Flashback: Warner Brothers VIP Tour

Anything about the above picture look familiar? Well, if you watch Friends, or have recently started binging on it through Netflix, you might realize that that is the one and only Central Perk coffee shop (decorated for Christmas because that's around the time I went). It was honestly my number one reason for going on the WB VIP Tour.  But it turned out to be such a small part of the bigger fun that the tour had to offer.

This tour was on my LA bucket list for about two years. Seriously. After finding out my friend Michael wanted to go too, I realized it was going to be one of those things that we could either schedule and make a priority now or wait another couple years. I'm happy to say we bought the tickets. Although relatively expensive for my budget – $54/person plus parking (that we split) – I really felt that it was worth the money.

The Last Unicorn Tour stopped in Long Beach

About two months ago, when I asked my friend April for one of her favorite quotes, she gave me, among others:

"But I'm always dreaming, even when I'm awake; it is never finished." –The Last Unicorn

And I thought, what is this poeticness? It just has a beautiful tone to it. And thus my dive into everything "The Last Unicorn." It wasn't long before I had the book and read it.

Then, by some weird coincidence of all things magical, there happened to be a movie tour as well. So, of course, April and I got tickets for that. Even better was it took place at the Art Theater in Long Beach, which was built in 1924 and made for this classy movie-going experience. I mean, really, I couldn't have imagined anything better.

Monthly Inspiration: January

This last Christmas, I asked about 28 of my friends and family to provide their favorite quote. It ended up being a really beautiful project because I got to know something about that person I never knew. No two quotes were the same, and each had a different approach and perspective to life.

I'm taking twelve of these 28 to post each month this year, the first being my personal favorite. I heard this quote when I was in a design class about four years ago. The statement comes from Nam June Paik reflecting on the concept of his experimental television design. The original quotes states:

"My experimental television is not always interesting," admits Nam June Paik, "but not always uninteresting: like nature, which is beautiful not because it changes beautifully, but simply because it changes." 

So it's slightly altered from the original, but the concept is still there. I loved this statement so much, and obviously still do. It's a great thing to embrace: the simple truth that change itself is beautiful. How appropriate for the new year, ya? 

Flashback: Palm Springs & Beyond

Every once in a while, I'll showcase a worthwhile previous trip or exploration, and then add it to the guide.

This week, in the theme of Palm Springs/Krystal visit weekends, I've chosen to feature this day trip (even shorter than this last weekend!) where we went beyond Palm Springs and ventured to get photos with the Cabazon dinosaurs, Salvation Mountain, found a Banana Museum, and went hiking in the California drought.

W I L D E R N E S S: Palm Springs & Joshua Tree

After the trek up the snowy/icy mountain path, and a few {graceful} slips to the ground, it was nice to be sitting down – warm again – in the little movie theater on the first floor of the Mountain Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

"Wilderness..." the movie started. And continually attempted to define through multiple people's voices. My friend Krystal, who was the primary reason I came to Palm Springs – to visit, celebrate all the best holidays (both our birthdays, Christmas, New Year's), and have a mini-vacation with – actually enjoyed one of the definition's enough to make it her Instagram caption: "Wilderness... a place to refresh the spirit and revive the weary soul." And it was. A place to refresh that is. Aside from the casual slips and instability of walking with Uggs (I wasn't necessarily prepared for all the snow at the top), it was an absolutely beautiful side of Palm Springs I had never seen before.

Hello!

It's a new year. It's a new blog. NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION IS HAPPENING. And I didn't even wait until next December. Winning. 

I've wanted to have a space to share some explorations and resources I know of (especially in LA, where I've grown up) in hopes they can inspire you to go out and explore.

So happiest of new year's to you! To many adventures to come!