meet my friend Oscar

mission beach

There is nothing like waking up on a thursday morning, pouring myself a cup of jo, and walking along the bay to mission bay aquatics for a morning of wakeboarding. I still can't believe this is my backyard.

slow down

I came out to Minnesota for the week and it was a great grip on reality that we all need to slow down just a little. I enjoyed my time throughly here. I relaxed to the maxxxxxx while enjoying the beautiful, crisp, fall weather. I love fall so much. The smell, the colors, the weather, the clothes.

Musica

Music offers an escape from that which we call normal life. Eyes closed, Daft Punk transports us to an instant dance-crazed planet, while Bon Iver lights a bonfire and brings us decadent hot chocolate. No matter the genre, almost every person on the planet responds to and gravitates towards some type or function of music. It is one of the defining characteristics of each and every soul; it is subjective and criticized; but most of all, it is loved by someone, somewhere, no matter it’s style --- IndieShuffle

Code of Ethics

a little something I stumbled upon that I found beautiful.

Native American Code Of Ethics

Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often.
The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.
~
Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path.
Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem
from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.
~
Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others
to make your path for you. It is your road, and
yours alone. Others may walk it with you,
but no one can walk it for you.
~
Treat the guests in your home with much consideration.
Serve them the best food, give them the best
bed and treat them with respect and honor.
~
Do not take what is not yours whether from
a person, a community,the wilderness or from a
culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.
~
Respect all things that are placed upon
this earth – whether it be people or plant.
~
Honor other people’s thoughts, wishes and words.
Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them.
Allow each person the right to personal expression.
~
Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative
energy that you put out into the universe
will multiply when it returns to you.
~
All persons make mistakes.
And all mistakes can be forgiven.
~
Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind,
body and spirit. Practice optimism.
~
Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us.
They are part of your worldly family.
~
Children are the seeds of our future. Plant
love in their hearts and water them with
wisdom and life’s lessons. When they
are grown, give them space to grow.
~
Avoid hurting the hearts of others.
The poison of your pain will return to you.
~
Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the
test of one’s will within this universe.
~
Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental self, Spiritual
self, Emotional self, and Physical self – all need
to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out
the body to strengthen the mind. Grow
rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.
~
Make conscious decisions as to who
you will be and how you will react. Be
responsible for your own actions.
~
Respect the privacy and personal space of
others. Do not touch the personal property of
others – especially sacred and religious
objects. This is forbidden.
~
Be true to yourself first. You cannot
nurture and help others if you cannot
nurture and help yourself first.
~
Respect others religious beliefs.
Do not force your belief on others.
~
Share your good fortune with others.
Participate in charity.

Funky

Wow. What a week. Met a bunch of cool new people and did a lot of new things. It was definetly needed because I have been getting a little San Diego 'cabin fever' lately. The weekend ended with going to Voyeur to see A-trak perform after I just saw him at Wavehouse.. he was that good. Oh, and I went by myself. He played a completely different set at Voyeur, and they were both AMAZING so basically I listened to A-trak for 4 hours on Sunday... not too shabby. A-trak's tunes have this like funky feel to them that I absolutely love. Definetly, have to say I think A-trak is my new favorite DJ at this moment. When he dropped The Big Bad Wolf it literally took me back to one of my favorite moments at Coachella. Robot Rock, Trizzy Turnt Up, and his rap/ghetto part he added in that included Look at Me Now and All of the Lights by Kanye were a few of my favorites as well. I can't wait to see him with DUCK SAUCE at Hard ! Tomorrow, is going to be a long day of school. My clinical group is implementing our community health plan which is a clinic for free TDap shots for Highschoolers. Hopefully, it runs smoothly. And then Wed I am off to spend a week home with my mom in Minnesota. I can hardly wait.. I have not seen her or been back to Minnesota since Christmas! Have a great week everyone :) Namaste.

Embrace

Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy-- the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.

Times are a changin'

Today, is probably one of the hardest days I have had in over a year. Three of my best friends, my roomies, my support, are leaving San Diego to move home. We have literally been together almost every day for the past four years (excluding when they went abroad and school breaks.) I feel empty and unsure how to deal with the feelings. It is the feeling of sadness that they are leaving and that I can't see them whenever I want and the feeling of uncertainity that we are actually growing up and moving into the 'real world.'

I always try to stay positive and am for the most part-- however this has been REALLY hard for me to stay positive about. However, this change and this move is inevitable. It had to happen at some point and the time is now.

When I was thinking about everything that we have gone through together and everything that we have experienced. I realized that yes it is scary- the uncertainity of the 'unknown,' and knowing that we will not be right by each other's sides for everything we are now going to experience. However, my group of friends are extremely lucky. We have an amazing support group and if any of us ever needed anything each and everyone of us would be there to help in any way possible. We will always have someone to fall back on for help and support. That is rare. So in a way we do still have a little bit of a 'safety belt' going into the real world. We aren't completely alone, even though it may feel like that.

