The Long Walk(s)

Hello Friends and Fam and everyone in between. 

Welcome to my lovely life!

I'm dedicating this blog to describing in glorious detail my extraordinary walks around San Fran. There are two beautiful dogs (Siri and Esther) at the preschool I work at, and much like preschoolers, they need attention too. In order to fulfill Siri and Esther's desires (as well as help them get their daily dose of exercise) I've been taking them on longer walks when time permits. This isn't only great for them, but it's an opportunity for me to take a step back (or forward, haha walking) and think without being interrupted by the everyday stress we all endure. That might seem kind of weird, but when you get the opportunity to walk and just think, breath and appreciate what you have, it makes all the difference for the remained of your day. 

Not only that, but I get much needed exercise (like the dogs). I've been trying to "get into shape" (whatever that means), and really work on being more health conscious. That includes self-restraint during those nights where I ransack my kitchen like a starving wildebeest. Those nights always end in self pity and an immense amount of guilt. But that's a story for another time. Back to my point, I like getting the exercise; I like clearing my head; I like spending time with Siri and Esther; I like touring the city (especially on days that offer a pristine sky, sun-kissed warmth, and a slight fresh breeze). 

That's another thing. The fresh breeze isn't really an option in the city. When last walking the dogs, I swear, every time I decided to take a deep breath to further enjoy the great outdoors, I found myself choking on either exhaust, cigarette smoke, or some old man's rancid body odor. City "hiking" (if you will) is a whole hell of a lot different than any kind of hiking I've ever encountered. It's an experience all on it's own. 

To get to my main point, a few days ago, I took the girls on our longest walk yet (8.5 miles) and decided to take pictures to capture the vast amount of view points along the way. It's pretty amazing how diverse San Francisco is, not only in it's population, but in it's scenery as well. Every attached picture was taken in the same day during the same walk! Mind you, I didn't take a picture around every corner, so this is actually just a snip-bit of what I saw. We also saw some typical bustling SF streets, many hole-in the wall restaurant, some horses, lots of dogs, and PEOPLE. I somehow managed to take all of these pictures without catching a glimpse of any signs of human life. Which is pretty freaking talented. San Francisco is VERY populated.  

                                                         

Crissy Fields (Siri was determined to get to the beach) 

The Marina (if you squint hard enough you can see the moon!) 

Some really cool park. That's another thing, all San Francisco parks amaze me because they are so different than the parks I grew up playing at. They're so.... modern. 

Amazing view. 

Drastic change of scenery. We go from seeing the entire city to seeing nothing but trees. Also this trail is called "Lover's Lane." I tried to cope with the fact that I was facing Lover's Lane single with two dogs, which made me all the more bitter about the upcoming Single's Awarness day. (Aka Valentine's day) 

And then we're in the Presidio surrounded by magnificent historic buildings (this is not one of those historic buildings.) 

Catching a glimpse of the bridge as we make our way there from the Presidio. 

YES, this is in the city. 

 That seems to be it for now. I hope to continue with the long walks so I can discover more scenic city treasures. I've also gone different routes to places like Coit Tower or to the Piers. Maybe one day we'll make it to Ocean Beach, but for now we'll take it one step at a time. Such is life.

Speaking of taking it one step at a time, I want to hike the John Muir trail. That was a terrible transition, I'm sorry. Anyway, I read a book called "Almost Somewhere" by Suzanne Roberts, about her journey with two other women on the JMT as a pretty inexperienced hiker in 1993. So, now I'm motivated to hike the 211 miles from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney. Summer of 2017 I'm coming for you. Why not 2016? Well thanks for asking, I'm planing on going to Ireland. Don't quote me on that until I'm actually there, but it's a work in progress that I'm determined to make happen.

That really seems to be it for now. I better get to sleep so I'm well rested for my full day of SUPERBOWL REHEARSAL tomorrow. You read correctly, I'm going to be in the Superbowl halftime show. I'm not sure how or where of what that even means. But I'll be the redhead flailing onto the field (keep your eyes out for me!).

Thanks once again for being somewhat interested in my life. Or at least accidentally clicking on my link. Feel free to leave me comments, questions, or ideas for next time! 

Have a fantastic Saturday night! 

