Viirtual Coffee Date

If were having a coffee date with you right now, here's what I would say:

I would tell you that I just got back from seeing Phantom of the Opera for the first time and I am pleasantly surprised and amazed. I have never been a musical or theater girl, but this blew me away. I was hesitant going into it because I've never really been into Opera, but this was beyond anything I could have expected. The music was amazing, the theatrics of the show were very impressive, and I loved the storyline!

I would tell you that work has been going really well! I got to observe a trial all day today, I am going to a hearing tomorrow, and I am attending a deposition Friday! I love observing events that litigators do on a weekly basis. Today was the first time I actually observed a trial where I knew one of the parties, had an understanding of what was going on in the case, and really paid attention to the little things, like what the jury was thinking. It made me even more excited for my life in the real world after law school.

I would tell you that I am a little disappointed in myself because I didn't start training for the Nike 1/2 this week, which the Nike training schedule recommends. I know that if I start a week later, my life will not be over.  But I've been having a hard time figuring out my work/exercise schedule. I am not a morning workout person and so whenever I have anything planned after work (or something unexpectedly comes up), I just have to skip my workout. I think I'm going to start training my body to workout in the morning a few days a week, but I really love my mornings to slowly wake up, drink coffee, read blogs, and relax into my day. I will be sad to give that up. If anyone has ideas, I am all ears.

I would tell you I am SO excited to head to my friend's wedding this weekend! It's the first wedding of a friend that I was invited to because I am a friend, not because it's a family friend or my parents were invited.

I would tell you that I really need to drink more water every day. I have a large water bottle and I'm trying to drink 4 whole bottles a day. Water is so good for you, but why do I find it so hard to drink enough?!

I would tell you that I am anxious and excited about my upcoming move in two weekends. I felt like such an adult last night-  I ordered a U-Haul and scheduled an internet/cable appointment. Even though I've been living on my own since college, this was the first time I did everything without the help of my parents and it feels really good!

Happy hump day :)

The Summer Before Law School

My summer associate position only has two weeks left! It's crazy to think how fast the summer went by. In a little over a month, I'll be back on campus for my last year of school.  We are moving out of our apartment close to campus next week, and I've been reflecting on the past 2 years that I've spent in Los Angeles so far as I slowly pack up my life once again.

Two years ago, I was about three weeks out of moving to Los Angeles and starting school. I was just starting to think about packing. I'm proud of where I am now and could never have imagined where my life would be today as I was getting ready to say goodbye to the only city I ever called home. That summer was intense, amazing, busy, and wonderful.

I spent lots of time with friends.

I went to the Chihuly Museum in Seattle, one of my bucket list items.

I coached a swim team and they made it to finals at KCAC.

I went to outdoor movies at a brewery

I celebrated the 4th

I spent time with my favorite person ever, my dog Cooper.

I drank beers by lakes.

I went to baseball games.

I relaxed and relaxed and relaxed.

I think that sometimes there is a notion that you must start preparing for law school in the summer so that you can be ahead of the curve by the time you arrive in September. I think that mindset is entirely wrong, and potentially dangerous. You need that summer to rest, have fun, be spontaneous, and totally and completely nourish your mind and body before school starts because once it does, you are going to have to dive head first into freezing cold water and try to swim upstream. Law school is stressful. Between the first day I started and today, my body started giving me stress signs that I never thought existed. I have developed tension headaches (usually around finals time), I started getting migraines (so far I've had 3), I experienced one true panic attack, my skin developed a rash, and I sometimes get heartburn. I realize I just made myself sound like a 70 year old man. While this isn't how I feel everyday, I never felt any of these symptoms before law school! I consider myself a generally healthy person. I drink lots of water, I try to eat healthy, I work out, I get 7 hours of sleep a night Yet, my body was still trying to tell me something was wrong. I recently started to take up Yoga for the very reason that I know I need to do more to help relieve the stress and anxiety in my body. Sometimes the only true medication for stress is to take a complete vacation from all that is stressful. I am excited to do that in August when I will be off work but before school starts.

However, if there is one thing I can tell any person who is preparing to start school in the fall, it would be don't think about it yet. Enjoy your time with family. Go out with your friends. Hang out at the beach. Read for fun. Binge watch a Netflix show. Start running. Take up Yoga. Go on a road trip. Hike. Spend time outdoors. Finally check off those bucket list items you've been longing to do. Decorate your apartment. But please, please, please do not spend the remainder of your summer worrying about class rankings, reading internet blogs of how to be at the top of the 1L curve, or god forbid thinking about OCI. You will have plenty of time to do all of that come the time school starts. Orientation will prepare you for class. And you'll be just fine.

