2019 in Review

2019 passed by so quickly for me. It was a year for me doing some many new things and things I've always wanted to do.

This year, I only got sick once and that was after my trip from New York. It was so cold there. And the flight back from New York was also cold. I wished I had a blanket with me. Luckily, my sickness wasn't too bad and it didn't last too long. I'm so happy that I finally was able to visit New York. The rainy and cold weather made it harder on me, but that didn't stop me from walking all over NY. NY, Chicago, and New Orleans have been in top 3 places for me to go in the U.S. And looks like, New Orleans is next! I got to add more domestic destinations to my list and get started on my international must visit list!

One of the best things that happened to me this year was making new friends. I been playing POGO for a while and just did it to get out the house and have a reason to go out and be more active. As I got more into the game, I also made some friends and connected with people in the community. I did not expect that at all. We even end up doing white elephant together and grabbing boba!

Things I've done:
Bat Talk in Davis
Monster Jam
Fancy Fondue dining
Panic! Concert
Visit NY, Portland,
Water Lantern Festival
Visited Monterey Bay
Visited LA again

Food I've Made:
Chicken Pot Pie
Stuffed ricotta cheese shells
Chicken Thighs
Cornbread
Cranberry Phillo Shells
Taco bar
Hot Pot
Grilled Cheese Paninis
Buffalo chicken nachos

Movies I've watched in theaters:
Toy Story 4
John Wick 3
Avengers Endgame
Joker
Spiderman: Far From Home
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Hobbs & Shaw

I already have a few things to look forward to doing in 2020. There's a few self improvement things I got planned. I also plan to change my room a whole lot. That means I'll be getting rid of some stuff that I been holding on to forever and finding a way for it to look more organized. There's so much foods I want to learn how to cook and prepare, so I'll try to work on that more next year. Another thing I plan to do is to work on another scrapbook of my life so far. There have been so many things I was holding on to because I wanted to remember them, so I finally get to put everything all together. I just know that next year will be much more fulfilling!

2018 in Review

Hello,

I haven't posted much in my blog for 2018. Lots has changed this year. One of them being me working a new job. Another thing is I have been addicted to Pokemon Go and have been playing that a lot. I've also been spending more time with friends. I haven't traveled much, despite really wanting to, so it will be my goal next year to make it happen! I didn't get sick this year, so I'm super grateful for that. Being sick is never fun.

Not everything was positive this year though. I believe I had the worst November I ever had. I stopped being friends with someone who I knew for years. It just wasn't my month despite it being my birthday month.

Places I've been:
Yosemite
Amador Flower Farm & Nursery
San Diego
Seattle

Things I've done:
Katy Perry Concert

Movies I've watched in Theaters:
Aquaman
Black Panther
Incredibles 2
Avengers: Infinity War
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse
Crazy Rich Asians
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Deadpool 2

I felt that I could have done much more this year, so next year I'm going to try to do as much as I can. I already have a few things planned out that I'm excited for, so I'm looking forward to them :). I also hope to learn new things and become a more well rounded person. I'm really hoping that 2019 will be a better and positive year.

Chicago in a day

This post is almost a year overdue, but I'm going to go ahead and do it anyways. I mentioned it in my end of the year post in 2017 that I visited Chicago for the first time. I've always wanted to go. It was my first time traveling to a place in the United States and exploring it myself. Since it was almost a year since my visit, my memory will be a little fuzzy in some details, but I still remember a lot!

I arrived in Chicago on a Sunday morning. I think before 6am! Right after dropping my bags, I went directly to Maxwell Street Market since I saw that it opens at 7am. When I arrived, I saw vendors who sold stuff, which I wasn't interested in. I kept walking more down the street and found the food. I saw horchata, tamales, tacos, and other stuff. I got a horchata, which was good. My main goal was to get tacos from a place that had lots of raves about it on Yelp, but it took longer of a wait then I expected, so I grabbed a tamale first. The tamale was delicious. When the taco place was finally opened, I order a steak taco. When I was done I walked around a bit and then ordered a ride. I didn't realize it, but when I talked the driver on the phone he thought I was at Millennium park, so I just canceled it and ordered a ride once I took a look at the street signs.

Before my trip date, I did a lot of research of what Chicago has to offer. I knew about the bean because that's what everyone takes a picture of. What I didn't realize was that a lot there was a lot to see at the park. There was the fountain, the bean, and fountain where kids play. I did know that the park was huge because I decided to walk from Millennium Park to the Shedd Aquarium. It said about 25 minutes on the maps, so before coming I thought to myself that's a piece of cake. Little did I know that it would be so hot on that day. I wanted to call a ride to take me there, but since I was on the beach walkway, it wasn't close to a drop off section, so I just walked all the way there. When I finally got to the building, I was absolutely amazed at the size of the buildings around there. Those buildings were museums, aquariums, and planetariums and they were like State capitol size!

I already decided upon getting a Citypass before coming to Chicago, so I had some other destinations to hit up for the day. Shedd Aquarium was one of my choices. I decided to only stay an hour there due to my time crunch. The associate there asked me if I wanted to see a movie as part of the pass and I said no. I really like the choices of fish that they had there. Some of them were really huge and I've never seen them before.

Next stop was the Field Museum. When you walk into the Field Museum, you can see Sue (t-rex skeleton) immediately. When I walked around to explore, I had no idea the amount of preserved animals I would see. It absolutely astounded me. The collection at the museum is amazing. I was only imaging how much effort it took to preserve each of the animals.

Now that I was done with the Field museum, my next stop was the Art Institute of Chicago. I already knew how much of a walk it was from Millennium Park to Field Museum. But, what did I decide to do? I decided to walk because I believe that would be the best plan. It was another long walk, but it didn't seem so hot this time around. Studying a map really came in handy because I used it a lot when navigating my way around Chicago.

