Best of SB

Posted on May 16, 2019 Tagged #last, #SBLeave a comment

We have made it to the end of the road everyone (aka AJ); this is my last blog. This experience, although tedious at times, has definitely increased my ability to consistently generate content and come up with new topics I can elaborate on. With out a doubt, 350 words can seem quite excessive when you don’t have a direction, but these blogs have forced me to have something to say. At all times. I believe it’s one of the main components of good writing. If you have no voice or perspective on the topic you’re writing about, why should the reader? Anyways, for my last blog, I wanted to do a small overview of what I think is the best town in the world: Santa Barbara. Although I’ve touched on my own town multiple times already, here is my definite list of the best places to go in SB (plus some restaurants I love too). I started this blog with my adventure half way around the world to Japan, and am ending back in my hood. Seems pretty nice and fitting to me.

Restaurants that are BOMB:

Tyger Tyger: Located in the funk zone, this place is iconic for sporting the ceiling full of pink lanterns which really sets the mood. The food is good; I always get the same Tai salad and it doesn’t disappoint.
Lucky Penny: Another great funk zone place. They have the best pizza in SB and I don’t like pizza so that is saying something. They also have yummy salads and lots of pennies on their walls!
Panino or South Coast Deli: Arguably the two best places to get lunch. The number 12 at Panino is a classic, and South Coast’s salads are so good that they make up for the fact that they are ten times too large.
Tre Lune: This Coast Village spot is pretty nice and fancy, so we only go here on special occasions, but the food is amazing.
A picnic with a view: Cheesy right? I don’t care. This is the best way to eat with friends hands down. Everything tastes good with a side of sunset.

My Summerland Flower Field: Not to toot my own horn again here, but I love this spot. It is yellow, will 100% give you allergies, and there’s plenty of room to frolic.
Knapps Castle or Gibraltar: These are the best spots to look at our town from above and will put you in a new mind space. Every time I go somewhere like this, my mood instantly is boosted.
Lookout: This turnout between the Mesa and Hope Ranch is my friends and I’s go to for a quick place to stop and look at the ocean. It’s simple but a classic and I’ve seen my best sunset here, pictured above.
Franchesci Park: Coolest view of the city, and where some of my favorite memories took place.
Butterfly Beach: Best. Beach. In. SB. Hands Down.

Thanks for coming along with me on my blogging excursion, it was fun,

Peace out, Millie

Beachside Town

Posted on May 8, 2019May 10, 2019 Tagged #ava, #beach, #rosarito, #springbreak, #tacosLeave a comment

As this is one of my last blogs of the year, it might be made evident that I’m running out of ideas. I have shared my perspective on all my favorite SB spots. I’m digging real deep here in the personal archives but it’ll do. I want to talk about my trip to Mexico with my good friend Ava. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life because it was so memorable, even though it was all relatively simple. We were located south of Rosarita, Mexico in a small little village. It looked straight from your school textbook of a classic, old, Mexican village and it was beautiful. It made me feel like I was worlds away even though it merely took us five hours by car to get there. Ava was the perfect companion to be there with as well, since we both had the same motive. To appreciate it and to just relax.

The little house we were staying in was perfect for Ava’s big family, another family that came along with us, and me. Ava has a baby brother Bowie, who was not even one at the time, so it was fun to take care of him while her mom was off doing something else. We had a direct view of the ocean from our window and the boys could check the surf anytime of the day to see if it was worth paddling out. During the day, we spent our time at the beach or in the hot tub, which was very relaxing. The pool however, was freezing cold, so we didn’t spend much time in there. The area surrounding the pool was very charming however; it had cute straw umbrellas and stone steps that lead directly down to the rocky ocean.

When we weren’t at our little private oasis, we were in the small town eating great food. We didn’t go out for food that much during our stay but I always had really good look when I did. The first night, we went to a restaurant that was perched high up on a cliff but overlooked the ocean. The sunset was incredible and the tacos were memorably delicious. This trip was simple and sweet, and with all of the stress of finals and dance that is going on in my life right now, those two adjectives sound pretty great.

In Need of Warmth

Posted on April 30, 2019May 1, 2019 Leave a comment

This past weekend, I spent my time inside. With summer quickly approaching, this was not how I would prefer my weekends to go. Especially since I am constantly comparing it to the beautiful, clear, and WARM days we experienced this time last year. This gloomy weather makes me think of a better time, a little less than a year ago, when my friend Tiffany and I went to Palm Springs for the weekend for a mini vacation. If I’m remembering correctly, this getaway was right after my first real AP test, Physics (which I crashed and burned in but oh well) and with the looming stress of AP tests affecting me now, I can only dream about being somewhere warm and pool-filled like Palm Springs.

