Inside the Box

It's been a big week for this girl.  I got a new job with Box, a cloud computing software start-up company, and chose an apartment in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco!  I also got to go to my first Giant's game of the season, and we won!  Things are definitely looking up.

Box, while complicated to explain in its entirety, is a company that supplies file storage on the internet, for you to use from any device and share with anyone.  They are headquartered in Los Altos, but recently opened an office in downtown San Francisco, where I will be working as their new Receptionist!  I got this opportunity thanks to a friend from college who does the same thing at Box, in Los Altos.  They all say it, and I'm certainly an example of it: networking is the only way to go.   I really feel inspired by this company's mission and passion, and am psyched to be joining such a world-class team.  The company is growing rapidly, and has lots of room for advancement.  The sky's the limit and I feel like I can dream big again.

As for the apartment, we are so happy with it.  Glen Park is such a cute little neighborhood, and feels residential and neighborly while still being pretty central.   I'm moving into a three bedroom corner apartment with Brittany and Jodi, and I'm excited to share more pictures and experiences and fun times had there in the future.  Here's a taste:
 

Ever since moving back from Italy, this has been the goal.  Maybe it was even before that, and this has just been a lovely meandering.  To everyone who asked, "Why are you giving up a villa in Italy and a dream job?"  This is why.  I get to be close to home, I get to live with two of my best friends, and I get to experience perhaps my favorite city in the world every day.  Oh, and bonus, I get to work for a fantastic company!  Did I mention I'm going to get to meet the mayor during week 2 on the job? 

Everyone has been so supportive, from Europe to Africa to right here at home.  Today my yoga instructor, Christina, asked everyone to dedicate their practice to me and my new journey (first day I've ever cried in yoga).  Letizia, always the poetically supportive communicator, sent me inspiration with the following excerpt from poet Muriel Rukeyser's "Elegy of Joy".

Nourish beginnings, let us nourish beginnings.
Not all things are blest, but the
seeds of all things are blest.
The blessing is in the seed.

And joy in these seeds, indeed, is what I feel.  I've found myself two "boxes" to be a part of...a job, and a home!  I am so excited for this new chapter of my life, and I feel the thrill of eager anticipation as I wait for the future to flow my way.  To new beginnings!

The Sagacity of Winnie the Pooh

On pondering the excitement in my life right now, I thought I'd share this quote with you.

“"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.”

This Mr. Pooh is a bear after my own heart.  At his innocent core he understands that food goes beyond sustenance; it's an entire world of possibilities, of taste bud temptation and tummy tantalization.  It's a comfort, a reward, a hobby.  And it's what keeps me going, both nutritionally and creatively.  It's like in Sister Act II, when Whoopie says to my girl Lauryn Hill, "If you wake up in the morning, and you can't think of anything but singing, then you should be a singer, girl."  Well, I wake up in the morning, and I can't think about anything but eating.  Now, aside from pie eating contests, tell me how I can make "Eater" into a profession.  Would you?

How You Doin', San Diego?

To most people, San Diego would be considered an exotic extended vacation spot.  To most Californians, it's just a great weekend beach getaway.  Shawn, Brittany, and I took advantage of its proximity last weekend, and met up with the excuse of seeing the well-known (in Europe) French dj, Bob Sinclar.  Shawn had been to one of his shows before in Ibiza, but it was all new for Britt and me, and we were all psyched to be paying $15 for a show that usually bills at 80 euro.

We spent the weekend at the chic Palomar Hotel in the Gaslamp District, where Brittany's friend Lizzie gave us the VIP treatment, even having special treats waiting for us in our room upon arrival, including a bottle of champagne on ice!  The four of us went out for tapas before us three made our way to Fluxx to get our European beats on.

We were right in the front, close enough to reach out and fist bump Bob Sinclar, and in the prime location for people to make obnoxious excuses for why they should get closer than us.  One obnoxious Frenchie pulled out his passport to prove that he, as a fellow national, should be front and center.  Another claimed that he was Bob Sinclar's brother (Me: "Well, then.  You see him all the time.").