When I finally made it to the Art Institute of Chicago, I was amazed that it was another big buildings. There was so much art there. One of them was a really famous painting that I've seen before and had the most people there. There was also a lot of abstract art there. But since I was in a rush, I didn't take the time to appreciate all the art that the building had to offer, so I made my way to my next stop, which was Sears Tower. Being the person that I am, I had already looked at how far it was from Sears Tower and Art Institute. Since it was so short of a walk, I figured I had to do it. This walk was quite short. That particular area was the most run down I saw in Chicago with some homeless and less clean buildings. It kind of remind me of some places I been.

When I arrived at Sears tower, I noticed a huge line. The Sears tower was so popular, so of course everyone would want to go there. I over heard that fast pass could go ahead and skip the line, so I went up and they let me go since it was only me. When I went up the elevator,  there was another long line, they also let fast pass people skip that line and go ahead to the elevator to the tower. When I finally made it to the tower, I think there was like 4 glass areas where people were taking photos. I looked around and stared at it for 10 minutes. I left after that because I didn't want to face my fear of heights for a photo. After all that was over, I think it was around 2 o'clock. I was hungry and decided on getting pizza since it was so close to the building.

I chose to eat at Giordano's. When I arrived, there was only bar seating available, so I took it. When I ordered, I really believed I ordered it without onions, so when it came with it I told the bartender I had it with no onions because he said he didn't hear that, so I let it be. So, I just spent some time getting all the onions out. At the end of my meal, I finished the pizza and about 3 refills on ice tea. My bartender let me know he didn't charge me for the iced tea and said something about miscommunication about the pizza. I was surprised about it, but happy.

After eating, I realized that it was almost about time for the last tour at Driehaus Museum, so I really hoped that my ride could make it there on time. And yes, I made it in just in time for the tour. The museum looked like a house from the outside, but inside there was so much stuff worthy of being in a museum. There were Tiffany items and so many other elegant and priceless items. I also got to learn about art. This place is truly a gem of Chicago. I want to go back. The place reminded me of Hearst Castle and the Stanford Museum.

I finally went back to the hotel after Driehaus Museum. But, guess what? I was thinking that I already had so much stuff on my list that there was still things I can do. So, once I changed, I walked out and decided to walk to Navy Pier since it was a close walk. Navy Pier has a ferris wheel, restaurants, shops, boat tours. I didn't go on a boat tour, but I regret it. Next time I'll go on the a boat tour and see the fireworks.

Thanks to my research and map looking skills, I knew it was possible to walk to Navy Pier to John Hancock Observatory, so I spent some time walking. About this time, it was already cooler in the day and not as hot, which was good. The area where I was walking was relatively clean, although I did notice a sign about picking up dog litter since rats like to eat that stuff. When I arrived at the John Hancock, it realized that it was a fairly nice building. It didn't have the crowd like Sears tower, but it was a really nice view. I really enjoyed it.

I was hungry afterwards and really wanted to try something popular in Chicago, so I walked over from John Hancock to Portillo's. When I was walking it started sprinkling and that was the moment when I was most scared in Chicago was when I might get all soaked, but the sprinkles never amounted to heavy rain that got me soaked.  Portillo's pleasantly surprised me because it was more of a food hall with different options and a good crowd. I ordered the hot dog without onions of course, and I love their hot dog! Why don't we have hot dogs with poppy seeds here?

My last stop of the night was the hotel because I couldn't think of anything else to do. As I laid down in the hotel room, I realized it was one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed at and there was two beds. I was all by myself and no one knew my name, but I was doing more than ok.

The next morning, my first stop was at a cafe because I specifically wanted hot chocolate.  Chicago was the Chicago Zoo. What surprised me the most about it was that it was free, yes free! Since I went really early in the morning, there were no crowds whatsoever and most of the time it was just me and the animals in sight. There were also buildings I think I could explore, but they were closed. I will definitely want to come back to the zoo in Chicago. It's so tranquil and pretty.

I decided to hit up Chinatown because I wanted to see how it was different from all the other Chinatown's I've been to. There's the older side and a more newer side. As I walked down the older sign of Chinatown, I noticed older people catching up with others and asking them what they were doing there. It's definitely not as big as the one in San Francisco, but I liked it. I got a Totoro fan at one of the shops and ate dim sum. In fact, I didn't finish it, so I ended up bringing the rest on my flight back.

Next, I went to U of C. U of C is the University of Chicago. The reason why I wanted to go there was because I reading through the Yelp comments years ago and I wanted to see what college life was like there. When I arrived, I noticed that all the buildings look nice. I also noticed that I can practically not inside any of the buildings. I asked one of the people there and he said you have to be a student go inside, so I just walked around. It just so happens, that the solar eclipse was going on at the time I was there. I noticed some people around there watching. A lady I talked to offer to let me use her glasses her a bit, so I was able to see for a few seconds. What I saw was really small! I hope that was the solar eclipse.

I didn't take a load of photos when I was there because I took lots of videos. Not as much as my cruise trip, but enough to make a 4 minute video. If you want to see it, here's my Chicago video. I spent a lot of time editing it, but not many people were interested in seeing it. I'm glad I did a video though because it makes it easier for me to remember my Chicago experience and it's easy for me to share to friends and family.

I didn't spend enough time in Chicago! I spent about a day and a few hours in Chicago.  I wished I stayed longer for my first visit. But, I made the time worth it. I already have some things in mind of what I want to do next.

