Coachella 2017 Weekend One Recap

I can't believe Coachella 2017 has already come and gone. It crept up on us this year. Our lives were pretty hectic up until then so it was the perfect time to get lost in the desert and listen to some our favorite artists. Instead of camping this year, we stayed at an AirBnB in Rancho Mirage and shuttled over to and from the festival. Not camping was totally easier on our bodies (and souls) and I felt that even though we experienced less of Coachella, we were able to enjoy the parts that we were there for more. Here's a quick recap of our weekend!

Looking Forward

Have you ever had an out of body experience in the middle of a moment and realize that one day you're going to look back on this day and pinpoint it to the start of a new beginning? Well this weekend was just that kind of moment. I've been giving happiness a lot of thought lately. If money can't buy it and you're unhappy when you don't have money, then how are you supposed to "get" happiness in this consumerist society that we live in? If happiness is in the journey and not the destination, then what are we headed towards? There've been countless articles written on the "keys to happiness" or on the "secrets of a happier lifestyle," but I'm not sure anyone really has the answer to these questions, especially not I. But after this past weekend, I've felt happier and calmer than I have in months.

Portland Photo Diary

Before you get in too deep into this post, we feel like we should warn you that there are going to be a lot of pictures, a lot of pictures of plants (it is Portland after all), followed by a rant. We would also like to say that we have nothing against hipsters or trendies or anybody really in general. The following rant is just what we've been feeling and noticing recently. Hopefully you will find it entertaining (because you just might agree with us).

May Outtakes

Creativity is often sought after, but it is hard to define or explain. It's a quality that is used to describe certain kinds of people. It's a process that usually results in something beautiful, but it's also a state of being that seems to come and go in waves. It's not something that can be forced, planned, or bought. But is it something that you can run out of? If so, how do you replenish it and can you get more of it? Can it be learned or taught? Is it more like a river that keeps flowing or is it like a bucket that you have to keep filling? These are all questions that we've been pondering over the last few months.

Redemption

None of our trips to the Griffith Observatory are ever the same. Every time we go, we have new stories to tell. Each time we look at the view of the city, different emotions are evoked. We've gone early in the mornings when there's hardly anyone there. We've gone on insanely hot days where we only went as far as the shade went. We've gone on days where the sky was so overcast that the view of the city was under a blanket of clouds. But never had we gone during magic hour to watch the sun set below the mountains...until now.

Our Secret Garden

Whenever I would visit New York, I would always make it a point to spend time in Central Park to decompress from the hustle and bustle of the city. Around LA, there aren't that many places to escape to and so when we found Arlington Gardens in Pasadena, we were smitten with its maze of plants and flowers. It really was our secret garden to play in. Every corner we turned, there were plants that could only be imagined by Dr. Seuss. After a last couple weeks of stress and hard work, we definitely got our Japanese Zen vibe on exploring this garden.

The Little Things

After our exciting and adventurous trips to Palm Springs and Disneyland, we thought we'd take it easy to wind down our spring vacation. We spent the weekend sleeping in to enjoy a few more moments of snuggling underneath the covers. When we finally got ourselves out of bed, we headed to Grand Central Market to grab brunch and avoided the hype of Egg Slut to discover a new favorite spot: Belcampo Meat Co, and a new love for broccolini. At the market, we also picked up the biggest sunflowers because we wanted to bring a bit of sunshine home and we're a sucker for cute packaging. We played tourist in our own town for the afternoon and were up to our usual tricks in discovering new alleys to romp around after filling up on ahi poke nachos. Sometimes the littlest things in life can truly bring you the most happiness.

Explosions in the Sky

Fellow Type As would agree that perfection always seems to be the destination. We’re constantly and obsessively trying to create those perfect moments with detailed itineraries and strategic packing in anticipation of the worst. Or better yet, these perfect moments happen and we ruin them by frantically trying to capture them as they occur so that ironically we can remember them instead of truly enjoying them. These idiosyncrasies are especially enhanced during our vacations. Our two day adventure to Disneyland was no different. We were prepared to combat the chilly evenings with our Rodarte hoodies, the overuse of our phones with our power packs, and the struggles for achieving the perfect selfie with our selfie stick and bluetooth remote. What we weren’t prepared for was the most magical ending to our spring break.

Super Rich Kids

We thought we'd get a jumpstart on festival season with a quick getaway to Palm Springs for a friend's birthday. What better way to forget the woes of getting older with hours spent lounging at the pool and sipping maybe one too many mojitos. In between playing with beach balls and rocking to hot cougars singing our favorite tunes, we were able to steal away a few minutes to explore the colorful Saguaro Hotel. While taking a quick detour to the bathroom, we found an empty area take in all the bright colors, palm trees, and sunshine.

High and Dry

Our love for lonely and hidden places runs deep in our veins. This bike trail lined with majestic power lines has stood the test of time despite the constant sprouting of new shopping centers and apartment complexes in the city around it. Tucked in between pockets of suburbia, it was a quiet place to get away and collect our thoughts. Armed with comfy sneakers and cozy sweats, we explored this trail to our hearts content--the trains passing by only added to our adventurous mood.