It's exciting to look back at the past four years and look at everything we have experienced, accomplished, and completed. Just to think that in the next four years we can be experiencing and accomplishing so much more is exciting.

So cheers to life, what has made us who we are today, what is to come, but most importantly now.

Simple Actions

It has been an absolutely beautiful weekend in San Diego-- I am so lucky to call this place my home. It is crazy the amount of people that are here vacationing for the Fourth of July weekend. Lets just say parking is impossible and getting to the grocery store takes at least 20 minutes. However with all that being said I have been throughouly enjoying myself, it finally feels like summer. June Gloom is GONE! (Knock on wood.)

Today I started my morning at Core Power Yoga with Yoga Sculpt. I went five minutes before thinking that it was an early class and it wouldn't be that crowded. Boy, was I wrong. I walked in and had to make two people move their mats for me to squish in. This yoga class was different then others I have taken because everyone was chatting waiting for the teacher to come in. Even in other yoga sculpt classes people are for the most part quiet before the class begins-- usually mediating on their mats or stretching. The class started and I felt such a great energy with all of the people in the class. The Yoga teachers always say 'Thank you for sharing your energy and your practice with me and with the rest of the people in this room today." For, the first time I really felt this. Throughout the class, some of the people in the class were yelling out words of encouragement for the rest of the class. It was so much fun! I left the yoga studio smiling and grateful that I just shared an hour with 30+ people all working towards the same goal of health and fitness.

When I thought about the class more, I realized how much people can really affect your day and your mood in all aspects of life. For instance, when you go to starbucks or your local coffee shop in the morning if the barista is friendly and nice it makes your day brighter and happier. If you are trying to cross the street and a car stops for you to cross you are relieved and thankful for that car. Simple things, little things like this can turn a person's day around. So next time you pass someone on the street instead of looking down, smile at them. They may be awkward and not smile back but I can almost with full certainty say that it probably made their day a little brighter. Next time, you are going to honk at someone because maybe they cut you off or are driving too slow-- think about when you are in a rush for work and need to cut someone off, or maybe they are having the most horrible day. Don't fuel the fire. Their is no use to that. Be thoughtful and courteous to the actions you perform and realize and understand that they affect others significantly.

Happy fourth everyone :)!

Simple Thoughts

Invest in the present moment, in yourself, and not the future. As I drove home from Vegas, one of the guys in the car was talking about this and it really stuck with me. He was talking about how he goes to work at 8am and is not off until 12am, and then continues to do this for the rest of the week. He said that yes, he is setting himself up for a great future however he thinks it is important to invest in the present moment and in himself right now rather then the future. (He then went on to talk about how he has no time for a girlfriend or for anything else because he works too much.)

As I was dozing off to sleep I really thought about how that is no way to live your life. You may be doing all this work now to set yourself up for a wonderful, abundant future however, what if you are still not happy? What do you do then? It is important to focus on the present time that we are in. To enjoy the moment that you are experiencing right now. The future, is the future, and the future turns into the past. Two things that one should not focus on. We only essentially, ever have, the present moment.

This makes me stop and think about people in my life that I am surrounded by that live their life like this. Their are quite a few people that come to my mind-- and these people I thank. It really is a breath of fresh air when I come into contact with these type of people. It is easy to get lost in the normal flow of human life-- whats next? However, when I am surrounded by people who essentially just LIVE, it is so fulfilling. Because, that is just what I am trying to do.. is LIVE.

Festival Love

This weekend I attented the Electric Daisy Carnival at the Motor Speedway in Las Vegas. This was my first pure electronic festival, and it was absolutely amazing and breathtaking. The festival began at around 8pm and ended at 6:30am, and was a 3 day long event. Lets just say it was definetly a struggle to make it out at night. EDC was everything more then I had expected. I am so happy that I went-- the festival culture is just such an amazing culture, that I love to be a part of. I am new to 'festivals,' my first being Coachella 2011. However, I have always had a great love and appreciation for music. After experiencing Coachella, I realized how much I love festivals. The people, music, lights, atmosphere, art, and the culture is inspiring. I love how everyone gets along, if you are standing next to someone often times you chat or introduce yourself. You get lost in the music and don't worry about anything other then the moment that you are in. The lights are jaw-dropping. The atmosphere is like you are home with family and the art and culture is beautiful. No wonder people save up their money and countdown the days until the next festival. A music festival is a place where you can get lost in the present moment you are in and all worries that you once had are faded away. It is therapeutic.

EDC was absolutely amazing and I suggest if their is a festival around you that you go, no matter what type of music it is!