2017 in Review

I felt like I haven't spent much of 2017 relaxing, taking things slow, or just simply enjoying things as they go. But, I still found it necessary to work, spend time with friends and family. I kept myself going through boba runs, my favorite foods, and trying to squeeze in moments with friends and family. I realized that although it's important to try to do as much as I can, it's also vital to make room for the little things, such as watching Netflix, learning a new hobby, or getting more than 4 hours of sleep a day.

What is some of the stuff that I been up to this year?

I wished I could remember more things that happened this year, but there's lots of things that are just a blur. But, here's a list of some of the major things.

I got myself a GoPro. I wanted a GoPro before, but this year I decided to get myself it. I used it for 2 of my trips so far and made videos. 

I went to Sly Park and Apple Hill on the same day.

I visited the California Auto Museum, which was really hot when I went. But, it was so nice seeing these cars I don't see everyday and enjoying some ice cream.

 I was given lots of makeup this year, which calls for me to really learn how to apply makeup.

I made a trip to Los Angeles (2x) and visited Universal Studios for the first time.

I went to Chicago for the first time ever. I've been wanting to go there for about 10 years now. I planned out just about everything I was going to do and how I was going to get around. My friends and family kept telling me to be careful and asked if I was scared. But, I wasn't scared at all. I was really eager to experience what Chicago was about. I was absolutely amazed by Chicago's museums. They were all huge and had impressive collections. I surprised myself by not only being able to navigate through Chicago through a map, but being able to walk it half the day. I really tried my best to do as much as I could in such a short amount of time. I'm really glad that I went to Chicago.

I went on a cruise with my siblings and had my first trip to Mexico and Catalina Island.

I went ice skating with my friends and family.

I tried to edit a music video for a contest. Going through editing all the footage taught me how hard it is to actually compile a music video and that it takes a lot of work and time.

I was able to see Ariana Grande, Chainsmokers, Nickelback and Ed Sheeran in concert.


I finally visited the California Railroad Museum, which was way more interesting than I imagined.

I finally visited the State Indian Museum and liked their collection, but really wished it was much bigger and had more things to show in the museum.

I visited the Powerhouse Science Center, which I didn't even know about it until this year.

I went to Disney on Ice with my mom and sisters. I felt I would have loved it more as a kid. But, I still enjoyed watching it.

I quit two jobs. That was a big deal for me. I was always afraid to leave my part time job because I was so scared that I would not find anything else. But, I decided it had to be done for different reasons and to my surprise, new doors opened up for me. That gave me hope that I don't need to hold on to anything. It gave me hope that an employer would want me for my determination, commitment, attention to detail, and willingness to learn anything to get the work done. What surprised me most was that the people in those jobs actually liked me and said I would be welcome back and I'm so very glad about that.

My 2017 Mix:

Something Just like This- Coldplay & Chainsmokers
Despacito- Luis Fonsi
Havana- Camila Cabello
Attention- Charlie Puth
Perfect- Ed Sheeran
Break up Every Night- Chainsmokers
River- Eminem ft. Ed Sheeran
Believer - Coldplay
Shape of You- Ed Sheeran

Memorable quotes:

Emily: "You'll know after you watch 7 seasons."
Eric: "You are the type of person who can't really just enjoy themselves at a party. You are the person who will ask if the dishes need to be done."

I waited until the end of this year to take things slow. But, my brain is still adjusting and trying to catch up to sleep. I know that it's only a matter of time until I finally pick up again and start making room for bigger and better things in life. I already have some plans in store. I'm just waiting for them to happen.

Los Angeles Trip with Friends

During Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, me and Chen went to Los Angeles from Sacramento. We both booked our flight together, so that we will have the same flight. We planned to depart from Sacramento on Saturday, January 14, 2017 around 10:40 am and arrive before 1pm. Unfortunately, for us, it was very foggy that day, which cause a terrible delay in our flight and we waited over 2 hours to board our flight. It also caused our friend, Lily who was waiting for us in Los Angeles after a flight from San Francisco to wait for us even longer. The plane ride was fine besides the fact that I was very sick and was having coughs here and there. When we finally arrived in Los Angeles, we took a shuttle to a rental station. From the rental station, Chen booked us a Uber to our hotel. It took about an hour to get to our hotel from the airport. I really did not expect it to take that long.

Lily decided to eat at the Korean restaurant across the street. Each of us ordered a dish. Chen suggested I order a soup because I was sick, so I did. We also ordered kimchi fried rice and pork belly with squid. When the food came we digged into mostly the kimchi fried rice and pork belly. I only tasted a little bit of the soup and didn't like it too much. It had too much of a garlicy taste, which I didn't like. I also didn't feel like eating much because I was very sick.

Afterwards, we headed to a very popular artwork, which was angel wings. Many people go to the angel wings to take nice pictures. Lily was very excited for it and took like what felt like a 100 pictures. Me and Chen didn't take too much pictures. One thing I realized when taking photos there was that I was very short. I wished I was taller, so the wings would look more like it was attached to me.

Our mid late night snack was at a doughnut shop called Dk Donut's. It has the popular Ube doughnut. I remembered Lily showed us a video of the place on FB and it looked very good. But, after trying the doughnut, I realized that the doughnut was just ok. I felt that I tried better donuts. Actually, I still think the do-nut place down the street from my house is the best tasting. Yes, even better tasting than Krispy Kreme donuts.

One of the places I really wanted to go to during the trip was the Griffin Observatory. I saw that it had so many good reviews on Yelp. I also really wanted to see a night view of LA. I love looking at night views. One day, I'll eventually go to that one in San Francisco too. When we arrived at the Griffin Observatory, we noticed so many cars and people. I just couldn't believe how many people were there. We also couldn't help, but notice the beautiful night view. I absolutely loved it! I would definitely go back there. Oh, and the Griffin observatory is a museum as well. I loved looking around there. One of my favorite parts of the museum was the weighing stations that allowed me to see how heavy I would be on Saturn or another planet.