Keep Portland Weird

Portland holds a special place in my heart as it is the place I drove to every other month during college. B went to college in Portland and so I got to know it pretty well. It will always be a special place because I was always so excited to see B each time I went. This past weekend, we went to Portland for the first time since I made that last trip for B's graduation in 2013.

We got off work at raced to LAX, which seems to be quite the theme these days. We usually fly Alaska (my absolute favorite airline), but this time we flew Delta so we were in terminal 5. I've been in 3/7 terminals at LAX and terminal 5 is easily the best. It has a Lemonade - if you visit LA this is a must! It's healthy, delicious, cafeteria style food. They have something for everyone, and even passes the boyfriend test. 

I had to race to finish up work on the plane, but I sent the email I needed to exactly one minute before the capital came on to tell us we were preparing for landing.  Brett's friend picked us up and even made us a sign, it was adorable. 

We couldn't arrive without taking a picture with the infamous PDX carpet. 

Saturday I officially started 1/2 marathon training (again) and did an easy 3 mile run down by the river. It was typical PNW weather, minus the humidity and the fact that it was 9am and already 70 degrees. That photo is deceiving. 

We went to brunch at Tasty n Sons - oh my gosh. Best brunch I've had in forever, it even rivals MB Post (my fav LA brunch spot). The wait was an hour and 20 minutes, which was worth it. I would NEVER say that long of a wait was worth it, but this was. It's family style, so between 4 of us we got 4 plates. There's a cute coffee place next door, so the wait doesn't seem as bad. 

Afterwards, we hit up downtown for some tax-free shopping! I had to go to the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and B had to stop at Nike. I loved this quote. It perfectly describes what it's like to live in a place where it's not always sunny and 70 degrees. 

For dinner we tried an Italian place called Piazza Italiana. I am very picky about my Italian food, but this place was really good! I ordered carbonara and was not disappointed. They also give a pretty generous pour, so it earned a gold star in my book.

On Sunday, we got to go wine tasting in the Willamette Valley. Oregon is becoming more and more known for it's wine, pinot nior. We hit up 3 wineries, but easily could have done 4. I took way more pictures that I have yet to upload, but I will soon (so details are forthcoming). I will say that I discovered I should probably branch out from the cab sav and try other reds. The views were perfect, the company was good, and the sun was shining! I couldn't have asked for anything better. And B was enjoying his birthday trip.

And right now it's 11:59 PM (west coast time) and that means it's still Monday, so I'm still on track with my goal!!!! 

Best Fitness Accessories

Over the past year, I've really embraced gadgets and accessories to take my fitness to the next level. I thought I would share with you the best accessories and apps that I use - whether it's in training for a 1/2 marathon or just going to the gym everyday.

1. Nike Run App
This app has changed my life! I use it on every run I do and it helped me pace myself during the race. I would love to have a fancy Garbin watch that tells me my milage time, but I am a in debt law student who already has an iPhone, thus making the app free! It's even better than a Garbin watch because it tells you your mile pace as you are running, unlike finding out after each mile. It helps you keep pace better. You can also synch it with your music so when you push pause on your music, it pauses the app. I also love how it automatically pauses when you are stopped, because I don't want that 4 minute stop light factored into my run time! It tells you your elevation and keeps track of your fastest miles, 5ks, 10ks, and longest runs. I could probably go on about this forever. The only complaint that some may have is that it requires that you actually carry your phone with you when you run, but that doesn't bother me.

(And it allows you to put these cool graphics on pictures)

2. Nike Training Club
Nike is doing lots of things right :). I recently started using this again to supplement my strength training regime. You can choose different workouts based on what you want to do - lean, strong, get toned, and target areas. And choose between levels - beginner, intermediate, advanced. Most workouts are 30-45 minutes and are circuit-training type workouts. I usually do 30 minutes of cardio at the gym and then do one of these. Most requires weights, a medicine ball, a mat, and sometimes a resistance band, but some require no equipment at all and you can do them at home! They go by super fast and are a good way to motivate yourself. I, for instance, almost always find myself cutting my strength training workout short because I am always tired from cardio and my motivation level drops. These help me so I don't do that.

