Flaws

I'm a perfectionist. Yeah, sometimes when I critique every single aspect of something the end result turns out really great. But, more often than not, and especially lately, it feels like a curse to have this quality. There are so many avenues I want to explore, creatively, intellectually, and even literally but sitting and waiting for the right moment is not helping. I need to just go for it, and create, learn, and travel just for the sake of it- regardless of what the outcome may be. Making something look pretty and flawless should not be where my energy goes. I don't have time for that. This blog has existed for a year and a half and I don't think i have even posted 10 posts. I'm spending too much time thinking about ideas that by the time I get up to develop the idea, it's lost it's spark.

Basically this post has been my publicly confronting that I need to (1) create more consistently and (2) be ok with flaws.

This entire post has taken ten minutes to write. Usually I'd take about thirty minutes to write and carefully edit something this short.

I hope that wherever you are, you get the courage and motivation to act now.

sb ♡

City Lights

David Bowie. Prince. These stars are going back to their places in the night sky...

Like these legends, the legends of our lives, our loved ones are sadly not here to stay forever. I am fortunate enough to have grandparents who are alive and well from both sides of my family, but I am definitely realizing as I grow up and start making a life for myself that they, too, are aging. When we're young, time with these individuals seems slow and everlasting. But, the older we grow, the more we notice the silver hair and subtle wrinkles. It's a hard balance to keep because on one hand, I am so excited and jumpy to go off to college and discover the world but on the other hand my parents and grandparents have already experienced so much and I feel this obligation to squeeze out all the stories and secrets to life from them... But I simply haven't been doing that. I've been caught up in my own life for as long as I can remember. That is why this summer I'm making it a priority to talk, or just sit with my grandparents more. Maybe you can do the same. Just be in their presence. Cook, go for a walk, listen to music. Ask them about their life, their one, rich, awesome life. I promise that you only know the tip of the iceberg. And if you don't have grandparents, ask your parents, anyone older than you. The world is always evolving and the world they have seen has a uniqueness that is unmatched. 

I know thinking about this topic is quite devastating, but we all know that life and death happen; the most we can do is cherish the people around us while we can so their legacy can live on forever, in the stars up in the sky, in the depths of our hearts, and in the little corners of the world where we least likely expect.

♡ sb

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I've finally done it! I've finally baked something yummy!

Let's just say that cooking isn't my forte. My abilities include PB&J's or baking cakes from boxed cake mixes. Hopefully with practice that will change...

Anyways. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. I found this recipe [here], and it's super delicious, surprisingly easy, and vegan.

You will need:

• 4 large overripe bananas
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp chopped almonds (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, chia seeds and sea salt together.
3. In a separate bowl, mash all the bananas together. A potato masher works great! Then add the coconut oil and vanilla extract.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and add the chopped almonds and chocolate chips.
5. Grease a loaf pan, pour in the batter, and pop it in the oven.
6. It should take 45 to 60 minutes to bake. To see if it's ready, poke a toothpick into the bread and if it comes out clean it's finished.

Enjoy!

PS: Because my baking abilities are questionable, I split all of the ingredients in half to avoid wasting food in case the bread didn't turn out right. So the picture below is only half of the actual size!

~sb

The Fire Inside

You've just woken up and are about to roll out of bed when you realize that your body is still worn out from those extra 30 squats or the additional mile you ran yesterday. You know a long day waits ahead of you but you get up anyways because you secretly love the soreness in your muscles that comes along with a good workout. That soreness is good. In fact it’s great; it means your hard work is paying off and now you are one step closer to achieving the body you want.

Lately I've started exercising more frequently and when I'm in a time crunch, I'll usually work out to one of Cassey Ho's YouTube videos (link). A few days ago while doing an intense arm workout, Cassey mentioned that feeling a burn was kind of like feeling a fire inside of you. Instantly my attention had focused in on that small yet charged word: fire.

Fire possesses power and excitement. It breathes heat and intensity. It's a combustion of highlighter yellow, blood orange, and fire truck red.

So the next time you think of taking a day off, remember the fire inside. Don't think of that feeling as simply a burn, know that it is a powerful, determined flame, inside of you, that can help you accomplish anything. I hope this idea will keep you going more than you thought was possible. You are stronger than you think. Keep pushing and keep working. With that fire, you are unstoppable.

~sb

Disney World (2010)

It was the winter of 2010 and my mom and I were traveling to Orlando, Florida...to Disney World! During our stay, we visited almost all of the theme parks: Epcot, Magic Kingdom park, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Because we were only there for six full days, our plan was to visit one park each day.

We stayed at the Calypso Cay. It worked out really well because the hotel offered free shuttle bus transportation to and from the theme parks.

Epcot

Epcot stands for ‘Environmental Prototype Community of Tomorrow’. As you can imagine this park looks very futuristic and it has rides with names like ‘Test Track’ and ‘Mission Space’. There was also this “prototype” room where I designed my own roller coaster and got to ride it using a simulator! Later, we went on the Nemo ride and saw a show called ‘Turtle Talk with Crush’. Finally, after walking around the World Showcase, we ended our day with an awesome laser show.

Magic Kingdom

Today was completely magical. We entered the Magic Kingdom and our eyes immediately lit up- straight ahead was the glowing, magical castle of our dreams! As we got closer, we saw Minnie and Mickey Mouse dancing together. Everything was decorated in red and green for the holidays and there was even a giant gingerbread house! 

We spent our day going on rides and, at night, we ate dinner in Downtown Disney.

