Fun at the Fair...

My brother and his girlfriend Jennifer came to visit San Diego and we went EVERYWHERE... I've been bad about posting the random stuff we did, but I just went through all the fun pictures and I realized that I have a few postings worth out of all the places we went to.. So much fun! I don't get to see my family too often, usually only once a year during the holidays, but now that I live on the mainland, kind of makes it a little easier. I'm trying to convince the bro to move to SD so we were sure to show them all the cool places and fun things to do in the new town as well as some of the nearby towns (future blog posts to follow). On one of the days we headed to the Del Mar Fair.. errrr San Diego County Fair? Whatever the heck they call it now... The day we went I put all "dieting" aside.. I was looking forward to the fried Snickers! I had never had one before and the thought of it was intriguing.. Probably one of the best things I'd ever had... I don't regret one calorie!!








Oh and the games... We didn't win any of the big prizes.. but I wasn't too sad.. I don't have any place to put a bigger than life size monkey..


The rides were pre-ty sweet.. Definitely like the fair rides because it borders that "dangerous" side with all the creaks.. and we definitely rode the ferris wheel.. an absolute must!






Tarot reading anyone?


I brought along my Holga camera.. check out the vintage pics.. Corn on the cob... duh..




...pretending to be a little kid is sometimes so necessary...

MIHO.. Gastrotruck.. Movement..

A friend of ours invited us to their house because something called the MIHO Gastrotruck was going to be nearby.. Ummm, what? I had to google it to find out what the heck he was talking about.. I was mesmerized... "good food" out of a truck or glamified roach coach?! This is taken from their website.. "MIHO Gastrotruck uses fresh, local, and thoughtfully sourced ingredients to create hand crafted street food that is affordable, convenient, and delicious. We truly care about this kind of food, and we hope to share that love with our community". Being that I don't discriminate against food because I'm not a picky eater whatsoever, I wanted to try it.. It was one of the best burgers I'd ever had (with a side of fries). Totally felt like a family bbq but way better! We ordered our food from one side and picked it up on the other.. This truck uses the social media to let people know their location and parks for a few hours and typically if there is a watering hole nearby and you order from them, they give a discount on a drink or two. Bright idea!! We chose to head to our friends rooftop sanctuary and ate our food overlooking the San Diego skyline.. One of those perfect California nights..

Check the pics...




So pretty...


...sometimes you have to put your taste buds out there and be adventurous to try new things instead of sticking to "what you know"..

North Park/Hillcrest Neighborhoods...

I love venturing out in new cities so I can get a good grasp of my surroundings and know all the hidden gems of what a city holds to find all the best places to eat, drink, and play.. It's super helpful when friends and family come to visit and you can show them a good time and all the awesome fun stuff to do.. (I'm secretly enticing everyone to move to San Diego for my own selfish reasons.. I can't help I want them near me!). I wanted to specifically spend a day seeking out the goodness of North Park... which then lead us to Hillcrest.. my absolute new favorite. I may need to look into purchasing a house in this wonderful neighborhood.

Pictures you say?? Of course...

The first thing on our mind most of the time is food.. So we chose to eat at Urban Solace.. I'm secretly a southern girl at heart and L.O.V.E grits.. I spent some time in Texas, South Carolina, and Florida, so this girl knows good grits.. Urban Solace put a huge smile on my face when I opened up the brunch menu and staring at my face was the grainy goodness.. I die!! Did I mention I really heart their Ron Burgandy artwork?!





After filling our happy bellies we decided to "wander" the neighborhood, walking up and down University Street and 30th. Such cute boutiques of all kinds fill the street sidelines.. What do you think of this store window? Could YOU pull off leg warmers as a male?




A few random pics for your pupils...






We stumbled upon one of the greatest walls ever and it happened to be on the side of an Urban Outfitters.. Ironically enough, the outfit I had on for the day mostly consisted of Urban Outfitters.. isn't it always awkward walking into a store and you're wearing head to toe their label? I don't know why, but this is always awkward for me.. Anyways, I quickly got over it and continued to pose along their wall... NBD..






