Fall

I know I have been atrocious at consistent blogging lately (thank you, Danielle, for noticing and reminding me). I have no excuse since my days are wide open as I continue to wait to hear back from San Francisco State; I just need to start planning some new adventures and finding better ways to pass my time than watching Scandal on Netflix. I'll also be excited to post once my and Cam's room finally starts to come together -- we spent Sunday at the flea market and at Target buying picture frames in an attempt to make our apartment look more homey. Since I don't have a whole lot of news to report, here's a list of things that are making my fall really happy, in spite of some serious writer's block.

This pumpkin tea from Trader Joe's.

The pumpkins that Cam and I purchased here on a crisp Wednesday night when we had the whole place to ourselves.

This book. And this book. Best coffee table books...ever.

Finding perfect Christmas presents (early!) on Etsy.

This quote.

Living with this guy, even if there were legos scattered all over my house this weekend:

Museum day

I am currently stuck in a very weird place of employment purgatory. I finished my GRE Literature exam last week, but can't really get a job until I hear back as to whether or not I'll be starting at San Francisco State in January. Luckily, my and Cam's friend Mark just moved here and is staying in our apartment until he figures out a job and housing situation. Today we decided to take advantage of being unemployed together, and hopped over to the de Young museum in Golden Gate Park.

I've long felt that art history knowledge is kind of like golf -- not something you need every day, but a skill that can come in really useful, especially in social situations. I love looking at art but I definitely don't bring any profound conversational points to the table...more like, "that's pretty" or "I don't get it." Today was no different in that we saw some beautiful pieces and some that, well, I didn't get. But it felt great to get out of the apartment and at least act like cultured members of society, if only for a few hours.

The cool...

And the "I don't get its"...

Live like you're abroad: Jackson, WY

I know that the premise of the Live like you're abroad series is exploring neighborhoods within San Francisco, but I feel like visiting a city just a few states over fits the bill, too. While studying abroad in Barcelona, I looked at it as the perfect opportunity to visit other countries, yet I rarely visit cities "just because" in the U.S. -- I'm usually visiting family or friends.

I've been hanging out with my dad at my parents' house in Salt Lake City, and we decided to take a "just because" weekend trip to Jackson Hole. The drive itself was such an experience...I've always lumped Wyoming into the "random states in the middle of America" category and I was so, so wrong. It is stunningly beautiful with lush farmlands, snow-capped mountains, and wildlife roaming freely. 

We arrived in Jackson Friday night, just in time for live music at the Silver Dollar Saloon at the Wort Hotel, where we were staying. I danced with a friendly cowboy (asking women to dance seemed to be kind of a thing there, I felt like I was transported back to the 1950's), ate bison, and enjoyed some good Teton brewery beer with my dad. Saturday we went on a driving tour of the area surrounding the Grand Tetons, since we couldn't go into the actual park (thanks, Congress!). We ate dinner at Local, a chic, trendy restaurant right on Jackson Square that made you feel like you were in Manhattan, until you noticed the abounding antlers-as-decor. 

We woke up to small snow flurries on Sunday, so it seemed only natural to do a little Christmas shopping before heading back to Utah. It was such a nice change of pace from bustling San Francisco -- I'm already planning a trip back with friends!

Roaming bison 

My dad captured this awesome moose family gathering

Toto, we're not in San Francisco anymore....

Driving home through Idaho

The Grand Tetons

A quick weekend round-up

I don't have too many links to share this week, which is probably a good thing as I've been trying to study, read, and generally spend less time on the computer. My dad and I are heading to Jackson Hole for the weekend; I'm so excited as it's been on my "to-go" list forever. I'll definitely post pictures next week, and until then here are a few links from around the web.

Daily rituals for creative minds...the midday drink would absolutely not work for me.

Hemingway writes to F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I cannot wait to watch Hocus Pocus this year -- it is my favorite Halloween movie! Although last year was the first time I had watched it in a few years and Cam and I couldn't stop laughing at the emphasis they placed on a VIRGIN lighting the candle...I'm sure that sparked many awkward parent/child conversations.

Wow Congress...you suck.

An interesting read that kind of follows the sentiment of the NYT article I posted last week on busyness.

Have a wonderful weekend!

(Photo found here.)

A quick productivity tip

This may seem incredibly obvious but today I used the best trick to keep myself focused as opposed to my usual habit of study for 5 minutes, check Instagram...study for 10 minutes, send a text, etc. I often blame my my iPhone for a serious decrease in productivity (in my pre-laptop/smart phone  high school days I swear I could sit and read for three hours straight) and I was determined to really power through my English literature study guide today.

I sat on the couch, study guide and notecards in tow, phone and laptop on the kitchen island out of reach. I kept a post-it on the arm of the couch and whenever a "pressing" thought would cross my mind -- must text Danielle now! Need to send email to dentist! -- I just jotted them down on the post-it. Instead of the incessant internal dialogue that comes from realizing you need to do something and hoping you won't forget it (should I do it now? No, 5 more minutes. Then I'll forget!), as soon as I jotted it down, I was able to refocus quickly. After an hour and a half of diligent studying, I took my post-it and as my "reward," finished the non-English related tasks I had accumulated. It only took ten minutes to finish my list of tasks, as opposed to the ten minutes that each task would inevitably have taken had I completed them individually, with water and bathroom breaks each time.

Again, probably obvious but it was nice to find my own way to break the smart phone distractions cycle!

Fall in Utah

Gah, my first post in over a week! That's a record since I started to get on a roll a few months ago. Last week was really hectic -- Cam and I moved in together, but that did not come without roommate wars and sweaty, tiring U-Haul trips.  A friend recently asked me to do a post on making nice with roommates before you leave, and after last week, I will definitely need a guest writer for that one. My old roommates are wonderful, but Cam's is a different story. Anyway, that's (almost kind of) done and I am in Utah for two weeks hanging out with my dad and my dogs. My English Literature test is also coming up so I've been trying to focus on that, but I'll definitely be back to posting more regularly. Enjoy some pictures of the absolutely beautiful fall I'm experiencing right outside of Salt lake City; it's my first real fall in three years!