3. Spotify
Purchasing a membership to Spotify changed my running game. I love how easy it is to add music to my playlists, how you can listen to playlists "offline" so that the app doesn't eat up your data, and how easy it is to find new songs. You can search other people's playlists so you can get new ideas for workout and running songs. And the best part is that if you are a student, you can get the app for only $4 a month! My iPhone was slowly losing most of my storage space because the songs that I had on my phone were eating up most of that space. So I deleted them all and now only have Spotify. It's also great for studying.

4. Heart Rate Monitor
(pictured above) 

I like my classic polar heart rate monitor. I know lots of fitness trackers have heart rate monitors now, but getting one with a chest strap will make sure that you have the most accurate reading. The fitness trackers only track your heart rate by the pulse in your wrist, so it's not going to be the best reading. Plus, if you are at the gym, the polar heart rate monitor sinks up with the Life Fitness machines, so you can see your heart rate on the machine.

5. Yurbuds
(pictured above)

These. Are. The. Best. They never fall out of your ear!! I have the weirdest shaped ears and running + earphones = bad news bears. But these are the most amazing. I have the older version and the only complaint I have is that the earbud covers sometimes come off so you need to be careful that they don't fall out randomly on the street. Also, there is no built in phone microphone or volume control. If they fixed these problems, I would give them an A++++.

6. Jawbone

I recently jumped on the fitness tracker train. I picked the jawbone initially because 1) it tracks your sleep and wakes you up gradually when you're on the best sleep pattern to wake up and 2) you can set an alarm to remind you to get up and move. I have mine set up so that it buzzes if I haven't moved in 45 min. It's the only fitness tracker that I know of to do that. But I recently had an issue with my jawbone. I called them and they are sending me the newest version of the jawbone for free to fix my problem. Soooo customer service at jawbone for the win! I recommend them to everyone!

7. Brooks Running Shoes 
(pictured above) 

I've been a Brooks fan ever since high school. They have so much support and are perfect for those of us who have knee problems or flat arches. They fit my orthotics nicely.

8. Nike Running Socks

These socks are thick and keep my feet warm in the winter. The extra padding helps with blisters, and the socks are made specifically for your left and right feet.

9. Body Glide

Chafing be gone. I don't really have much else to say about this. It's self explanatory.

10. iPad

Working out at the gym gets boring. Or sometimes I find it's really hard to motivate myself to do anything, let alone work out. All I want to do is curl up and watch Netflix. Ever since I got my iPad, there is really no excuse because I can bring my iPad to the gym and watch Netflix while working out.  It's forced me to go to the gym and it makes my workouts longer and harder, especially if I get into a really good show.

11. Running water bottle

Necessary for long runs with no water fountains. This one is curved so it fits nicely in my hand.

12. Map my run

If you are running in a new city, this app saves you! You can look at routes others have done to get ideas on where to go. 

Stars and Stripes

This year for the fourth, I went back up to Seattle for the weekend. Every year, B's parents have a party at their lake house. Sadly, they decided to sell the house so this was the last party! B has been going up there since he was in middle school, so I think next year will be hard for him and his friends. I've been going for the past 4 years or so. I'm thinkin next year we rent a house in Lake Stevens next to Chris Pratt's family...

Anyways, the weather in Seattle this summer has been absolutely crazy. It's been 90 almost every day and so hot. It hasn't rained in forever.  It's nicer up there than it has been down here in LA (sidenote - what is with this crappy weather, Los Angeles? It's June gloom...in May, June, and July). It was the most relaxing weekend of basking in the sun, drinking beer, celebrating America, and cooling off in the lake.

Life Update.

To get my first official post started (in typical blogger fashion), here is my life update for the past four months.

March

March was full of trips, friends and family visits, and breaks! March flew by so fast and was exhausting. My little brother came to visit for an entire week (which means we went to Disneyland - duh), B's parents came down for a visit, some friends came to L.A. and stayed with us for the weekend, and Brett and I took a trip to New York and Washington, D.C.! It was my first time in NY and DC and it was so amazing, so I'll save that for a whole other post. 

New York was about 20 degrees, FREEZING WIND CHILLS, and rainy! But I sort of loved that. 

We got to take a tour of the white house (before they allowed pics and selfie sticks - boo!!) so here is the only picture we were actually allowed to take. 

 We brought friends from Seattle up to the Ghetty Museum and I practiced my photog skills

My brother and I attempted to take a selfie on each ride. I think we kept that up for 5 rides.

