After climbing up to the top of Twin Peaks, I traveled to the most northwestern point in San Francisco, Lands End Lookout, to take in the incredible views.
It's amazing how one moment I could be in the middle of the city in the hills and within 20 minutes I'm beach-side. San Francisco reminds me so much of my hometown, Santa Barbara, as there areboth beaches and mountains contained within the same city. California is such an amazing place, I never want to leave!
One of my first adventures in San Francisco was going to the top of Twin Peaks because of the amazing views. I was subletting a place in the Twin Peaks neighborhood so it was just a few minutes car drive away and would have been a good 30 minute or so hike. Shame I despise hiking though.
I've already been to Twin Peaks once before, this time last year actually, but the view was still breathtaking. Luckily it was the right time of day and the weather decided to be tame so the Golden Gate Bridge, the piers, and the whole downtown SF - my favorite part of the city, partly because I work there - can be seen. Looking at these pictures, how could you now fall in love with San Francisco?
[Diclaimer: This blog post is text heavy and consists of mad rantings a discussion of how amazing Beyonce is and how I - as well as the rest of the world - is obsessed with her.]
Well hello Internet.
It has been quite a while since I have posted on my blog. The reason being is that I've been in San Francisco for the past two months interning at a public accounting firm, so it's been just a bit hectic transitioning to a 40+ hour work week. But being in SF has been one of the most amazing and memorable experiences of my life. Coming from a small town as well as going to university to an even smaller town, it has been quite liberating to live in a city. There are so many beautiful views, so much to do and, especially, so much to eat in SF. But what makes SF so unique are the people. The city is so rich and diverse with people coming from all over the world. Thus bringing so many different cultures within the city itself. These small separate neighborhoods, like the Castro or Russian Hill, somehow blend together to make this city like none other. This is a place where you can go and discover who you are as well as help you grow as a person. I can't wait to come back to develop my career and myself here in a year with I start my career full time.
But enough about me. It's time to talk about Queen Bey.
The "On the Run Tour" couldn't have come at a better time. I was on the last week of my internship and suddenly my friend, another intern, offered me a ticket for a bargain considering the concert was only a few days away. Beyonce has always been on my bucket list of concerts to attend so I couldn't say "no."
I've always been a fan of Beyonce. I've downloaded all of her songs and recognized that she is an amazing singer, performer, and entertainer. Yet I didn't understand why everyone was so obsessed with her. I didn't even buy or listen her self titled album that dropped on iTunes. This all changed when I went to the On the Run Tour.
When I arrived at my seat at AT&T park, my friend and I were actually amazed at how good our seats were for the price that we paid. We were right at the dugout, which would have been amazing for a Giants game, and although there was a whole baseball field in between me and Queen Bey, it in no way detracted from feeling her fierceness.
These two and a half hour of Bey and Hov were the most blissful hours of my life. The whole concert was an emotional roller coaster as it showed the phases of a relationship: Happiness, heartache, forgiveness with love as the overall theme. By then end of the concert, home movies were projected on the screens showing Beyonce's and Jay Z's private wedding as well as birth and growth of their daughter Blue Ivy while they were singing "Young Forever" and "Halo" to the screen. As I looked around me, there were tears running down everyone's face, including mine when Bey started singing "Halo."
Beyonce watching her daughter on screen
This tour demonstrated that Beyonce is not only a great vocalist but she is a great entertainer and it is obvious how much time and energy she puts into her career. It was just amazing how she sang for the whole time, only the taking brief breaks when the Jay Z was performing his own songs. Not only that but she changed into at least 7 outfits, produced only from the top fashion designers of course.
Her most recent performance at the VMAs was only a small taste of her concerts. I think people find that she's so inspirational and influential because she and her songs connect to a wide variety of people on such an emotional level.
One of my favorite songs currently: "Blue" by Beyonce
This was one of the best experiences of my life. I truly (and maybe strangely) believe that everyone should attend one of Beyonce's concert just to bask in her talent. Even if you're not a fan before, I really believe you will be after the Bey experience. She has made a fan out of me and I will most likely continue to listen to her work as long as she keeps producing them.
I am fortunate enough to grow up in a beach town and even attend school near(ish) a beach but I unfortunately don't get the chance to go enough. So my friend and I ventured to the Santa Barbara breakwater, which I surprisingly have never been to before even though I have been to the surrounding beaches and kayaked through it. It was such a beautiful, sunny day and there's something very soothing and calming about the beach as the waves crash onto the shore.
Look, a seal swimming by!
I will definitely miss this when I move up to foggy San Francisco for my internship in a few weeks, so I'm enjoying this amazing view while I can!
After visiting the Bayou Bend Collections and Gardens, I headed a few miles down the road to the actual Museum of Fine Arts. This museum is so large, with three stories filled with art and exhibits, that one could probably spend the whole day exploring it. I unfortunately only had an hour or so to explore but I still managed to see at least half of the museum!
This skull piece is actually 3D. The little figures carved or placed on the skull are references to movies/shows and American culture in general - the background is even a Pac Man game. See how many you can spot!
This whole room fades from one color to another as one walks through it