We almost didn't go get dinner because Chen and Lily didn't feel too hungry. But, I felt that if I wanted to feel better soon I would need to keep eating and not skip any meals. Eventually, the two gained some appetite and we decided on a sushi place. We scheduled for  an uber to pick us up and that uber driver left us after only a few minutes of waiting! That was definitely a frustrating experience.

When we arrived at the sushi place, I decided to get a bento box. But, I immediately regret it after ordering because I wouldn't be able to finish everything. Gosh, I hate being sick. To our surprise, we each received a complimentary miso soup, which was also quite tasty! The sushi place was close enough for us to walk back and actually turned out to be a 10 minute walk.

On our second and only full day in Los Angeles, we headed to Universal Studios. I was excited for this because I've heard so many great things about it. I was also not excited about it because I really don't like going on roller coasters or any rides that causes motion sickness. Little did I know that the first thing that I would do is go on those very rides. We first headed towards the popular Harry Potter ride, which was waited in line for for over an hour. The 3D looked great, but I freaked out when it looked down sometimes because I was afraid of heights and I hated how the ride moved us. We also went on the Minion ride, which gave me a big headache afterwards.

When we had lunch, me and Chen decided to split our sandwich. We were both very shocked that the restaurant did not have mayonnaise. I mean... the restaurant had ketchup...but no mayonnaise? That sandwich wasn't even that great and was very plain. There was also no other sauces to enhance the flavor of the sandwich. I was disappointed in the meal since it was costly and didn't taste great, especially since we were at Universal Studios.

I would have to say that my favorite part of Universal Studios is the Universal Studio tour. Even though it might have caused me some motion sickness, I loved that it introduced us to buildings that were used in movies or shows. There was also some 3D stuff in between, which caused me the headaches, but I really have to say the King Kong one was very cool. I loved that we were able to see the Bates Motel. Although Bates Motel isn't my favorite movie, it's definitely a classic and one I'll still remember.
 
That night, I also finally visited LACMA. There was also many people there. The size of the place was how I would imagine it. We didn't stay too long since Chen and Lily already been there before. So, I took a few photos before heading back. 

Korean BBQ was the long awaited dinner that night. It was all you can eat, but we still had to make sure that we actually finished everything we ordered. It was good, but I wished they would give smaller portions.

On our final day, we packed up all of our belongings from the hotel to check out and left our stuff at the front while we headed to brunch at Blu Jam Cafe. When we arrived, we had to wait 45 minutes more because the restaurant is very popular. We decided to walk around and check out the shops. I found myself a shirt that says "Los Angeles" in it and has a city view. I thought it was so cute! I can't wait to show it off when it gets warmer. Although toast was the most popular item at the menu, I really didn't feel like eating toast for brunch. I ordered a Eggs Benedict instead.  I thought the food there was ok. I really expected more of the place because of the amount of yelp reviews it had. I was also surprised that the place allowed a dog to sit inside the restaurant.

The way back home was too fast. Going back home always feels rushed to me and I never feel ready to go back. I want to travel more. I want to go back to places I love and discover new places I'm amazed with.

Overview of 2016

Vancouver at night

The beginning of this year started out good. I had fun at karaoke and going to the snow with friends. I was able to visit one of my favorite places in California after doing some money saving. I was able to visit my relatives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I was also able to visit San Francisco a few times early on this year. I discovered a place in Sacramento that reminded me of Hearst Castle.

Escape room in Vancouver

The roughest part of the year was the middle of this year. My car got towed twice. My car got keyed badly, which I would have to say is one of the worst things that has ever happened to me. Not to mention, someone felt obliged to put a gum on the keyed part of my car later on that week to show his/her respect to me. That wasn't all as I ran into some more car issues afterwards. After all that, I found myself alone, locked in a parking garage after operating hours wondering how I was going to get out.  I didn't have to wait to long until I was able to get out, but it didn't worry me because it wasn't the worst issue I had this year.  While I was driving back home after the unfortunate garage event, I started laughing at what had happened. Due to the occurrence of those events, I believe that I didn't deserve much and found myself working more to cover costs and because of my schedule. I found myself being more selfish about how I spent my time. I didn't want to drive anywhere far or do a lot of things. I had to delay all the things I love to do because I couldn't afford it,  had the time for it, or simply didn't want to do it. I often had to chose work over everything else.

Sacramento bridge

During those rough times, I found friends, strengthened connections, and great memories. I'm still able to see my childhood friends just about every month. I found myself connecting more with museum volunteers and staff. I noticed that I've not been forgotten. I've noticed that people wanted to include me even though I can't make it to everything. I found that me and my dog have gotten closer. I love that although me and my dog don't talk to each other we still like being around each other. Also, I found myself still making time to do things I enjoy. I went to Apple Hill for the first time and had the best apple cider and best apple donuts. I celebrated my birthday with my family and it was just an amazing time. I went on a horse carriage ride, ice skating, had boiling crab, and then cake. I was still able to volunteer over 60 hours of service this year and was able to see George Takei and Harrison Ford in person. Not to forget, but Maria Shriver and Jerry Brown both said hi to me :). I found precious moments like my time at Avila Lighthouse.

Apple hill products

There's so much I always wanted to learn and do and I think I'm going to focus on learning. I want to learn how to apply more makeup on myself. A random thing I really want to learn is how to tie different kinds of pretty bows and do different hairstyles. Among one of the things I always wanted to learn was Adobe Photoshop and Indesign. Through my courses, I was finally able to learn both, but not at a expert level as it's something I have to continually work on. I'm so glad I was able to learn them because both of them are extremely useful and I'm planning to learn more of it. After working on several projects, I thought to myself I needed to take more pictures even if I don't still own a DSLR yet. That's something I want to do more of because I've already thought out of some fun projects.