Islands of Adventure

HARRY POTTER!!! Finally the day had come! I was going to enter the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! This section of the park is like another mini park so we had to get a (free) ticket with a time slot on it...

Hogwarts!!!

There are three main rides: Dragon Challenge (roller coaster), Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (3-D simulation), and Flight of the Hippogriff.

Hey, Buckbeak!

Later, we grabbed some Butterbeer (!!!) and waited in line to check out Honeydukes!

(I recently found out that an Ollivander's Wand Shop was added as well.)

Since we spent so much time in the magical world of Harry Potter, we didn't get a chance to ride any of the Marvel superhero rides, which was a bummer. I think at least two days should be given to this park.

Universal Studios

Here, we saw the Macy’s Christmas Parade, and went on the Revenge of the Mummy ride, among other movie related rides.

Hollywood Studios

In Disney's Hollywood Studios, we went on the Rockin' Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror (the only main rides there). The rest of the time we just watched shows.

Animal Kingdom

For some reason I didn't expect this park to be very exciting, but boy was I wrong! I had definitely underestimated the Animal Kingdom's awesomeness. The Mt. Everest roller coaster was probably my favorite. Unfortunately, we didn't go on the safari but I've heard it’s a really neat experience.

Bye Disney!

Christmas Eve was our last day in Florida so we sadly packed up our bags to catch our flight back home. We stopped by Subway for lunch and ended up walking into a Walmart where we noticed a bunch of Disney items. So we basically got some last minute souvenirs- a Mickey shirt, a mug, and a few key chains.*

The weather throughout our trip had been nearly perfect (it rained our first day at Epcot). Florida is known for having hot, humid weather but wintertime in Orlando is just right! (A jacket was only needed during the night when it got a bit chilly.)

*(Another) Souvenir Tip: It can be REALLY easy to spend a lot of money in these theme parks. To avoid this, I recommend using a Penny Machine for a quick and cheap souvenir (just make sure to bring lots of quarters and shiny pennies!). 

~sb

Hawaii (2010)

During the spring of 2010, my family and I traveled to beautiful Hawaii! It was my first time traveling there so I was pretty psyched. We spent our time exploring Oahu and the Big Island, two of the eight main Hawaiian Islands.

Oahu

Our first flight landed in Hawaii’s main airport in Honolulu. From there, we took a connecting flight into Oahu. (a bit about Oahu)

The first few days we... walked on Waikiki Beach, visited an army museum, and fed fish at the resort's lagoon. We also went to the Dole Plantation where we took a train tour of the pineapple and sugarcane plantations. After the tour was over, I got to try some yummy pineapple ice-cream! Next was the Polynesian Cultural Center. This day-long experience included various activities and performances that taught us about the incredible Hawaiian culture. Then, at the end of the day, everyone came together for the Luau where we ate a Hawaiian dinner and enjoyed a live hula performance. (here's what the meal included)

Another day we took an audio tour of the anchored U.S.S. Missouri. This vessel was the last battle ship built during World War II, and it now stands next to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. We explored the sleeping and eating quarters of the ship and then headed off to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. This white, simple structure floats on the water, and is connected to land with a bridge. Once on the memorial, we were struck with a sudden sense of peacefulness. Everything was white and the only thing we could hear besides the occasional whisper was the American flag flapping in the light wind.

Because our time in Oahu was quickly coming to an end, we decided to grab a few souvenirs...What better place to go than the Hawaiian flea market?! First off, there were rows upon rows of vendors with their little stands, so the variety was endless. Seriously. We did NOT intend to spend that much time there! Secondly, you can get some pretty great deals and that's always a plus, right? I ended up buying a purple side purse, a glow-in-the-dark turtle, and some Hawaiian flower hair clips.

Big Island

Our first stop on this island was to the car rental. Super exciting, I know. But seriously if you are thinking about doing a good chunk of sight-seeing, I recommend renting. It is wayyy easier and faster than finding a taxi, and you can explore the island at your leisure.

SO our actual stop was at a random beach...and as we left, we saw this sign:

o_o

A few days into our stay, we drove to Hapuna Beach to relax on the white, powdery sand and go for a swim in the "blue-tiful" waters. Or at least that's what we thought...Little did we know that a few AWESOME sea turtles were going to join us. There I was floating around, soaking up some rays when all of a sudden I spotted two sea turtles swimming less than 4 feet away from me! It was totally cool, dude!

Later, on our way up to Pololu Valley Lookout, we stopped by a little coffee place where we got a tour of how coffee is grown and later sold in Hawaii. While there, we spotted quite a few lizards that looked like this:

 

Overall, the Big Island is probably most famous for its active volcanoes. Some places even offer helicopter rides that let you check out the lava up close. We just decided to hike over the hardened lava rock to see the moving lava from a distance. We went around nighttime (6-8pm) with a large group of people and saw a small amount of bright orange lava moving slowly down the rocks. It was definitely a strange sight! It was crazy because people actually have houses on stilts near the lava and they sell tickets to tourists that want to watch the lava from their balconies!

Akaka Falls Park was another location we visited. This picture should sum it up:

270 ft

And here's Punalu'u Black Sand Beach (oh, and some more turtles):

For the last few days I...swam a bit, read in a hammock, and relaxed some more. Hawaii was a breathtaking experience, and we were all a bit bummed to be going back home.*

*Hawaii Travel Tip: Go to Costco before you leave. Grab a few boxes of 'Hawaiian Host' chocolate covered macadamia nuts. You shall not be disappointed. :)

~sb