April 

Birthday Month!! Just kidding. While I did celebrate my birthday in April, it was more a one day celebration. B did take me to what I think is the best Italian restaurant in all of Los Angeles - Osteria Mozza. I had the most amazing balsamic pear gorgonzola ravioli that I still think about to this day (yes, three months later). I want to go back so badly, so I'm searching for another special occasion for Brett and I to go.

 Baseball season started and we went to the Mariners v. Dodgers game. The last few weeks of April were unfortunately wasted spent studying for finals so it really wasn't too exciting. Bet you're glad I wasn't on this blog during that time to complain, aren't you :)

May 

In law school life, May also sucks. Finals take over so the first 2 weeks didn't count. But the second two weeks made up for that quick! This picture was taken approximately 5 hours after I finished 2L year! 

We took a trip to Las Vegas for memorial day weekend. I haven't been since college and I was worried nothing was going to live up to that first Vegas trip. I was wrong! I had a blast and spent too much money (and won nothing). I also tagged along on B's work trip to San Francisco and visited my best friend for the weekend. We got a bit too excited, acted like we were never going to live another day and suffered pretty bad hangovers the next day as a result. But it was worth it and SF continues to be one of my favorite cities. My dad also came to visit and bought me a selfie stick. So that has really upped my picture taking game, obviously. We spent lots of time in Griffith Park and I discovered my new favorite cafe - The Trials Cafe.

I think I read 5 books in May just from the time finals were over until June, so prepare yourselves for a book post. I also finished (and started) watching Girls during finals week. How I didn't watch this show before, I will never know. It's amazing, I am obsessed, I can't wait for the new season to come back in fricken January, and I found out today that Mahlia Obama has an internship on Girls this season, so there's that as well.

June 

I started my summer associate position in June! I am working at a private firm and I love it. I feel like a real lawyer, I even have my own office. More on this later. I got to take a trip back to the beautiful PNW for the first time since Christmas. We had a family reunion, I celebrated my brother's 21st birthday, and caught up with old friends. B and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary!! It's crazy to think we've been dating since we were 18 and 19. We celebrated by going to Cliff's Edge in Silverlake (LA). Oh my goodness. This place - it feels like you are eating in a jungle treehouse. When it gets dark, it is only lit up by small string lights and fire pits. I've heard it's a great place for brunch as well. I've been trying to practice my portraits, so excuse the million pictures of my brother. He's a much more willing subject than B.

My little brother slightly resembles to Mackelmore, right?

My one and only cousin who I hadn't seen in 5 years! 

Grandma selfie-stick for the win.

I also got to have brunch with my mom's side of the family as well. We snuck the hair clip on my grandma and she didn't even notice. 

My friend Kelsey came to visit and we went hiking to Escondito Falls finally. Escondito is a great place in Malibu where there is (actually - was) a waterfall. Thanks to the lovely CA drought we are currently in, it was a tiny, miniscule, barely noticeable trickle of water. We decided to hike up past the waterfall in search of more water (what were we thinking? There was no more water) and all of a sudden... A RATTLESNAKE slithers its way right in front of us, stops, and shakes its rattle. I have never been so terrified in my life. We were trapped because we didn't want to go down and pass where the snake was, so we stayed in the same place for a good 20 minutes screaming and physcing ourselves up until another hiker got to us. Then we made him go past first. I think we got down the rest of the hike in record time, not even joking. That same night, we went to a gay bar in West Hollywood and were having a great time singing along to Bad Blood when all of a sudden we found ourselves front row and center to a bar patron pulling out a STEAK KNIFE from her bag and threatening another fellow bar patron. I am not even making this up. I should have bought a lotto ticket that day since I escaped death twice. 

Stay tuned for some really exciting upcoming posts to follow that tale of death (sarcasm, folks). But on the real, I do actually have some ideas for posts in the future. I am going to Portland soon so watch out for a recap (and ideas for what to do in Portland, since I know it like the back of my hand thanks to the long distance relationship B and I were in for 4 years). I signed up for my second half-marathon! I will be running the Nike Women's Half in October. I have hardly been running regularly since the Surf City, so I need to get back into shape. I am also trying to break that 2 hour mark.  B and I are taking a trip to Boston in August for the first time! I have the entire month of August off from work and school, so I will be heading up to Seattle for a bit. B and I are moving to a new place in LA and I am super excited about it. I am providing design guidance for the new house that my dad is remodeling, so I can share some updates for that in a few posts. I am summering at a firm. I am taking the MPRE (ethics portion of the bar) in August and gearing up for the my last year of law school. 

I think that'll last me for a few posts, so take that hiatus bloggers ;)