Avila Lighthouse

Places I've been this year:
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Leland Stanford Mansion
Apple Hill
San Francisco, CA
Cameron Park
San Luis Obispo, CA
Morro Bay, CA
Avila Beach, CA
San Jose, CA
San Simeon, CA
Auburn, CA

Movies Watched:
Suicide Squad
Deadpool
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Captain America: Civil War
Doctor Strange
Zootopia
Moana
Kung Fu Panda 3

Words that are emphasized:
Subtle
Wolf/dogs
Bad habits die hard

I think one of the things I've learned this year is that no matter how many times I've tried, worked hard, or improve it doesn't guarantee anything. I've learned that I can't escape from situations and sometimes I just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Things will get tough and hard, but it's something I'll have to deal with.

I'm not going to ask much of other people because that's a burden I don't want to put on anyone. Instead, next year I'm going to focus more on myself and self improvement because that's something I can control and make better. Everything else, I'm going to say no expectations.

Apple Hill Trip

I finally got around to going to Apple Hill. I been wanting to go there for years. I've heard people talk about it, but was not always sure what it was about. The only thing I knew about it when I first heard of it was that people can pick their own apples from trees. As the years passed, I kept hearing more about it. It wasn't until this year that I finally decided to go and actually did it. The reason why I finally went this year was because I kept seeing posts on Facebook about Apple Hill. It made me feel quite excited for it and I had never been there before.

I didn't do too much research about Apple Hill before I went. But, I'm so glad that I printed out a map to help me navigate my way around the area and to help me decide where to go next. When I looked at the map I was surprised to learn that there are Christmas tree farms in Apple Hill. It's not like a fair where you can walk around to different booths or stations. You really can't make it to most of the destinations on the map unless you have a car or you don't mind running/speed walking through narrow roads with cars passing by. But even then, it would be hard holding a pumpkin and running and/or speed walking.

My first stop was Rainbow Orchards. I decided to go there because I read online that they have the best Apple Cider donuts because they come right out of the fryer. When I was there I was surprised to learn that the donuts were $1 or $12 dozen. The donuts were really delicious. Those are the donuts I like to think of when people say apple donuts instead of those with apple slices in them. While I was at Rainbow Orchards, I also sampled there apple cider. I've got to say that it was one of the best apple ciders that I've ever had. I really do regret not buying it from there, so I can taste more of it. Another thing I regret not getting is the pumpkins. Their pumpkins were beautiful and they had so many to choose from. I've seen pumpkins at grocery stores and they look kind of destroyed or old.

The next stop I made was Larsen Apple Barn since it was very close to Rainbow Orchards. When I was there, I first checked out the apple barn. It was had so many apples that were already in a box ready to be purchased. All of the apples looked very fresh and nice. There's also sampling of apples in the barn. Larsen Apple Barn also had a bakery/restaurant in a separate building. Me and my friend grabbed some bakery items to try. Afterwards, we checked out the little museum they had there. Despite the fact that there was a lot of old items there, I found myself taking pictures of them and thinking that I can use the pictures for a project one day.

It might sound silly, but I like looking at old vehicles as much as I do old houses. I especially love looking at haunted houses or abandoned buildings. That's probably why I decided to do a project that was abandoned theme for one of my courses.

Our next stop was Boa Vista. Boa Vista was one of the places that I noticed posts from on Facebook. It had a pretty nice pumpkin patch and nice store in the barn. Too bad the restaurants there weren't open that day. I think those restaurants might open up during the weekends or when it's a busier time.

After Boa Vista, we headed to the fudge shop. I looked around to see all the goodies there, but only left with 2 items. I believe I got a tiger peanut cup and a white chocolate cup. It was good, but didn't taste too impressive.

My last stop was to actually take pictures where my car passed while on the way to certain farms. I just couldn't miss the opportunity to take a picture of a place I thought was beautiful. I also found the Love Shack bar around that same area.

For those people who love doing wine tours, I highly suggest Apple Hill. You can even purchase apple wine here, as well as other goodies. Apple hill is also great for families or friends. I just love the fresh fruit, foods, and cider there. I'll come back someday. Next time I want to try the apple pie and apple picking.

My Experience with League of Legends

I've heard of the game League of Legends before, but it never crossed my mind that I would ever play it. I told a few friends I played it and I got some laughs. Since I do know some friends who play the game, I've seen a few game plays and added some of them as friends. I've even added some people online who I played a game with. To my surprise, some people even added me as a friend. And, that's when I started to play it more.

I really had no idea what the game was about when I heard about it or when I started playing it. I only started playing it because my friend suggested it and I said ok and wanted to learn something new. My friend told me to choose a champion that I wanted to play. Since I didn't know anything about the game I chose someone who I thought was cool and did high damage. I didn't know what anything else did or meant, as I'm not a usual gamer. I'm used to playing games like Clash of Clans, Simpsons Tapped Out, and MyVegas, Smash Bros, and Mortal Kombat. So, when I first played League of Legends I found myself highly confused. The first few times I played the games I died immediately and did not understand a lot of stuff. I did not know why I was doing most of the attacking and my friend was hiding behind bushes or standing behind me. I didn't understand how to attack and I actually have to admit it that I still make attacking mistakes.

So, yeah, I had a lot to learn from the game. Through playing many bot games with friends and strangers I understood more of how to play the game and how it worked. That was fun for me when I was learning to understand something that I didn't understand at all and at first thought was confusing. I also had fun playing with some friends and doing stuff with them. I really liked learning more about the champions, including which role they play and their attacks.

