| happy november |

I haven't written to you in too long. Instead, I've been writing case studies about my preschoolers, investigation reports about projects in the classroom, literature reviews for class, and cover letters, recommendation requests and essays for internship applications. Those are my excuses. Hoorah.

Moving on, because talking about school is exhausting.

It's November. I'm falling asleep at night with socks on now! And at the farmer's market I will look for pomegranates, persimmons, sweet potatoes, colorful carrots, pistachios, and kiwi. I'm starting to get emails from stores about holiday shopping and pretty soon the coffee shops will be serving peppermint mochas, gingerbread and eggnog lattes. Until then, I'm going to visit the beach while no one else is around, unpack my collection of scarves (sweaters, jackets, tights, and hats), visit with old friends, make time for new friends, bike ride through the park, bake bread and cookies and granola, and discover new music.

| week one, over & done |

I finished my first week of graduate school. This whole getting your master's, teaching kindergarten and volunteering at the hospital thing is no joke. Breakthrough discovery, I know.

Here's what else I learned:

• Mills has a beautiful campus. And it's mine for the next 2 years.
• My cohort grew. There are students from Japan, students from Portland, students with children and students who just graduated from undergrad.  
• Child Life is a hugely competitive field. Enter: anxiety overload and (at times, pathetic) attempts at practicing mindfulness. 
• Sleep is gold.
• Free reading won't happen. And those books on my bedside table are just a tease. Instead, I have $$$$$ worth of rented textbooks from which I can read (read, read and read again) about teaching, familial relationships, child development, children with special needs, the hospitalized child, administration and totally complex (and also totally necessary) medical information. 
• Packing a lunch the night before is also gold.
• Birkenstocks are ideal for a sand, mud, and paint-filled playground.
• Befriend your professors. Especially the ones who have kids in your classroom. Go to office hours, do the reading, participate in class every once in a while. 
• Don't sit next to the same people in class. 
• Introduce yourself to the IT staff before you do anything else. They know your computer a whole hell of a lot better than you do. They also know you are poor. 

***To my friends and family, thank you for checking in on me this week. Your support is everything.***

| savoring the last sweetness of summer |

I start graduate school in three days. There, I said it.

I'm nervous. And anxious. And a little bit excited (I think?). Yes, I'm really excited! So, uh, what do I wear on the first day of school? For real. I never thought I'd be planning for this outfit again. Do I wear a backpack? Bring a lunch? Of course I bring a lunch, I have no dollars to buy lunch. What if I get lost trying to find my classroom? I'll figure it out. I'm in graduate school now. I have to figure it out.

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Last week I travelled to Carmel.  I soaked up as much sunshine as humanly possible, wore a bathing suit to breakfast and didn't change till after sunset, purposely neglected my makeup, avoided using hot tools on my hair, hiked until my hamstrings ached, read all the novels, wrote, didn't shop, made dinner for Mom and Dad and shared ice cream cones for dessert, went to bed early and slept in late, paddle-boarded and kayaked, listened to Van Morrison and stargazed at night. My parents built heaven in house-form. It's seriously beautiful.

I even found sunflowers that towered to at least 9 feet tall. Rows of them! I had to stand on my tippy-toes (in my hiking boots, picture me that) to reach the tiptops with my camera. It wasn't the most graceful, but at least I got a shot. Right, Instagram?

Summer, you've been so good and so full of live music, sunburns, and saltwater. Thank you.

| music to my ears |

I discovered an open mic three blocks from my house and I fell in love with 15+ local artists pretty immediately. These girls can sing. I mean, like really, really sing. Like goosebumps-everywhere sing. And these dudes. They play the guitar, the keyboard, and the harmonica and they make it look damn easy. 

When I hear a song that makes me tap my foot and sway my shoulders, rock my head and my lips smile, my heart does cartwheels and I love every minute of it. 

There was a big (and free) music scene in Colorado. After discovering the local talent here in San Francisco, I’ve realized a huge portion of what I’ve been missing from my time in Colorado was the live music. It was everywhere - on the streets downtown, in the middle of campus, outside our apartments, at night in the bars, at night outside the bars, and even at the airport. Music was so widely celebrated, and available. Now I think I’ve found some of that in San Francisco. 

I’m going to have some time in the near future between work and school (more to come on this later) and I plan on parading around the city to attend all the local open mic. Maybe I’ll even report back on some of my faves.

In the meantime, come hang out with me on Tuesday nights at the Village Market on 8th and California.

| beach side property |

I shit you not, the following are unfiltered pictures, and a 360° view, from our sunset trip to Ocean Beach at 8:30pm last night. If you don't already live in San Francisco, you should probably consider moving.