Such Great Heights

We took a cue from Mother Nature and indulged in the summer vibes she threw our way. With the sun high in the sky, we headed towards the coast to catch a break from the heat. The closer we got to the coast, the further away our worries seemed to be. Whatever worries we had left when we arrived at Manhattan Beach were quickly washed away with mimosas and sangrias over brunch. After filling up on breakfast chimichangas, we made our way to the pier where we blissfully played in the waves and soaked in the sunshine. As if the beach wasn't a beautiful enough of a view, we headed to Hilltop Park in Signal Hill to catch the sunset. Sitting in the grass while literally feeling like we were on top of the world was the perfect way to end our summery day. If this is a preview of what summer is going to be like, we can't wait to spend our days lounging in linen t-shirts and birkenstocks.

One Moment More

It seems silly to hold onto photos for so long before posting for them, but two weeks later, here we are posting photos from a trip that seemed like it was a lifetime ago. It has become tradition now to plan an adventure together instead of exchanging gifts for holidays and birthdays. We want to collect moments, not things; and so for Valentine's Day, we decided to make a quick getaway to Palm Desert. It seemed like the least romantic place to escape to. For us though, we couldn't have thought of a better way to celebrate love than with open roads and open skies for us to explore. We traded windmills for people that weekend. Away from civilization, we were able to find quiet and intimate moments, like stopping at a deserted recreational area near the Salton Sea to gaze at the stars. Without the usual city light pollution to distract us, we were in complete awe of the beauty above.

January Outtakes

The concept of a fresh start can be so empowering and crippling at the same time. To realize that we have the ability to change our lives at any given moment is so powerful. The weight of unexplored possibilities and hopeful dreams can almost be too much to bear. 2015 is well underway, and the newness of the new year has begun to wear off. What started as a blank canvas for all things awesome to happen has turned into a daunting hurdle to just get through. Suddenly, the remaining eleven months seem to be simultaneously too little and too much time. Too much time spent mindlessly toiling away at work, and too little time spent accomplishing our actual goals. The new year always brings about hopes for the future, and so with our ambitions higher than ever, just getting through the day, the week, the year isn't gonna cut it anymore. That'd be settling, and we choose to be better than that.

A Plebentine Weekend

Valentine's Day weekend was just like any other weekend, except with more flowers in the apartment and more inclination to stay snuggled under the covers. We cheered to love with complimentary drinks at the Upstairs Bar at the Ace Hotel with friends old and new. On the actual day of love, we headed into the city to perform our rehearsed ritual of iced coffees and brunch. With the sun shining a little too hard and pretty pink flowers blooming, it was the best day to relish in the warm and fuzzy feelings we have for each other.

Extra Ordinary

The Weekenders

Perfection is not a label I use easily or often, but Saturday morning was just that--perfection. Waking up before the sun, we basked in the quietness and stillness of the transition from week to weekend. We watched the world come alive as the sun started to peek through the windows and created elongated shadows on the walls. It was a quiet, slow, unpressurized start to the day. A couple "just five more minutes" turned into hours of being in bed. There was something about that morning that made the world not exist for a while. Talking or not talking, it didn't matter because it was just us under the covers. That was our world and that was all that mattered. It's a morning that we will never forget and will always strive to replicate. Perfection is underrated.

December Outtakes

December was an action-packed month. Because it was our first holiday season together as a couple, there were many firsts to be had. We went on our first Disneyland trip together. We got our first Christmas tree. We met each other’s families. We exchanged gifts for the first time. And as much as we enjoyed these big happenings, it was the little moments in between that really made the fleeting days of 2014 that much more bittersweet.

Old Haunts

Realizing that San Francisco was only a train ride away from where we were staying, we decided to go into the city for an afternoon of fun in our favorite area, the Mission District. Once we got there, we stuck to Brandon's tradition of grabbing lamb and beef schwarma from Ali Baba's Cave. Whenever we're in a new city, we always set out to find a good coffee place to get our caffeine fix. We found ours at Four Barrel Coffee, which was also a cool space to hang out. After filling up on good food and drinks, we perused through some cool thrift stores along Valencia before ending our visit at hipster hill in Dolores Park--another place that we love to haunt when we're in the area. We really enjoyed revisiting our favorite spots in the Mission and keeping on with our traditions. We cannot wait to go back again hopefully soon.

November Outtakes

In every relationship (romantic or not), the honeymoon phase will eventually end. The phenomenon of being new stops being shiny, and the reality of being together settles in. Decisions about committing and moving forward need to be made. Feelings about each other need to be figured out. Visions and goals for the future need to be aligned. Sometimes the shift is seamless and goes unnoticed; while other transitions may require some adjusting. We’d like to think we’re still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship, but our visions and goals for our blog needed to be revisited in November.

A Merry Unbirthday

After getting our first tree together over Thanksgiving weekend, we have begun starting new Christmas traditions. On Friday, we played hooky from work and traveled to the magical world of Disneyland to celebrate Jasmine's 25th birthday. As fans of both Disney and Christmas, it was the perfect way to ring in our favorite time of the year. We arrived when the park opened, and immediately took advantage of the lack of lines and hit the big rides: Space Mountain, Star Tours, Matterhorn, and Big Thunder Mountain--all before 10AM! In between indulging in corn dogs and clam chowder, we managed to squeeze in 25 rides to represent 25 years of life. Our top three favorite rides were Peter Pan, Star Tours, and Big Thunder Mountain. We actually rode Star Tours five times in an attempt to visit all six worlds (we managed to get 5/6!). This Disneyland trip was the best one either of us had ever had and we cannot wait to go back together again!