Tiffany’s close family friend owns an expansive home in the the desert and has furnished it into the perfect weekend home. The drive was relatively short, only about three and a half hours and Tiff and I crashed in the backseat before we get there so it felt even shorter. When I arrived, I was shocked as to how warm the air was even though it was almost midnight. But the second we stepped inside the low to the ground, amazingly insulated, stone house, it was instantly much cooler. The house was beautiful even when they had just recently moved in. Although there wasn’t much furnishing, the exposed stone and crisp white walls were all very fitting to the desert surroundings. We immediately fell asleep in the cute cabana outside, with the air conditioning blasting.

The next day we woke up and got ready pretty early, immediately putting on bathing suits. We headed outside and what had once been all black the night before lay a stone pool with a little water feature, green grass with a little place of shade to lay, and a wall full of beautiful pink and blue flowers. The pool water was freezing cold, but it was almost 100 degrees so it felt very refreshing. Along with lounging by the pool, Tiffany and I went shopping and had dinner out several times. But when the house we were staying was so nice, we spent most of our time there, getting sun and staring at the stark orange mountains against the blue sky. Writing about this trip makes me miss the warmer weather, but hopefully it is on the way!!

Observations

Posted on April 24, 2019April 25, 2019 Tagged beauty, humans, sun, treesLeave a comment

This week, I have no new location to offer. Like most things in life, when it’s overdone, it loses it’s luster. In hopes of keeping my blog fresh, in light of Earth day, and mostly for my personal sanity, I’m taking a week to just write about our Earth. Write about oberservations I have made. Write about my opinions of the world from the little I have seen of it. Just write about something we spend all our time on, but rarely appreciate it for all it’s complexity. There’s more to the world than what is comprehendable, from structure, to nature, to the people who inhabit it and how they decide to interact with what’s given. It has worlds within worlds; one cell on your body is full of microscopic parts, all working together to keep your body running. Zooming out, the system is mirrored. All organisms work together to make a functioning planet to live on, wether it be through human interaction or animals relying on eachother for food. This in itself is inspiring. It proves the significance of everything, since one thing out of place effects the balance. It’s reflected in our society as well and made evident throughout history, shown in the way empires collapse because of a ruler with too much power or vis versa. A lot of things in nature or the way the world works are mirrored in the workings of society which, I guess, makes perfect sense because we are shaped by what we live on and develope behavior based on what’s tangible and observable.

The Needles rock formation in Isle of Wight, England

Whenever I spend a day outside, I always feel recharged. It may be a combination of the sunlight and/or exercise that’s usually involved, but I truly think that just being immersed in nature grounds me and helps me clear my mind. I would say there’s no distraction involved, but that’s not quite right. There’s just as much distraction in a beautiful mountain range than a crowded skyline, but it’s a different distraction. A calm clutter and chaos that’s completely unplanned and natural, yet everything has it’s perfect place. It’s pretty insane.

What is always interesting is humanity’s interaction with the world. Obviously, society is more advanced then ever. The houses are bigger, there’s more cars in the streets, cities sweep for miles and miles, and we have learned how to utilize the natural resources for every cent we can possibly earn. There’s no denying that this has positive results; a rapidly developing world leads to more wealth and comfortable lifestyles. But it’s also undeniable that we are slowly wrecking the Earth. Through deforestation, we are clearing room to put our own structures but have no recognition for the previous ecosystems and little worlds we destroyed in the process. We kill fish from our plastic, kill birds from our air emissions, and, for most, have been so sucked into the appeal of technology that we forget about the simple pleasures of just going outside. It’s inevitable to fall into these traps but it’s at least a step forward to be aware of it. Watch the sunset, not because you want to take a Snapchat of the sunset, but you just want to watch the horizon turn orange. Go outside to breathe fresh air, and go on a hike to see your world from a birds eye view. There’s so much the Earth can offer and we only have so many days on it to appreciate it. This is something I want to think about more; hopefully you will too.