Sorry I'm so Boring

I was lounging on my aunt and uncles plush couch when I was reminded of my blog that I have neglected. I decided in that moment that enough had happened to where it was time to scrounge up a new post. After setting a goal point for when I would stop staring at thousands of mind-boggling words in the CSET test prep book, and later completing that goal, I decided I'd work up the nerve and energy to write some nonsensical blog that may or may not indulge any reader in my life. So here I am... an hour and a half after setting a goal which I had originally intended to take 30 minuets.

Let's see, we last left off with me informing you about the possible consequences of porn. Sorry to take a drastic turn, but this blog is going to be about my boring, dull, uneventful life. 

I will start with the semester that I just completed. I ended up pulling 3 A's and 2 A-'s. I'm actually really pissed about the A-'s. I got them in bio psych and teaching for diversity and social justice. I worked the hardest for my bio psych class, and even though it is said to be the most challenging psychology course offered at USF, I was hoping to rise to the challenge and prove that I was able to conquer anything. Okay, maybe that wasn't my complete motivation, especially during parts of the semester when I would convince myself that I could make a living by dropping out of college, moving back to Oregon, and living with my parents. I'm sure glad I got over that. But, I was hoping that the hard work would pay off to the highest possible achievement level. It really makes me cringe knowing that my GPA is tainted by that little minus sign. Likewise, I went the whole semester not receiving any grades in my teaching class, and am smacked upside the head with the A MINUS on the last possible day that teachers are suppose to have grades in. Look at me, complaining about stupid A-'s. This is why I'm going into education. The system is dumb. I shouldn't be worried about the grades I'm making; I should be worried about the knowledge I'm gaining. 

Speaking about education, I'm taking my first CSET test next week. AH. For those of you who don't know, there are three CSET tests required to get a teaching credential in California. The first (which I am taking), is comprised of social sciences, literature, and history. By that I mean that you have to know EVERY SINGLE THING IN ALL OF HISTORY. It's ridiculous. Again, another reason I'm going into education; to change the system that is slowly killing me by producing an absurd amount of stress and unnecessary test anxiety. 

Okay, enough complaining. On a positive note, my two week winter break in Oregon was amazing. :) I went hiking and ice skating, saw the zoo lights, visited friends, had friends visit, and had an overall relaxing trip home. I love Oregon. That's all there is to it. 

I came back to the city at the beginning of January to work. I love my job. I can honestly say that without recoiling. I love who I work for, and I love who I work with. I'm not sure how I was lucky enough to get this opportunity placed in my lap, but it's exactly what I need in this time of my life. I couldn't be more thankful. It's not an easy job, but it's a job that has given me an insight to the thing I love the most: children. 

So, just to wrap this up because I'm slowly losing motivation. Future plans and goals include...

- Spring semester starts on January 25th. I'm taking child development, math for educators, a teaching art class, research design, bilingual education, and fieldwork. For fieldwork I was placed in a kindergarten class at Rosa Parks Elementary school. I am so excited to have the chance to observe a class once a week. I cant wait! 

- Studying abroad: summer in Ireland. Travel is life. Travel will happen. 

- Staying active! I've been taking a bar method class, which I actually LOVE. I've legitimately seen results in just two weeks and it's pretty awesome. It's a class that incorporates a mixture of Pilates, yoga, ballet, and other exercises. But my trial period ends soon, so I plan on going on more hikes and maybe paying a visit to the gym. 

Side-note: I could have written a whole blog on my incident with a dying mouse in my apartment, but instead I will spare you the detail, and just say this; don't ever put yourself in a situation where you have to deal with a half-dead critter who has stunk up your whole apartment, and has left you with the responsibility of disposing its twitching remains. You WILL be stuck in a limbo between feeling overwhelmingly disgusted and surprisingly heart-broken. So, just avoid that at all costs.

Welp, that's about it. Sorry I'm so boring. I try not to tell too juicy of stories because, ya know, I have to get hired one day and the internet is kind of a resource to investigate future employees. 

PLEASE, please, please, give me ideas for something interesting to talk about. I'm all about sharing my opinion, but give me something to share it about! Or asking me something, that's cool too. 

Okay, thanks for reading. :)