Blogiversary

My very first blog entry, posted a year ago today, was an explanation. Why would I even start a blog? Who really has the time to keep up with a website that, quite possibly, no one would ever read?. Well, the explanation was this: I created the blog because, and I'm quoting myself here, it was "a manifestation of my boredom."

Boredom. That word doesn't even exisit in my vocabulary anymore. It's interesting, to be able to look back on a year's journey, and see how much has changed. My life has shifted from no-school job-searching boredeom to 40-hr Mon-Fri booked up nights and weekends. I had a hard time adjusting to not being in school and having so much free time on my hands (especially because I went non-stop for 5 years, going to school 4 days and working the other 3 days). Without papers to write and exams to study for, I didn't know if I would be able to fill up my days and evenings with other activities. Having nothing to do was so foreign then. And now, a year later, I've somehow adjusted, activities fill my life, and I sometimes wish I had a little more free time on my hands. When this happened, and how it happened, I'm not quite sure. But I suppose that's how life (and growing up?!) works.

Well, Jane Says...started out because I was bored one day, but it has continued because I've enjoyed posting for friends to read. It's been fun sharing my pictures and my journey with you. So, thanks for stopping by and keeping up with me!

Now that’s a bargain!

For Halloween this year, Meghan, Shelby and I are dressing up as characters from the 80s cartoon Jem & the Holograms (unless you’re a girl and grew up in the 80s, you probably have no clue who they are—most guys I talk to only remember cartoons like GI Joe and the Transformers.) Besides my blue wig (I’m going to be the blue-haired Aja) and platinum pumps, I hadn’t come up with much of a costume yet (which is cutting it close, because the party is right around the corner). That is, until yesterday, when on my way home from work, I stopped by a store to see if I could somehow put an outfit together. Although skeptical, I actually did find a bright pink skirt that was on sale for $5.00. The skirt was perfect: it’s a terrible shade of pink and something that I would never wear again, but it would complete my costume without putting a dent to my bank account. To my surprise, the skirt was not $5.00 when I went to pay for it, but was actually marked down to $1.00. A buck?! I couldn't have found a better bargain at a thrift store. Little surprises like that can complete a day.

Quote-o-the-day

Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
Tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

I dare you to move, I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move, I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

-I Dare You to Move, Switchfoot

random question addressed to myself

what. in the heck. am i. doing?

1 year, 5 months past a bachelor of science. major: marine biology, minor: chemistry.
i can barely add or subtract in my head anymore. i'd have a difficult time telling you why el nino happens, the scientific name of giant kelp, or the difference between yellowtail jacks and yellowfin tuna. things are slowly becoming lost to me, knowledge that i don't want to lose. i need to do something about that. especially when i start to think "wow, i miss chemistry" while stirring my morning coffee. yep, it's definitely time to do something about it.

so, what am i doing? what do i want to do? what am i going to do about it?

Tent with a view

I went four days without a shower this past weekend (I'm sure you wanted to know that.) But, I also spent the weekend on a cliff overlooking the ocean, with no one else around but friends. Who needs to be clean when you have a nice view and pleasant company? Showers are overrated.

The Baja trip was great. Micah, Wendy, Mark, Bennett and I left late Wednesday night, arriving at Punta Salsipuedes at about 3 am. We were greeted by a sky overflowing with twinkling stars, a site that LA residents don't ever get to see. After a couple hours of sleep, we hopped on the road and continued on to our destination, further down Baja. Stopped at a stand for some carne asada tortas (my first torta experience--I didn't even know what they were before--and it was excellent!).

We spent the rest of the weekend at Cuatro Casas, camped out on a deserted oceanview cliff. We read (finally finished One Hundred Years of Solitude), took walks and went tidepooling (the tidepools were great, we went octopus hunting under rocks and found several cute ones--I wish I had my camera at the time to share pics with you guys, but was unfortunately camera-less); I knitted, the boys went surfing a couple of times a day. We sat by the warm campfire in the evenings, and went to bed and woke up to the waves crashing onto the rocky shore. There was no running water and only an outhouse (or squatting behind a bush) to go to the bathroom in, but it was peaceful, relaxing and I had a tent with an awesome view. That's what it's all about. I <3 camping.

Another Month Slips By

Why, it's been quite a while since I've posted anything, hasn't it? I do apologize for having been so neglectful towards this here blog of mine. Again, it is time, or rather, the lack of it, that is to blame for my absence. My days have been filled with a lot of work (that whole full-time job thing you know, it's no fun), and a lot of play & fun times. Since the booze cruise, a few of my activities have included going dancing with the ladies, dinner & Sunday evening television with the Ferris', Oktoberfest with the death boaters, Jana's bachelorette party in San Diego, and Jana's wedding this past weekend. I'm finally taking a moment to come up for air, before I dive into my next adventure, which starts tomorrow when I head off for a camping trip in Baja, Mexico. I've truly been enjoying all this fun, but it really is about time that I slow down a bit. I haven't had time to do little things for myself, like going to the gym, or reading, or just sitting, and being, and reflecting, which I miss doing. Going and going and going gets exhausting sometimes, and at some point, we all need to take a moment to rejuvenate ourselves. This trip should be nice and relaxing. I'll just sit around and read or knit, enjoy the sun and breeeze and salty air, feel the sand between my toes and sleep to the ocean waves crashing, and all will be okay again...