Simple Pleasures

Posted on April 17, 2019April 19, 2019 Tagged bfly, summer, sunLeave a comment

At first glance, Paige Doughty seems like a relatively simple person. She has things she likes, she has things she doesn’t like. She’s attentive and brutally honest in the best way. She is always herself, but isn’t all-revealing all the time. I have had the chance to be with her what seems like every hour of everyday, but the rare hour I’m not in her company, I find myself missing her. Her favorite place in Santa Barbara also appears as simple, Butterfly Beach. But what makes it stand out in her mind is all the memories she has shared with friends there, not how nice it may be. I think your interests reveal truths about your character, and Butterfly does just this for Paige. Simple. Pretty. Grounded. And a template for memories worth more than any location in the world.

I have already briefly talked about this beach in the blog about the Coral Casino, which is on one end of it, but it deservingly should receive it’s own post. Butterfly is recognizable and iconic in Santa Barbara. Even my mom, who grew up in SB, has memories of going there in the summer. It’s distinguished by the stone wall that lines it, parrellel to the ocean. This wall is perfect for picnics or chilling out on when it may be too chilly to sit in the sand but you still want a view of the ocean. There is a cute patch of grass with a tree at the end of this wall which just completes the picture, being a good bookend the the Coral on the other side. The beach itself is simple and pristine, with no rocks in the water so it’s easy to cool off.

Like basically everything I love, it looks best bathed in pastel. And sunset at here is no different. Sometimes I will drive past on my way home from a long day of dance, if it’s the right time of night, and just watch the sun pass the horizon. My favorite memory I have here with Paige is the day Quincy, Paige, and I took paddle boards and paddled out into the channel. We squealed when seaweed touched our feet and sunbathed together while looking back to the shrinking people one the shore. Thinking about times like this make me endlessly excited for this summer to come, and I can’t wait to spend it by Paige’s side.

Hay’s Fave

Posted on April 9, 2019April 12, 2019 Tagged amsterdam, Gibraltar, Hayden, sisters, travelLeave a comment

It’s rare for Hayden Randolph not to be exploring. She has visited five of the seven continents, most recently living it up with her two sisters in Amsterdam. Everywhere from African safaris to sunlit islands, from snow to salt water, Hayden has been or has plans to go to in the near future. Traveling is a huge part of her life, and I believe I see it reflected in her personality as well. Hayden is open minded and welcoming to everyone she meets, and is always down for a fun time. Her adventures are anything but basic, constantly staying down to Earth in Air BNB’s and making friends with locals. Whether it’s international or in her own backyard, one thing is true; she’s rarely inside. One of her fave places in SB is outside (duh), and pretty iconic as far as “mind blowing views” goes.

Hayden with her sister on their recent trip to the Netherlands

Her favorite place happens to also be high on my list as well; Gibraltar!! Winding high in the mountains above Santa Barbara, the road (named Gibraltar) climbs and twists so that the view becomes more and more expansive. Going to the top is beautiful and commanding but not totally necessarily if all you want is a great view. The overlook is beautiful in any season or time of day, although sunset is always optimal in my opinion. Going at night is interesting since all of the city lights twinkle below you, yet you’re high enough up that the stars are clearly visible, but I would suggest driving slowly cause it can get a little sketch on the tight turns towards the top. Although Hay and I have never actually gone to Gibraltar together, we both agree that sunset picnics looking out to the horizon in the company of good people is hard to beat, and always leaves us feeling thankful and peaceful.

Currently, I’m writing this with a heart full of gratitude. I feel so lucky that I have a place like this to go in my hometown and a great friend like Hayden to experience these memories with. I met her in preschool, and we luckily reconnected in fifth grade, staying close ever since. She has been all around the globe, and I aspire to do the same. It has done nothing but enhance her down to earth qualities and broad perspective which is very refreshing when high school life can be clouded by very short term and irrelevant worries. She can let loose, allowing others to feel comfortable to do so as well, and for that I am so thankful.

A Week Away

Posted on April 2, 2019April 5, 2019 Tagged boat, Cabo, jetski, Palmtree, vacayLeave a comment

This previous week was definelty one of the best weeks of my sophomore year. It was finally much needed Spring Break, and one of my good friends, Annabelle Tiller, invited me to Cabo San Lucas for the week. Cabo is no hidden destination in the slightest, and we were there at one of the most crowded times of the year since all the colleges were on vacation. This blog’s initial goal was to share with you the hidden gems I’ve discovered over the years, but this experience, although nothing but mainstream, was worth contributing. All things considered, if its crowded, there’s probably a good reason why. And Cabo’s reason is that it’s just straight fun and not much else. What could go wrong there?