Although it was a fun experience understanding the game and connecting with my friends through it, I decided to stop playing the game. I just didn't feel the game was all that much fun anymore after it became more serious. When I started to play more regular games, I started noticing people on chats being rude and giving out comments that I wasn't trying or feeding. I always try my best to win in games, but I can't always guarantee that I will be better than others or always win the game. Since I stopped playing, I felt relaxed that I didn't have to face people's comments online.

This is the second game that I felt that I've been serious at and left in a significant way, yet I don't feel as bad leaving it. I'd say the first game I left is Clash of Clans and I felt really bad leaving it because in that game I felt part of a group that really supported me and liked me even though I never met any of them. So, when I stopped playing Clash of Clans, I lost the connection that I had with them, which was something I enjoyed and actually kept me playing the game for a long time. But, for League of Legends when I left it I didn't feel like I lost that much besides just a game because I didn't chat with any strangers online extensively. Also, I am able to chat with my regular friends who play League of Legends outside of the game anyways. 

Trip to San Luis Obispo Part 2

On the second day of our San Luis Obispo (SLO), we had to leave the hotel by 7am in order to make it to the 9am tour at Hearst Castle. The ride to Hearst Castle was pretty nice as there wasn't much windy roads and there was beach views, but me and my friend both didn't talk to each other the whole ride because we were kind of mad at each other. I almost wanted to stop and take a few minute break at the beach a few times, but didn't want to risk being late. We ended up arriving at Hearst Castle before 8am. I really believed that it was going to take longer. Maybe it was because I GPS the directions during a more busier time.

When we were finally let in the building, I went to get our tickets and I was the first person to do it that day. We decided to watch the movie before taking the bus to the castle. I really thought that the movie was going to be dry, but still wanted to see it because I didn't see it last time. I thought it was actually pretty good. It told me some interesting details of Mr. Hearst and his dream. My friend also found the information to be pretty interesting.

For this tour, we visited the Grand Rooms. It was definitely glamorous.

We walked around a bit after our tour, but not for too long since we were both hungry. We went to Brickhouse BBQ for lunch. My friend didn't like it too much, but we finished our meals. Just wished the tri-tip had more flavor.

After lunch, we headed back to our hotels and watched some shows and played a game. We walked around the area and looked at some shops and grabbed milk. We also enjoyed the cookies that were offered at our hotel. For dinner, we decided to grab sushi, so we headed to downtown SLO.

When I parked, my friend noticed a game shop called Captain Nemo Games & Comics, so we checked it out. I thought that the place was very huge with a impressive locations. I was able to find a House of Cards Cards Against Humanity deck there, which I did not see online, so I had to get it. That also reminds me that Cards Against Humanity recently released a new pack relating to dump Trump, which sold out before I even had a chance to buy one!

We were fortunate that there was a night market going on during that time, so there were several amounts of food booths and entertainment going on. We also visited some shops. I tried some samplers of tri tip from Old San Luis BBQ and it was pretty good. I'm definitely heading there next time. Before we left, we noticed a huge crowd watching a performance. It was a performer who was juggling with fire and throwing knives. He was doing some pretty risky stuff, which was kind of frightening to watch.

We ended our last night there by listening and watching the waves from the sundeck. It was really nice. Oh, and I also noticed a few nicely made spiderwebs in the hotel area, which I don't see too often.

I wasn't so happy on the way back because I realized I was going to be far away from a vacation anytime soon. But, I know I will come back to SLO one day and go to more places I enjoy in the future.

Trip to San Luis Obispo Day 1

I was very fortunate to return to San Luis Obispo again for 2 years in a row. I really did not anticipate coming back for at least a few years, but I was very happy I made the trip there. San Luis Obispo is one of my favorite places to visit in California. I know a lot of my friends love to visit Las Vegas or Disneyland, but I prefer San Luis Obispo.

Morro Rock, Morro Bay, CA

 I decided to go there a month before I made the trip. After deciding to go, I immediately booked the hotel and began to plan out the days. While planning, I also ran through some interesting places of interest to visit around that area. I also made sure to add Cal Poly SLO since I been wanting to go there for the longest time, but unfortunately I still wasn't able to make it to there that day. But, there's still next time!!

Morro Bay, CA

Morro Bay, CA

 When me and my friend made the trip to San Luis Obispo we were both very tired. I actually had to stop driving a hour into the trip because I felt exhausted. I guess I should have skipped worked that morning. After a short nap, I felt rejuvenated and managed to get about an hour or so farther. During my gas stop, I took that time to rest some more before making it to our first destination, which was Morro Bay. I've been there before, so I thought it was a good idea to eat over there and look at the rock. I thought that my driving directions there would be the same, but this time my GPS showed me a whole new way to get to Morro Bay and I did not like that path. I dont like windy roads, instead I prefer straight paths. Well, I guess from that experience I know which road not to take to Morro Bay next time.

Sea lion sleeping

 When we arrived we had to wait a bit before the restaurant open, so we decided to walk around the area. Luckily, the area is very scenic. There's Morro Rock right across from the restaurant and some shops. There's also sea otters and sea lions. We were fortunate enough to watch a few otters swim by, but not lucky enough to get a good picture of one. We were able to spot a sea lion sleeping on rocks, which was pretty neat. It was nice seeing a sea lion so close to me. We didn't visit Morro Beach this time around, but I definitely think it's nice beach with a wonderful sunset view.

I decided to eat at the Galley Seafood Grill & Bar at Morro Bay because it had really good ratings and it has a view of Morro Rock. I like their selection of fish, so I decided to order one that was local to the area. We also shared calamari and french fries. I was pleasantly surprised that they had 3 different sauces that we can try with our fish. I believe one of them was tartar sauce. Unfortunately, I don't remember what the other two were though. The fish was good, but it wasn't the best fish I've ever tried.