I brought along my Holga camera and snapped up the rest of the film I had in there from a previous shooting sesh... I fall more in love with the pictures it makes each time..





...explore every little crevice of the world one boutique and restaurant at a time... strike a pose to note the memory...

Analog.. Rewind to 1985...

I love the 80's... who doesn't?! For the longest time I thought the 80's was the worst decade we'd had in a long time.. I think maybe the 90's were the worst.. please don't bring back acid wash jeans.. I may vomit.. such a blur right? Nothing major other than MC Hammer's pants comes to mind.. But the 80's has made such a comeback recently that it's the norm. In my venture to find good hangout spots in San Diego, one of my favs so far is Analog. When you first walk in, it's not super obvious, but if you take a closer look, old records and cassette tapes line the walls.. Forty's (the cans) are the back splash of the bar. Walk to the other side and they have karaoke blasting from the speakers.. People there are so good it's almost like American Idol auditions are going down. It's a good time being surrounded by such paraphernalia. If you want to time warp for the night, head to Analog.. Their food is pret-ty darn awesome too.. Macaroni and Cheese dish all the way.. Get some..






Remember those folders from school?! Yeah, they're the menus..


Party poses..


I'm warning you.. the following video is completely unedited.. it's raw.. vulnerable... and exhaustingly long.. Don't judge me (us)..


...sing your heart out... make sure it's real...

Korea... Passport.. Stamped..

This blog post is way long overdue.. The holidays this year had me traveling all over the place and along with getting settled in my new little city of San Diego, unpacking my entire life and making my apartment feel like home... OH and I was working through all the madness of life.. I'm super sad the holiday season has come and gone but I feel like I can actually breathe and enjoy this new city of mine.. FINALLY! So in a previous blog, I said I went to Korea for Thanksgiving.. My Dad has been living there on and off for the last 14 years for work and he had plans of moving for a new job back in the US. I obviously had to take advantage of him being there and for the first time I visited him and finally saw Korea!! I must admit Korea wasn't at the top of my "must visit" list, but I'm sure glad I did.. The food, sites, and the fact I got to see my little sister after not seeing her for over 5 years was nothing short of pure fun! That girl is one ball of energy and I swear she can out run the energizer bunny..

I don't think I ate anything "American" the entire time I was there besides Thanksgiving Day where my Dad made a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Kimchee was now part of my daily diet and I ate as much bibimbop as I possibly could...

PICTURES!!

First started off the vacation in Seoul, South Korea...


I knew what was first on my list... SHOPPING! I had heard Korea was the place to shop if you were a pro... duh.. like there was any question of my shopping skills..






We always have time to Zoolander...


And have obligatory Starbucks coffee internationally...


The street vendors sometimes had questionable food.. but I couldn't get enough of the chestnuts they made!


My Dad lived in Daegu a few hours south of Seoul.. We took the KTX train (kind of like the bullet train that moves super fast).. it was nice being able to see the countryside of Korea after all the hustle and bustle of the city..



My little sister can't take a normal picture.. I have to specifically tell her to "just smile normal" if I want a normal picture.. I'm not really sure where she gets that from... (it's in the genes)..



..this is our sassy face...


On Thanksgiving Day after stuffing our faces with yummy turkey.. we went to Dongwhasa Temple.. This place is beautiful..





..my best buddha pose..


We also visited the Bulkuksa Temple..





...just a 6 year old and her thoughts.. the road to life...


We were very cultural during this trip.. We also went to the Gyeongju World Cultural Expo!






..we survived on coffee almost everyday to keep our energy...


I'm already looking forward to the next time I can make it out to Korea.. The driving was a little intense even from the backseat! But the shopping and food was to die for... So I leave you with my last picture of my favorite dish as I mentioned earlier.. bibimbop!!


...Enjoy the video I made of my international trip!!



...travel opens the eyes and makes you appreciate what the world has to offer..