We stayed at the Riu Palace at the north end of the main Cabo cove. It was filled with sprawling pools and beautiful views, and everything looked straight out of a exotic magazine. The food was not the highlight and I could’ve done with a little more focus on actual Mexican cuisine, and not mediocre everything you could ever want. But no complaints, there was lots of fruit and it was all inclusive. The rooms were cute and airy, and for the older people on the trip, finding something to drink was made extremelyyyy easy. Since my friend Annabelle is the most fit person on this Earth, we did a lot of working out and, although the gym wasn’t up to her high standards, the view of the ocean straight from the treadmill was unbeatable and added some much needed motivation for me. The best feature, by far, was the direct access to the beach and the cute rows of lawn chairs and palm trees in the soft sand. We got most of our sun lying out here and it was a great locale for people watching as well.

Along with lounging by the pool, our group engaged in entertaining activities down the beach and in town. One day, we rented jet skis for an hour and soared around the cove, racing each other and catching air on the wake of the passing boats. Although this was fun, the highlight of the trip was the catamaran we rented on the last day. Annabelle and I, plus some new friends, could spread out on the mesh-like netting on the back of the boat and doze off. We stopped for some snorkeling which was pretty but slightly unimpressive, and didn’t compare to the relaxing boat life.

This was a much needed and memorable vacation in my books and I am very grateful to have gone to such a fun place with all my friends as a sophmore! I returned with a nice tan, a phone full of pictures, and a conscious full of great memories. I hope to return here in future years and recommend it highly for anyone wanting to relax and have a blast all in the same place, which is definitely easier said then done to find!

Coral Connections

Posted on March 20, 2019 Tagged annabelle, beachside, classy, coral, honorbar, quincyLeave a comment

Welcome back. I’m in “post dance show” recovery mode and couldn’t be more internally lazy, so what better way to spend my one day of rest than at the most relaxing place in Santa Barbara? I will answer that for you. There is no better way. The Coral Casino (not an actual casino obvi) is neighbor to Butterfly Beach and the Four Seasons Hotel which are no neighbors to be ashamed of. Butterfly Beach on its own is one of the best places in Santa Barbara, in my opinion. The iconic stone wall provides a place to sit above the sand and the water is always calm and rock-less. It’s no doubt popular, especially in the summer, but on most days Butterfly is not insanely crowded. It’s beautiful in any season, night or day, and I have experienced some of my favorite sunsets and memories from here. This sets the perfect setting for the perfect beach side club.

The Coral Casino itself is a private club complete with a pool, a hot tub, a restaurant, and multiple decks packed with crisp white pool chairs to sunbathe on. The pool is always the perfect temperature and jumping in the warm hot tub is always needed after taking a dip in the ocean. The overall vibe of the place is very clean and beachy; everything is white with accents of light pink. Stepping through the doors makes you feel like you’re somewhere foreign and exclusive. Although it isn’t foreign, it most definitely is exclusive and I would have no way into this gem without one of my best friend’s Quincy and I’m immensely lucky she is generous enough to take me along. I went the past Sunday with Quincy and Annabelle, and got some much needed sun and ate some great food, which you can eat right from the comfort of a pool side chair.

The Coral Casino has a classic elegance that almost transports you to a different time period. This little area of lower Montecito is probably my favorite place in all of Santa Barbara. It provides the best food from many restaurants on Coast Village, like Sakana, The Honor Bar, and Rori’s as well it’s great beach access of course. This part of town holds a special place in my heart as a local, but I promise anyone from near or far could appreciate all it has to offer as well as I can. Stay tuned for next week’s location (hint: it starts with a C and ends with an ABO!)

The North Side of the Mountain

Posted on March 12, 2019March 14, 2019 Tagged erika, Fuji, lunch, maple, shrineLeave a comment

Hola amigos! This weekend, it was one of the first warm weekends we have had in a while but I was stuck inside since I was in two performances my dance company annually puts on. The shows went well and I had a great time, but I had some regrets that I couldn’t be outside in the sun more often. This made me think back to a time that was jam packed with vitamin D; summer and my adventure to Japan. During my fam’s stay, we traveled other places than just crowded Tokyo, including the rural area North of Mount Fuji, called the Yamanashi Prefecture. Looking back, this was one of the best days of the entire trip. My family and I saw the looming mountain from a multitude of different angles and with a changing scenery in front of it each time. Maybe writing about this beautiful place will distract me from the fact that I’ll be locked up in the theatre all weekend as well. Worth a shot at least!