Our next stop was to the Point San Luis Lighthouse for a tour. I discovered that I was able to visit the lighthouse through searching online and ultimately decided to go after reading someone's blog. I also considered going to the Avila Sea Caves, but decided not to go there since there was already so much I already planned for the trip. I was so glad that the lighthouse tours was only about 20 minutes away from Morro Bay. I did not feel like driving much further that day. When I arrived at the tour area for the lighthouse, we explored the beach that was right across from the tour area. When the tour was getting started we all loaded up on a tour bus that drove up the the lighthouse. When we were riding up on the mountain to go to the lighthouse, the bus tour guide told us about Diablo Canyon Power Plant. I was very surprised to hear about it because I never expected to be in the same city as a nuclear power plant. The bus driver also pointed out a whale mom and child together and some small islands. He also mentioned how you can do tours around that area but you have to sign up at PG&E's website. I was just so shocked that PG&E owned so much of the land around that area.

When we finally arrived at the lighthouse, I noticed a swing and I had to get a photo with it. I must say it's one of the best swings I've ever been on. It's definitely better than those ones at park or beaches because those are meant for younger people. It felt more comfortable and it also has a great view. I want a swing like that someday.

The view at the lighthouse is gorgeous. It's a nice place to relax and live. But, it seems too lonely and deserted at the same time.

It's too bad that the lighthouse is no longer in operation.  I really enjoyed that tour and thought it was educational and really like what I saw.

After finishing the lighthouse tour, we checked into our hotel, which was about 10 minutes away. Then, we headed to Pismo beach to walk around the shops.

We also ended up eating at Cool Cat Cafe and Sunsplash Cafe. Lastly, we saw the sunset even though it felt kind of cold that day.

That first day at San Luis Obispo was amazing. I really wish I was back there again. But, I'll likely to be back in a few years or sooner if I'm lucky.

LeLand Stanford Mansion in Sacramento

I was fortunate enough to make a trip to Leland Stanford Mansion twice this month. I never been to the state historic park before. I actually never heard about it until my first trip there, which was organized by my volunteer outing. I believe there was at least 15 of us at the volunteer tour. When I went on the tour with my friend, the group was only 4 people total. What I found most surprising about the tours are that they are free of charge. I just find that incredible.

I was so surprised that we were able to walk to the Stanford Mansion from the California Museum. It was less than a 10 minute walk! I was surprised that I didn't notice the mansion before. I probably drove past it a dozen times and didn't really think of it as a place to tour. Also, the mansion isn't anything very extravagant, so it didn't strike me. I also never heard about it from any friends.

When we arrived at LeLand Stanford Mansion we were shown some videos to understand some context and history of the mansion and the Stanford family. Afterwards, we headed inside the mansion and saw the ball room first. I couldn't take any photos inside, but I'd definitely say the tour was worth a visit. Afterall, I did go to the tour twice. We didn't get to see every room in the building, but I'm glad that we got to see the majority of the rooms. I been to Hearst Castle before, so Stanford Mansion reminded me of it in a more modest form. I love seeing the interior of old buildings and priceless or very old items. I love that every room in the mansion told a story.

Visiting the Stanford Mansion made me feel quite intrigued. I grabbed one of the brochures in the visitors office of sightseeing places in Sacramento. If I missed out on Stanford Mansion all these years I might be missing out on more hidden gems around the area. Now, I'm quite excited to visit Stanford University even more. I'm also anxious to go back to Hearst Castle.

First San Francisco trip of the year

So, I made my first San Francisco trip in January when Lily came to visit California for a business trip. The first place we went to was the Walt Disney Museum. It was my first time there, but I been meaning to go since last year. And, I recently got free admission to many museums due to my Explorer membership to the California Museum. Yay, for volunteering :). I was able to get me, Chen, and Lily in for free.

The museum was really nice. There were some spots that were pretty interactive. I like it told some stories I never heard of before.

I liked the view of the Golden Gate bridge from the museum!

My favorite thing at the museum was the the mini model of Disneyland. It was really cute!!

After the museum, me and Lily wanted to eat Burmese food since it doesn't have it where we live. And, San Francisco has some popular spots for Burmese food. I ordered a pork dish, but it wasn't as good as the last Burmese restaurant I went to.

I forgot the name of the noodles we ordered, but they were pretty good. But, the noodles were cold and not warm like what I was used to.

Afterwards, we went to Union Square for shopping. We went to our usual shops. For some reason it's hard for me to go clothing shopping outside of Sacramento because I hate carrying my stuff and having a car to put it in. I also feel that I can get most of those clothes at home. But, I think it's because the way I shop is that I find something I really like then I will buy that.

Boba guys was alright. I ordered the horchata drink. But, I felt that horchata was better at Latin American restaurants. My friend's cousin's place is probably the best I've had.

I hope that Lily returns soon, so we can go hang out. I do also want to visit her at New York, so hopefully one of those happen soon.

My Visit to Vancouver

I haven't been in Vancouver since 2011 and I went back there this month for a few days. Every time I go there, I always visit family. I didn't know more of the reasons why we wen until we arrived, but it's all good since my I was glad I was able to go in the first place.

This time around we all flied all the way to Vancouver. That was easier. However, when we arrived in Vancouver, my mom noticed that her package had blown up. She then told us that one of the things she put in their was in the freezer. I just thought the whole situation was just hilarious.

When we finally reached my uncle's house, the first thing we did was walk to a Chinese restaurant down the street to eat. It was open at 12am apparently. I also noticed a 24 hour pho place was that less than 5 minute walk away. I love how the streets in Canada are designed.

