I haven't written to you in a while. Instead, I've been an unearthly, anxious ball of fire. BUT, on Tuesday last week I accepted an offer to intern at UCSF. Naturally, I've been celebrating ever since, slowly stripping myself of the layers of angst and disquiet that tallied with preparation, applications, and multiple rounds of interviews at various hospital locations across the country.

To my most wonderful friends and generous family who relentlessly shower me in fan-club texts, calls, and in-person well-wishes: thank you for your unwavering support. Your belief in me is what backed my bones throughout this trying journey. Without you, my life would be so lonely. I'm so very lucky to have you in my life.

For the long weekend, I took to the beach with champagne in hand.

So many cheers.

| my happiest of all happy places |

For Christmas, Ken gifted me a trip to Mendocino. We returned yesterday and I am experiencing the blues, big time. Like blues as blue as the blue ocean.

Whereas I gifted Ken a "canvas-covered, heated tent" in Yosemite (trip details to be published in late-March post-trip), Ken found an artist's studio inside a renovated barn on the central coast of California where we could spend 3 days celebrating my birthday.

When we weren't hiking or filling our stomach's with oysters and fancy, locally-brewed beer, we were drinking coffee in the suite,  reading in bed, playing Scrabble, drinking wine and listening to jazz, and watching the rain through the cabin's skylights.

(VRBO)

(VRBO)

While on our trip, I finished reading Anthony Doerr's, "All the Light We Cannot See." I came across the following quote that made my heart do a quick somersault and perfectly translates my emotions about about our escape to the coast.

“I have been feeling very clearheaded lately and what I want to write about today is the sea. It contains so many colors. Silver at dawn, green at noon, dark blue in the evening. Sometimes it looks almost red. Or it will turn the color of old coins. Right now the shadows of clouds are dragging across it, and patches of sunlight are touching down everywhere. White strings of gulls drag over it like beads.

It is my favorite thing, I think, that I have ever seen. Sometimes I catch myself staring at it and forget my duties. It seems big enough to contain everything anyone could ever feel.”

I want so badly to return. When I was walking on Main Street, in an out of shops, cafes, and pub all with an unreal, Pacific Ocean backdrop, I couldn't help but wonder how I hadn't already discovered this town I am convinced resembles heaven. The entire downtown is surrounded by Mendocino Headlands State Park and all of its rugged coastline and quiet beaches. 

I couldn't be more thankful for this mini vacation, away from the hustle and so close to the sea. 

In light of the upcoming New Year's resolution season, I urge you to read this article by Benjamin Hardy.

| shopping (local) in san francisco |

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I went on a run through Golden Gate Park the other morning and I ended up walking home with multiple bags of under-the-tree goodies for friends and family. 'Tis the season.

While playing Santa might feel like the best game of all, graduate school means I'm on a tight budget. Like really tight. This means I have to be extra smart about my spending. If you know me, you know this is no easy feat. To me, being smart about spending means making a list (and checking it twice), drawing names for the larger gifting gang get-togethers, buying fewer, better things and being thoughtful about why I buy and where I swipe. At the end of the month, I feel a whole lot better about paying off my credit card when I see names of local, small businesses on my statement versus charges from a Target or Amazon. Here are a few my favorite, down-the-street-from-my-apartment Inner Richmond shops that I highly suggest you visit:

Park Life -- This store is full of cool shit. The independent store sells design-centric goods from all over the world including books, t-shirts, paper goods, and jewlery. Their collection of greetings cards from artists with a sense of humor are my favorite. Just this year, San Francisco Magazine named Park Life the best gift store in SF. I voted for them.

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Seedstore -- A gem of all gems, this store is home to ridiculously good smelling candles, vintage jewelry, delicate stacking rings and chunky necklaces, the coziest of all cozy sweaters, sweet silk dresses, wool socks ideal for stockings, nail polish from London, artwork and posters from artists across the country, ceramic housewares, designer denim, buttery leather jackets, and so much more. They even have shoes and sweatshirts for sale. A one-stop-shop at its finest.

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Green Apple Books -- I am so sure I've written before about this book-lovers haven multiple times in the past. With its creaky, hardwood floors and massive collections of new and used books, magazines, records, and cards, this indie bookstore is a Clement-street original and San Francisco treasure. You'll walk out inspired to read a book a day for the next month just so you can return weeks later for more novel finds. 

Foggy Notion -- Hidden on 6th Street around the corner from Clement sits Foggy Notion. The tiny storefront sells handmade leather goods and perfect-for-gifting home goods. The organic and evenrionemntally-conscious products including essential oils and shower soaps smell like vacation in the woods. Also, their easy-to-take-care-of tiny plants are apartment-friendly and some of my favorite buys to date. 

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| west coast craft, winter 2015 |

This year's West Coast Craft happened, and it was magic. The oh-so-San-Francisco fair hosts hundreds of hipster-approved, homemade and hand stitched goods at the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason Center. It's like a giant warehouse of perfectly pictured prints, overpriced, kitchen-fancy linens, clay coffee cups, dainty gold, white gold, and rose gold jewelry, turquoise I-have-to-haves, minty-gin cocktails, candles that smell like the a sweet pine forest, and soaps that make me want to bathe four times a day despite the drought. Also, I wasn't sure it was possible to fall in love with a leather fringe keychain until I walked (er, shopped) the festival.

I met Maria Schoettler, pined over her 2016 local produce calendar (pictured below), and added her plant postcards to my holiday wish list. 

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I circled Aleksandra Zee's three-dimensional wood shop wonderland more times than I can count on my hands, marveled at her wooded succulent trays, gold-adorned displayed, and her blue sheen leggings (because who can pull those off?), and seriously contemplated asking her how she makes her hair so perfect. She's the most beautiful woodworker you'll ever lay your lucky eyes on. I have a piece from her indigo collection in my living room that I will never let go of. 

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Then I fell in love with Nicolette Peterson of Beach Bones jewelry. It took me half a second to decide to buy one of her delicate treasures of a necklace. It's long and perfect and made of a bone-colored stone that I will wear with everything, and probably to bed, too. 

proof: soap that smells like the forest.

pictured: the most perfect tulip vases + more adorable-ness

those earings on the bottom? i want them. i want them all.

There's so much talent in this little city of mine.