"Aspire not to have more, but to be more"

Monday, August 12, 2013

Tourists.

We all have been them, but have we been obnoxious with our iPads? I once remember someone telling me that the way to tell if someone is a tourist in NYC is if they look up at the buildings. I have done everything in my power to not be a "tourist" and avoid the obnoxious ones at all costs, but yesterday, just when I thought I could avoid them, I was wrong.
I started my morning off by meandering my way down the street to a local bagel shop I stumbled upon last weekend (they make their own bagels) and also to my new favorite coffee shop -- I think it's called Webster's? At the bagel shop, I noticed they had chocolate chip bagels - I skipped them this week, but next week I'll definitely try one (if they have them!) with their strawberry cream cheese (yum!).  As I sat eating my bagel at the bagel shop, which is right next to a Starbucks, I realized how much people that go to Starbucks / chain coffee places make me mad. If you compare the waist line of someone that goes to Starbucks on a regular basis to a small coffee shop, you'll notice a stark contrast. I'm not saying Starbucks is bad and I won't talk to you if you go there (heck, I've been there a few times!), it's just frustrating to me that people will go to Starbucks when there is an amazing small, locally owned coffee shop right down the street! I guess some people just choose Starbucks because of the flavored drinks that no one else has... I'm just a black coffee or coffee with skim milk kinda girl.
After I had my coffee & bagel, I went to the farmer's market up the street and got some farm fresh strawberries (that weren't moldy! unlike the one's I've seen at all of the grocery stores around here...). Needless to say, great start to the morning!
I've wanted to go on an adventure for a while now - I definitely love traveling and since I "landed" in San Francisco, I've wanted to continue driving. I'm driving up to Seattle at the end of the month for a few days - and might even pop up into Vancouver. I have a friend who goes to Grad school in Boulder, so sometime this fall I'm planning on venturing to Salt Lake City and Boulder. With my trip home for the Baltimore Half and my trip to New York for the New York City Marathon, I'm not sure when I'll have time, but I'm sure I can make it work!
Anyways - all week I've been looking forward to this weekend, so I drove down to Salinas; the town John Steinbeck (my all-time favorite author) is from. I had a delicious tri-tip sandwich at the Salinas BBQ and then I moseyed through town. It was very relaxing and definitely a change of pace from the usual hustle and bustle of the office and city. I went into the John Steinbeck Museum ; wanted to go into his house but it closed at 3 and I got there at 4.
I was in a bookstore talking with the owner (who hitchhiked from Salinas --> NYC back in '72) and he recommended I drive to Monterey which was only ~20 miles away. It was definitely worth the drive! I stopped by Cannery Row (trying to avoid the tourists at the Fisherman's Wharf) ... got some delicious Ghiradelli Chocolate... and then was attacked my tourists. Well, they didn't LITERALLY attack me, but there were so many ... I tried to get out of there as soon as I could! I sat in traffic and then drove up the coast on CA 1 -- it was beautiful! Loved it. Would totally do it again. Anyways, yesterday was great. Ate good food, had a relaxing afternoon. Even started to read a new book last night -- "Call Me Zelda". Oh, and it hit me last night that I'm not at home ....
Ta ta for now!















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