The next day, we had dim sum. It was one of those restaurants that let you select what you want first and they will get it for you. We don't have that in Sacramento, but San Francisco has something like that. I thought the bill was pretty pricy. But, then again, my aunt overestimated the quantity of food we needed to eat.

After eating dim sum, we were able to walk around for some shopping. We ended up going to Crystal Mall, which was a plaza with a Asian Market, restaurants, and products that looked like what people in China wore. That plaza reminded me of China.

One of the interesting things I notice while at Crystal Mall was this cake.

At night, I met with my cousin Patrick and he and another relative took me and my sisters out for sightseeing of Vancouver and we also got to go the huge mall. But, we had to walk all the way back to the house, which was a 30 minute walk and a unpleasant short bus ride that was unnecessary.

The next day, I went to Tim Hurton's really early in the morning. It was one of the places I wanted to check out ever since I heard about it in "How I met your Mother". I liked it because you can get fast food, donuts, and bakery products all in the same spot and apparently it's everywhere. I wanted to order the chicken sandwich, but it wasn't ready yet, so I got a croissant. I was kinda disappointed they didn't have chocolate croissants. When I got back, I noticed that some people were already awake. Soon later, I noticed something was wrong and my grand aunt had to go the hospital for medical attention. That was when I realized she was one of the reasons why we came.

Since something happened with grand aunt, I didn't expect us to do anything else for the rest of the day, but we actually ended up doing some stuff. We were able to check out Richmond and try the ramen there. Afterwards, I tried an escape room for the first time, which was a very fun experience. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

We went to the snow and I was surprised that it was Emily's first time.

 Even though it wasn't the perfect trip, I still had a good time and it was good to see my relatives whom I don't see too often. I really do look forward to my next trip to Vancouver or for their next trip to California.

2015 in Review

I'd like to start off by thanking everyone who spent time with me this year, who spent time asking me how my days was or even shared a few conversations with me, and/or have done something for me because you all played a part in making my year better. I'm especially thankful for those several people who gave me presents for my birthday and Christmas and I barely hanged out with them or talked to them. Here's to more adventures and getting to knowing you all more.

"Really? You don't seem like a shy person to me."

"You know what? You are one of those who don't like coming to work not because you don't mind what you are doing, but because you wish you were doing bigger and better things, but you aren't."

"This means war"

"You are like the most prepared person ever."

"You know how I can tell that you were going to give me something?...You asked me if I like it, which is like a 90% chance you''ll give it to me."

"They may have went to Berkeley and Stanford and have these professions, but I have a much bigger heart than them."

Sorry if these quotes weren't exactly word for word, but they were very close to what I remember people saying.

The only thing that I managed to do this year that I been wanting to do for a while was go to San Luis Obispo. I been there before, but I wanted to go back. As part of my trip, I visited Morro Bay, which was a nice, small town. I stopped by Hearst Castle, which I loved because of the story and the artifacts you'll spot there and nowhere else. Due to my pinterest activity, I discovered Crystal Hermitage and I'm glad I made the visit there because its beautiful. Oh wait, I also got to go to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, which was a cool experience. I went to my first lighthouse this year in Point Reyes and hope to go to more in the future. Maybe I will go to New York next year? It's been in the talks for a while now. Chicago and New Orleans are still on my list and will forever be until I make the trip. I can't forget about Italy though. I realized that I haven't bothered planning for Italy because I'm took broke. But, then, I realized I should plan early, so I know what to save up for.  It gets me excited even though it might be false hope and will strengthen my travel bug.

I guess the reason why I didn't travel so much this year was because I tried so much to change my situation so that I won't be lazy and to make myself do more with my life. But, as always, life doesn't turn out in my favor. Just because I changed a thing or two, it doesn't guarantee another. That's something I have to continually remind myself because that's a hard lesson for me to accept.

I think one of the most unexpected ways I changed this year was my thoughts of dogs. Before Jack came along, I would be afraid to go near most dogs. I have 2 dogs before Jack, but they are outside dogs and more unpredictable and not trained, so that's why I'm not around them much. But, Jack helped changed me thoughts of most dogs. I check out every dog that I see and think of how precious the dog is instead of fearing the dog.

I don't watch much of anything anymore, but this year I tried to incorporate more shows into my life. One of them was watching an old show from childhood, which was Ally McBeal. I mostly wanted to watch is because I remember Robert Downey Jr. in it and wanted to know how he was a part of the show. The show didn't seem appealing to me in the beginning, but as I kept on watching it I liked it. One of my favorite lines from the show was from John Cage (Peter MacNicol)- If you think back and replay your year and if it doesn't bring you tears either of joy or sadness consider it wasted. I really liked that quote. I liked it because it accepts sadness and negativity, which is often not mentioned as something that should be part of your experiences. But, there are dark times in people lives even though they don't want to mention it.

I'm not the most selfless person out there. But, this year, I really noticed the selflessness of some friends. This year, I realized that some people had a bigger heart than I realized. They watch out for others and think about others. They buy food for their friends and worry if they ate or not. Those friends have taught me to do more things for others and to put others first in more circumstances. I'm not a greedy person, but I'd say independent and usually only take care of myself and my own needs. Well, I guess that means greedy in my time and my efforts. I've learned to also think more about others and how I can help them. It meant that I wanted to do more for my friends because I wanted them to know how much I appreciate them. And, I learned the values of others and to appreciate what you have in friends and other things.

This year past by so quickly, it's kind of like a blur for me. I would like to say it's complete for me because so many good things happen and I'm surrounded by wonderful people. But, I can't just because there's goals I haven't completed and I feel disappointed at myself a lot of the time. I just can't until I get what I been wanting for years.