hezatown

Dream

2024-07-02 permalink

I’m up all night packing. Going to the airport to go to Washington in two hours. A wistful sadness is tugging at my heart tonight. I’m thinking about nostalgic places that are no longer part of my life. Lives that will never be lived again. Wondering about what parts of my current life may one day turn into heart aching nostalgia. Whether my current life is even interesting or special enough to be worthy of such feelings.

This song really creates this kind of mood. Almost like missing something that never existed.

Mysteries of the North Cascades

2024-07-05 permalink

I’ve been in the North Cascades the last two days. It is a mysterious park with unclear borders, power lines crisscrossing over the mountains, and hours and hours of driving to get anywhere. I love it.

I’ve never seen rivers like these in real life before. They remind me so much of that movie Brother Bear.

I’ve been on top of the world all day. Maybe cause some strangers complemented my outfit and asked if I’m famous when my friend was taking my picture, lol.

I of course got my stamp book stamped!

There’s still so much to unravel here. Things are so far apart I may have spent more time in a car than hiking. But this adds to the mystery, making the park even more alluring.

Next up is a five hour drive to Olympic tomorrow. I’m so excited to see more of Washington. So far it’s been incredible.

Et voilà

2024-07-16 permalink

I’m back in LA. After spending 11 days in Washington snuggling in cozy cabins, hiking among alpine gardens surrounded with marmots, deer and goats, swimming in crescent lakes, and following rivers to mighty waterfalls. Now I am at home sick and coughing up a lung. I spent the weekend camping in Sequoia but was already starting to get sick then. There are few things I hate as much as being stuck at home. I’d at least take a walk in the neighborhood but I feel like I’ll “wear it out” and get sick of it too quickly. I should at least open my front door and sneak a peak of the blue sky.

^Ready to go stargazing at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic.

I am time traveling

2024-07-20 permalink

And just like that, my adventure in Washington has been stored in the big bank of happy memories I can only yearn back to. Places and moments I can only time travel to visit.

Life in LA is up and running again. I got to spend some time with my friend Naoki. We walked around DTLA and I finally got to see the park from 500 Days of Summer, Angel’s Knoll. I’m never downtown so I wasn’t gonna go all the way just to see a closed park, but we were walking around Little Tokyo when I realized we were sorta close. So I made him walk all the way there with me.

I took part in some hiking trail maintenance and spent my Friday digging out stairs in a hill. Very interesting activity. Nothing gives me life like being in nature.

Today I believe I will be going to Leo’s, my favorite restaurant. Maybe I’ll be able to force my friend to go somewhere else with me too.

Thinking about school starting again in about a month is driving me absolutely crazy. My brain still feels completely broken and I haven’t recovered as much as I had hoped at all :(

Something butterfly

2024-07-22 permalink

I’m currently taking a break from painstakingly tedious research assistant work. I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but I do actually have a summer job.

I’m feeling creatively inclined at the moment so I’d like to whip up some kind of blog post.

I spent my Saturday driving around places I like with a friend.

From Leo’s. The pictures don’t look like much, but my taste buds were dancing with joy.

I also went to the cafe Republic of Pie. I used to go there every now and then back in 2022 when I still lived in LA, but I haven’t been in forever. I was actually really excited to be back. I discovered it on a hot day in August, when I was suddenly hit with an intense craving for pastries and walking around North Hollywood trying to find something. It’s really peculiar how somethings can be so fuzzily nostalgic while still being a part of my current life.

I would also like to share a song that reminds me a lot of 2022:

On Sunday I had the pleasure to do something I had been wanting to do for some time: going to see the SOAR butterfly exhibit at South Coast Botanic Garden. I had been wanting to go ever since I heard about it like two months ago. It was so much fun. Butterflies were literally everywhere, constantly flying around my legs and sometimes briefly landing on people.

We also had a little picnic inside the gardens. It was my second time visiting the South Coast Botanic Garden and I really love it. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay long, but I’d like to go back again sometime this week and explore more of the gardens.

It’s so simple and obvious, but I realized how important going outside (almost) everyday is for me. It really does so much for my well-being. Today I’ve mostly been inside because I had a lot of work to do, but I will definitely try to go somewhere nice tomorrow.

Live like SpongeBob, make every day special

2024-07-30 permalink

I did in fact not go out (almost) every day this past week. It’s been too hot. I spent several days at home, working my way through my research assistant tasks and binge watching Nana.

It’s a great tragedy that one of the great works of literature of our time remains unfinished, isn’t it? I read and enjoyed the comics as a teen, but revisiting it as an adult I can relate to the story so much more. Sigh, the ups and downs of early adulthood.

I ventured out to a park I had driven past a few times and was curious about. It was nice. It had a lake. I got mango ice cream from a street vendor who didn’t speak English. We had a lovely interaction. The ice cream wasn’t very good but it helped against the heat.

Almost missing the bus taking selfies.

Thursday was a special and flowerful day.

Saturday meant the much anticipated return to South Coast Botanic Garden, whining about being too hot, and seeking refuge from the sun on shady paths surrounded by trees and bushes.

I found a plant that smelled just like one my mom used to keep in the bathroom when I was little. Turns out they’re closely related.

The day later turned into evening on a picnic blanket in Hollywood Lake Park.

Sunday was spent walking around the Grove.

New dress!

I went with a friend, but when he needed to leave I didn’t feel finished yet. I ended up strolling about by myself for hours, having cake while sipping on lemonade, and getting cozy in a chair at Barnes & Noble reading a new book. I used to frequently enjoy walking around shops by myself, but I never do it anymore. I guess because so much of my shopping is online nowadays?

I want to warmly recommend The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon. It is the diary of a gentlewoman in the Empress’ court in the Japanese Heian Period, in the 900s to be precise. She describes events attended, court gossip, and complains about not finding parking and flies being loud when she’s trying to sleep. It’s simply a delight. (Skip pages 12-14 if you’re sensitive to animal cruelty, because… yikes.)

I’ll end this long post with some pictures from yesterday, from my favorite trail Fryman Canyon Trail. Apparently it’s also called the Betty Dearing Trail.

Favorite people, favorite places. Sigh. I love LA.