
justice: what's the right thing to do
climate change: law and policy
environmental law and policy
faith and globalization
Intro to the old testament
intro to new testament history and literature
modern theoretical physics: einstein

I think i'll be putting these on my iPod for future car rides and plane trips.

sunset

This world is so beautiful, sometimes it hurts...

(via)

"This photograph was taken by the crew on board the Columbia during its last mission, on a cloudless day. The picture is of Europe and Africa when the sun is setting. Half of the picture is in night. The bright dots you see are the cities’ lights. Note that the lights are already on in Holland, Paris, and Barcelona and that’s it’s still daylight in Dublin, London, Lisbon and Madrid ."

so true

(via)

antique souvenirs

hmm. someday when I'm rich I'd like to do this. A trip to Paris centered around flea markets!

I grew up visiting thrift stores and antique malls. My mother is the queen of bargains and negotiation.

It's not all business and shopping either, there's a cruise down the seine, a lecture on flea markets, and plenty of walking tours and restaurants to visit. fun!

another one for the list

I would like a picnic on a rooftop in brooklyn. full stop.

(by miss chelsea jade)

maybe summer isn't so bad after all

I tend to give summertime a bad rap. But really it's just heat that I hate. I start complaining if it gets above 65 degrees. Summertime itself I actually kind of enjoy. And I'm telling you right now I am entering the staycation part of my life (read: poorness). So I am trying to come up with ways to enjoy and explore where I currently am.

-grilling. veggies, beef, kabobs, anything...and this summer I would like to explore other options including fruit. i'm a pro. my teriyaki/pineapple chicken (from scratch) won 3rd place for my old work at a BBQ competition!
-going for walks
-the light during magic hour (aka the hour before the sun goes down and everything is gold tinted)
-many many cold beverages (and the first summer that these will include alcohol)
-long days
-playgrounds at night. fiance and i spent many a night at playgrounds talking into the wee hours in the beginning of our relationship.
-dresses.
-my hair does awesome things during the summer. for reals, i gave up trying to tame it long ago. i wash, spray anti-frizzer and air dry. it's like magic.
-minimal makeup. tinted moisturizer with spf gets a gold star in my book.
-straw hats. to protect my delicate (read: transparent) pale skin.
-inevitable laziness and free time.
-reading books. maybe this will become a year round indulgence now that i'll be out of school
-driving with the sunroof open and windows down (music blasting)
-meals that consist of things like fruit, cucumber, popcorn and caprese salad. though not necessarily all together. but maybe.