Life's not about whats better than

Life's not about whats better than, an amazing and truthful song by John Butler Trio. I try to live my life with no comparisons. Constantly I hear people complain or compare experiences to each other. I am guilty of it myself sometimes as well. For example if you ask someone how their night was, many times the reply was it was alright or nothing special. However-- why does everything need to be compared? Why can't that night be just as amazing or special as the last. For the most part you are usually always enjoying the company of good friends and good people. You may be meeting people you have never met before, experiencing a new atmosphere of some sort, or tasting a food you have never tasted before. Take those feelings and experiences as they are-- they do not need to be compared to a past experience. They are just as amazing and special. As human beings we are always seeking something else, something better, something greater, something bigger. Nothing is 'good enough.' So take this moment to try and eliminate the comparisons or the 'longing' for something different out of your life and make your present situation good enough, special enough, and amazing enough for you. If it is not enough then change something and make it enough. Life shouldn't be about comparing the past or waiting for something else in the future. Life is about right now, this moment. So make it great.

Myself and a few of my close friends (Alexandra, Cassie, Brianna, Jade, Jenna, and Lindsay) went to Solana Beach last Thursday and explored the Meditation Gardens. The view was breathtaking and the gardens were so peaceful and tranquil. I posted a few pictures from that day.. enjoy :).

Generosity

someone left me a cinnamon roll at Ikea.

Free your mind

This past weekend I went back home to Santa Cruz for a little family time. It was a much needed weekend home and a much needed time to put things that I care about into perspective. Sometimes, I get so lost in the San Diego lifestyle that I forget about the sole reason that I am down here.

Going home was refreshing. Hanging out with my older brother Nick is probably the best curative treatment any person could ever receive. I swear he has an abundant amount of serotonin flowing through his brain because he is always happy. When he walks into a room people can't help but smile and talk to him. He lights up so many people's lives and is the center to our family. Nick has Down Syndrome and Apraxia. Apraxia is a disorder in which he is not able to coordinate movement of the motor movement of his mouth-- in short terms he can't form words so basically when he talks it sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo. Since, I grew up with him I can understand some things however the common person would not be able to understand Nick for the life of them.

However, this being so, it does not set Nick back in anyway. If I could tell you the one person I know who lives their life the way every person wants to and hopes one day to that would be Nick. He finds happiness, love, and passion in everything that he does. His favorite being dance. Nick is the reason why I don't let small things.. even big things get to me. Nick was born with a disability and yet he is able to find more happiness then anyone I know. He literally is an angel that was sent to show people how to live life. He is the most amazing person I know and I am the luckiest person to be able to call him my older brother.

Stop for a minute and think. Is their something that has been bugging you constantly? Are you holding a grudge that you just can't seem to let go? Are you upset by an action of another? Realize, that in a year, even in a few weeks this feeling will not exist anymore, it will not matter-- so do yourself a favor and just let it go. Maybe you can't let it go because then you do not have a backbone. (I have heard this said many times about myself.) Who made up this theory of 'having a backbone' anyways? It is just a feeling, feelings go away, change, and come again. Let it go-- live carefree and happy. Free your mind.

Changing Faces

Change is inevitable. It engulfs our lives on a daily basis. However, sometimes change can be overwhelming and strike you at a time when you may not be ready for it. This time, is now, for myself and many of my close friends.

Many of my friends just graduated college and four of my bestfriends are moving away from San Diego, two of which I lived with for basically four years. It is hard to believe that I will not be able to pick up the phone and call them to hang out whenever I please.

I have been trying to deal with this change and sometimes it overwhelms me with sadness that the best four years of my life are slowly coming to an end. However, I am a very optimistic person and I know that this is not a way to handle life's obstacles. Lately, I have been stumbling upon quotes and self-improvement topics to find something that can help myself and my friends deal with this thing we call change. I have found that yes we are all growing up and moving into different directions of our lives however we are opening the door up to many great things to come.

I know for a fact that every single one of my friends will be successful in whatever they choose to do and now, this part of life is the exciting and scary opportunity to find what we all love to do and what makes us happy. The one thing, the most important thing, is to be happy-- what my mom always tells me.

Change can bring about sadness, and that is okay however it should also bring about excitement and curiosity.

Life is about change, life is about learning, life is about growing and every step of life we are given we need to take it on with positivity and willingness. Where people tend to fail and get stuck is when they do not accept this process.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. ~Helen Keller

Floral Divine

I really could get used to waking up to the smell of the ocean everyday. Today has been quite a nice, relaxing, and lovely day. I woke up and went on a run around the bay and now am working on a video that compiles all four college years. Going through all of the pictures and videos since freshman year really makes me appreciate what I was given. It amazes me how lucky I am-- to have picked San Diego State and probably had one of the best college experiences anyone could ask for. I made a group of the best of friends and was accepted into SDSU's nursing school. Those are just two, of many things that have made these past four years the best of my life. As Tiesto's song says "I'm blessed, so blessed, so blessed."

The Boat

Finally, we are pretty much all moved into our new place in Mission Beach we are now calling 'The Boat.' We are calling our house 'The Boat' because it basically feels like we are living on a boat-- on one end of our house you can see the bay and on the other end of our house you can see the pacific beach ocean. tough life? How I got this lucky, I am not sure however I am very thankful. Thank You.

Hello Nobody

M.I.A