My Mile Long California Bucket List

My mind never shuts off. This is probably why I find it difficult to veg out in front of the TV, or even sit down with a book for more than 20 minutes at a time. I'm always dreaming, planning, doing, and drumming up ideas. And that's how this very list came to be! My California bucket list encompasses all of the fun, unusual, new, and different.

If you have any quirky/fabulous/awesome ideas for me that I should add, let me know in the comments!

1) Spend an afternoon wine-tasting in Temecula

2) Try zip-lining

3) Be a part of a studio audience for a TV taping

4) Take a couples cooking class

5) Go to Comic-Con this summer

6) Explore the tiny mining town of Julian

7) Get a blowout at Drybar {already have the giftcard, just need to book the appointment!}

8) Take a roadtrip up and down the coast

9) Try paddleboarding

10) Watch the sunset at George's at the Cove with a martini in hand
11) Hike to the Hollywood sign in Griffith Park
12) Catch a concert at the Hollywood Bowl
13) Indulge in brunch at Cheeky's in Palm Springs
14) Have soup and grilled cheese at The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen in San Francisco
15) Spend a day at Disneyland
16) Explore Santa Barbara and Solvang
17) See the mud caves in Anza Borrego Desert State Park
18) Get a pet :)
19) Go to Big Bear for a weekend
20) Attend the San Diego Spirits Festival and sample tons of yummy cocktails!

Mr. Brainwash Art Show



It was January 1st. Over 80 degrees outside. And my best friend and I were in search of something cheap {or free} to do in LA. Imagine our luck when we parked the car in West Hollywood, only to wind up less than a block away from an abandoned warehouse that was transformed, floor to ceiling, into a free art gallery!

Mr. Brainwash began as a proprietor of a clothing store and later evolved into a street artist. A lot of his work involves modifying original art, sometimes in funny ways {like above}. It was so much fun walking through all the floors and checking out his work. I couldn't believe that it was free! We walked out with free posters and phenomenal photos.

It was a more than ideal way to kick off the new year!

Diddy Riese

Yes, indeed. The best $1.50 you'll ever spend on an indulgent dessert is no doubt going to be at Diddy Riese in LA's Westwood neighborhood. The concept is simple and sweet - you get to build your own ice cream sandwich! And the long lines and 2,500+ reviews on Yelp can't be wrong. This place is pretty darn good.

With over 10 types of cookies {including oatmeal raisin walnut and sugar cinnamon!} and 12 ice creams, it was soo hard to decide! My boyfriend went with classic chocolate chip cookies and rocky road ice cream. I sandwiched an M&M cookie and a chocolate chip cookie with cookies 'n cream ice cream.

You have to try this place at least once if you're in LA!

4 Months Later

I can hardly believe that it's been a little over 4 months since I set foot on California soil, with none other than my car and whatever else could fit in it. By far this move has been everything I wanted it to be and yet, everything I didn't expect it to be! I craved a life-changing adventure, full of unpredictability and new experiences. At first, it seemed to be one hurdle after another. Almost a test, to see if my boyfriend and I were strong enough to handle adversity. First it was my car. I'll never forget the panic that set in when my dashboard completely shut down as we were going over 65 mph on the freeway. Luckily, an exit was up ahead and we were able to pull over to safety before it completely broke down. Then it was my job. I won't go into details, but let's just say I realized that being a personal assistant wasn't in the cards for me, and that's okay.

I've since learned how to live with less and avoid the temptations of shopping when I really couldn't afford to. I've learned that you do get what you pay for when it comes to cheap shampoo! {My hair surely misses my Redken products!} And that even though I never thought I could, I can bike 30 miles in a single day, even if my legs are going to feel like jell-o after.

The journey hasn't been an easy one. But it hasn't been impossible. For every roadblock, a thousand good things followed it. Now that I'm freelancing, things are slowly turning a corner, and we both know we're 100% accountable for our success out here. And with all that said, I cannot, cannot! wait for the months to come, and am thankful for all of your support!

Regular blog posts will resume starting this week.

Red Eye to Boston

I may be stuck with a middle seat on my red-eye flight tomorrow night (woo hoo!!!!), and I may not have more than a thick sweatshirt to keep me warm when I get off the plane, but I am beyond pumped to fly back to Boston for the Christmas holiday, see family and friends, and drink homemade cocktails!

Some holiday snapshots from the past couple of weeks:

{Festive lights at The Grove in LA}

{Kim and I in Hollywood}

{Friendly chalkboard reminder to count down the days}

It's one of the greatest feelings in the world to know that while I have a home here in Los Angeles, the idea of 'home' will always exist in New England, too.