He mixed a lot of different songs, playing a handful of his own (including the Italian "Far l'Amore" and a favorite, filmed below from the back of the club, "Love Generation"), and several others, to which we danced the night away in the presence of awesome girls wearing hooded fur vests, a psychedelic battalion of lasers, and a consistent repetition of Sinclar's hilariously accented, "How you doin', San Diego?!"

On Saturday, Ian and his girlfriend Kelsey joined us for some fun in the sun.  We hung out at the hotel pool for a couple hours before heading to the top of the Hyatt in Seaport Village for fancy drinks and incredible bay and sunset views.

That night was just one thing after the next.  We ended up in South park, hanging out at the Station Tavern, chowing down on local Mexican and artisan ice cream, and poking into eclectic boutiques. 

The next morning we headed to Little Italy for a unique brunch at Craft & Commerce.  To understand their refreshing spin on breakfast, just know that Shawn's Eggs Benedict was on top of a jalapeno-glazed biscuit and I had duck leg confit.  Yum!

Afterwards, to escape downtown and get out on the water, we took the ferry over to Coronado and made our way to the Del, where we enjoyed floofy vacation drinks on the deck and walked along the sun-drenched sand.

As a final treat to cap off our quick getaway, we got to meet up with our high school friend Darrin, who just happened to also be in SD that weekend.  We realized that we hadn't seen each other in a whopping three years.  It's incredible how old friends can bridge time gaps and catch up in a matter of minutes and a bottle of wine.

Haven't had a weekend getaway in a while?  What are you doing?  Get going!  

Queen Bey

This week the only thing on my mind has been Beyonce.  A little sad?  Maybe.  A lot true?  Absolutely.  She absolutely killed the Superbowl Halftime Show (I'm a Niners fan and was watching the game in the city, but let's face it, I was really there for her), announced her 2013 world tour, The Mrs. Carter Show, released this enticing promotional video, and looked awesome doing all of it.

I'm writing this post because it's no secret that I'm slightly obsessed, and because today marks what must surprisingly be considered a great achievement: I succeeded in getting tickets to her San Jose show in July!  After no luck yesterday during her VIP release (it sold out in five minutes), I brought in the troops for today's MasterCard presale.  After succeeding in the vicious process this morning, I shakily told my friend, "I feel like I won the Hunger Games."  It's crazy out there on the ticket-purchasing interwebs.

So I'm giddily preparing myself for five months from now when I get to see the woman I believe to be the biggest superstar out there belt it out live and in person.  Realization of a dream right here, baby, and I know she won't disappoint.  I just wish I had the talent, tenacity, and glamour she has in her little finger.  And now, as my cousin Ashley declared, it's time to start preparing our dance moves.

Treasure Island Flea

Every last weekend of the month, Treasure Island hosts a flea market with gourmet food trucks, tons of unique stalls, and one of the best views in the bay.  Ever since I learned of it, my mom and I have talked about going, and finally this past weekend we made it happen.

We circled the food trucks present like hawks scoping out their prey, until we finally settled on one featuring Peruvian sandwiches.  I enjoyed a fantastic pork loin sandwich with fried sweet potatoes and lime-marinated red onion. 

As with any flea market, there was an unbelievable variety of stuff, some of it artisan, some of it antique, and some of it junk.  One stall even sold cacti.  My award for most unique item at the flea market?  It would hands down go to this mint-colored torture, I mean dentistry, chair.  Talk about a conversation piece for your man cave.

After fighting our way through the crowds and the wind, we stopped at The Winery, next door, to enjoy a glass of wine in this rustic, geometric warehouse-turned-winery.

And while we're on the topic of "flea", I'll leave you with this clever little limerick:

A flea and a fly in a flue
Were trapped and knew not what to do,
Said the fly, "let us flee!"
"Let us fly!" said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.