The fist location of the day was way up in the hills, overlooking Lake Kawaguchi and Mt Fuji (duhh). The area had a kimono museum and a tightly wooded area filled with Japanese maple, little streams, and waterfalls.The kimonos were insanely elaborate and detailed, illustrating scenes of colorful sunsets and intracite flower feilds. The main attraction was the view, however, and we spent some time sitting on the terrace and sipping on bad coffee to appreciate it. Fuji was comeplety unveiled from the clouds that were previously covering it, which is apparently rare, and exerted this powerful feeling on me. I don’t really know how to explain it, it’s just a mountain, but there is really something about it that steals your attention. What that is, I have no idea, and I know that’s not a very strong case to compel you to see it, but I promise it will be worth your time if you can see Fuji while its uncovered.

We took a small boat ride on a glassy lake that was closer to the base of the mountain and had lunch in a traditional resteraunt that served one of the best meals of the trip. The waiter came out with what I believe was the only thing on the menu; a large pot of thick soba noodles and a delicous broth for each of us with steam flowing out the top. After our lunch, we drove one last viewing place that was overlooking a smaller lake from the Eastern side. The mountain was close to being covered but we still got a beautiful glimpse there before leaving to the final stop of the day. The final destination was about an hour away, so close to the base of Fuji, you could no longer see it in the heavily wooded area. Upon arrival, we walked up a long path lined with tall trees and large, stone lanterns. At the top, there was a shrine and a temple adorned with many prayer flags and figures of worship. We cleansed our hands and mouths with the pure water in the fashion we were earlier taught in Tokyo before walking around the grounds. There were various pathways in back of the temple, filled with maple and hundreds of red flags with scripture adorning them. If we were to walk farther up the trail, it would lead us to Fuji itself and a hike leading up it. This was one of my favorite shrines and temples I visited and it wasn’t crowded, allowing you to appreciate it’s beauty.

This more secluded version of Japan was almost more enjoyable for me compared to the packed cities. I recommend this area to anyone traveling here that wants to surround themselves with serene nature and experience the feeling you will get seeing Mt Fuji. Nature is powerful, get out in it more!

The MAD Mission

Posted on March 5, 2019March 7, 2019 Tagged Friends, keys, mad, Mexico, serviceLeave a comment

Hi friends. This week, I’m choosing to reflect on the MAD Mexico trip to Tijuana I participated in this fall. You may argue this is not much of a destination, rather a unique experience. You are totally correct. But what I’ve come to realize is that one of the best things we as humans can offer the world is support to those who are lacking. What better way to give back then directly taking action and providing a better shelter for a family in need. This trip opened my eyes in many ways; reinstating an appreciation for the life I’m lucky to live, and proving how happy one can be with so little. I’m recommending to anyone given an opportunity to go on a service trip similar to this to absolutely take it. The outcome of giving is worth any sweat or blood lost in the process. Anyways. Speech over. Here was my experience.

All the included pictures were taken on a disposable I brought, which I recommend for an experience like this.

We drove down south in carpools driven by chaperones. The contrast between lower San Diego and the hillside of Tijuana on the horizon felt like the difference between two worlds. We set up our tents once we arrived where we were to stay, which was pretty barren and resembled more of a dirt parking lot with exception to a few small buildings where food was served at night. I tented with Lucy, one of my very close friends. We were two of only four girls on the trip which made the experience very different but ultimately very fun. I got the chance to meet many new people I had never met before, and become close with those who I would never expect. The labor itself was no easy task. For three days, we split into two teams to build two separate houses for two different families. From the concrete base, to the wooden frames, to plastering the roof and walls, we did it all ourselves with much appreciated help from the chaperones. It was hard work, but you could see everyone was putting in their best effort to get it done for the families.

After both the houses were finished by the end of the third day, all the hard work was done and we could finally give the keys to the owners of the house. Over the course of our time working, we had gotten the chance to talk to the kids that lived there and play with them a little bit, as well as speak with the older women. The look on their faces when we handed over the keys was priceless, which sounds cheesy but was really true. When we returned to the campsite, Lucy and I found a hammock and chilled out for a while, downloading all that had happened the past few days. We both agreed that it was such a life changing experience to put aside any stress we carry around all day back home and focus on the basics of getting a hard job done.

On the ride home, the spirits were high as we talked about all the fun memories on the trip, stopped for Chick-fil-a, and listened to Grant’s EDM music. I plan on going every year I can on this service trip, but it also inspired me to look at other service trip options through different programs since I loved the feeling of gratitude and pride that this offered. This was no dream destination but definitely the experience of a lifetime!