Joshua Tree | Summer 2014

Joshua Tree National Park was amazing. I loved the feeling of the sun kissing my skin, breezes of fresh air, climbing magnificent rocks, seeing miles and miles of Joshua Trees stretched across a great plain, and laying in the middle of nowhere looking up at the stars. The night sky is surreal. You can see the Milky Way here! I saw too many shooting stars to count. We also camped and cooked over an opened fire. This place was an amazing experience. MUST GO BACK SOMEDAY.

Zion National Park | Summer 2014

Here are a couple pictures from my trip to the Zion. My goodness, this place was magnificent. It was beautiful. It was amazing. It was breathtaking. I wish I would have been able to spend at least a week here so I could have had enough time to explore the entire park and just take it all in. I have always wanted to explore the world, and I am so blessed to have been able to go to two National Parks this summer. I hope I will be able to visit many more throughout my life. 

View from Weeping Rock

I went with my two older brothers and my brother's friends. We explored Weeping Rock and Narrows Trail. Weeping Rock is the shortest trail at the park. It's only a half mile round trip, which took us about 15 min to hike. Beware it's short, but kind of steep. The view at the top was so nice though. We got wet because there was water dripping from the top of the path. Almost as if the rock was weeping. Hence the name?

Next, we took the shuttle higher up into the mountains and hiked Narrows Trail. I loved Narrows Trail. Narrows Trail was given the name due to it being the most narrow section of the Zion. The hike involved wading, walking, running, and trying to survive literally walking through the river. I'd hate to compare every single hike I've been on, but this has got to be one of my top ones. I really felt like I was being one with nature because it wasn't a walk along a paved road or a mountain trail but an untouched trail made by nature, not man. You can't tell from the pictures but the current was intense. My friend even got knocked over a couple of times. It was pretty funny to watch haha. 

all photos taken with iPhone 5

birthdays on a sundaze

There is something about Sundays that I absolutely love. Two reasons: Maybe because I am an actual human sloth, but I love Sundays because it just feels like a lazy day when you lounge around in your pj's, eat ice cream, and watch shows on Netflix without any feelings of guilt. Second reason is that they are meant for Sunday Brunches. Then, after, you go home and sleep it off until Monday morning.

Last Sunday my friend Annie threw a Sunday Birthday Brunch for her 22nd birthday and it was 'much perfection.' I had the opportunity to snap some photos of the event. Shoutout to Annie for pulling it all off! And for a wonderful gathering with some of the best people I know. After brunch, I slept for a good 3 hours and it was pretty amazing.

All the decorations were handmade by Annie. The food was catered by Copa Vida. The beautiful cake was made by But_itsnotjustcakes. I took more pictures that I will probably upload onto my Flickr when I am not too lazy, which will be 2 years from now. Anyhow, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy your weekend!

The setup team. (Left to right: Phillip, Jie, Annie, me)

Yolosemite | Summer 2014

A trip with some college friends to celebrate life.

We arrived Friday morning and spent the day exploring Yosemite Valley & hiked to Mirror Lake. 

On Saturday we hiked the famous Mist Trail to Vernon Falls (the first waterfall) and Nevada Falls (the second). The views were breathtaking.

On our last day, we hiked Hetch Hetchy. This is the reservoir that San Francisco gets their water from...and...we swam in it! 

The friends :) (Left to right: John, Frank, me, and Vivian)

Hey, I'm Back!

UCR Class of 2014. Go Highlanders!

I know I've been really bad with updating this blog, but in the mist of my fourth year of college, countless exams, group projects, and trying to get my life together, blogging got lost in the background noise of it all. The good news is that I'm done and am a college graduate now (whoohoo!) with all the time in the world! That is, until I get a job and become a real adult. Until then, I'll just be floatin' around. I just wanted to say that these last 4 years of college has been the best experience I've had in my life thus far. From leaving home, to living in the dorms with 50 other students doing crazy things that I'd never imagine myself doing, to moving in with roommates who made home feel like a home away from home, to joining Phi Sigma Pi and meeting friends that I never would have otherwise. It was 4 years of changing, learning, and growing. As cliche as it sounds, college changed me; my perspectives on life, me as a person, and it made me finally understand the saying, "You never truly live until you step out of your comfort zone." Those are the words I'll forever hold to heart because when I look back at all the great things that have happened to me, I realized it never would have happen if I was too scared to go for it. Life is too precious to not be doing all the things you want to be doing. The only thing I regret and would change is not grasping that idea sooner and start living more recklessly (but still making smart & sound decisions), vicariously, and just truly living life. I'll remember and cherish all the memories that I made and all the friends that I've gained. There's more that I want to say but it's hard to put into words so I'll stop right here. I will most definitely miss it all, but its time to turn over a new leaf and start the next chapter in my life (I'm so cheesy, I know..). Anyway, I was looking throughout my iPhoto and noticed a lot of pictures I never posted up so I'll start documenting some memorable moments now.