Gardens and Wandering Trails

Hey beautiful people!

It's been a long time since I've done a travel post about ANYTHING. I've just been so busy with school and my new job. But, today I made it a priority to go out and do something leisurely productive, if  that even makes sense, lol. Today I explored the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park and took an adventure on a trail around Stow Lake. Though it was a little sketchy, with some inclines and wooded stairs, it was quite a nature treat. Here are some pictures from today's shenanigans. All of the pictures you'll see were taken by me. Hopefully I can do more travel posts in the near future. I just need to make leisure time a priority in my hectic schedule. But for now, I hope you all enjoy!

Yours Truly,

Carla Renee

xoxo

 One of the major attractions in the tea garden. This beautiful Shrine was too good to pass up.

 Would you call this a Shrine Arch? Either way, it looked great on this sunny SF day.

 A stone lantern that I couldn't help but take a picture of.

 The Buddha in all of his glory.

 Found this quirky little structure in the Tea Garden. Looks like a bamboo water fountain. It was pretty cool. I kinda want one for myself!

 These stone lanterns can be found all over the garden. All of them were beautifully placed.

 Stone lanterns everywhere!!

 One of my favorite parts of the garden; CHERRY BLOSSOMS!! They're my favorite flower. Definitely had to come to the gardens because they only bloom during March and April. After that they fall off. Glad I got to see them this year!

 After walking through the gardens an organic ice cream truck was spotted. I can never turn down ice cream!! Here is my organic vanilla bean and chocolate twirl ice cream with chocolate chips. It was so good!! I'm definitely gonna have to hunt this ice cream truck down again!

 This is the beginning of the wandering trail. Had no idea where it went, but that's what life is all about! Gotta take risks sometimes!!

 But of course I didn't trek alone! Here is my good friend Roberto, who is crazy enough to go with me on these adventures. Thanks for coming!! :)

 Onward we went!! Seemed like a pretty cool pathway.

 But knowing me, I had to stop every now and then to smell and appreciate the flowers.

No filter needed for these flowers. They were vibrant on their own!! I had to stop for these beauties.

In the midst of our unknown path a tiny bridge was spotted that led to...

 This awesome shrine buried in the shrubbery!!

Then I had a field day with taking pictures. This is one of my favorite pictures. He didn't know I was taking pictures of him at the time. But, I think that's why I love this picture so much. My oblivious model created a stunning photo. Thanks again Roberto! Always a pleasure having you with me during my adventures. :)

Actions Speak Louder than Words

A lot was said, but never with words.

Outside of us there are things I wish I could take back.

The feel of your lips, the touch of your skin.

Running my fingertips across your arms and cheeks.

Just one look into your eyes.

Feeling your heartbeat with my hands.

Reality intertwining with fantasy.

A conversation without words.

A conversation within the heart.




A heart crushed by reality. . .

Brown Skin Beauty: Interracial & Same Race Dating

Hello my lovelies!,

So for the second installment of my Brown Skin Beauty series I will be talking about DATING!! To be more specific I will be chatting a bit about interracial and same race dating; which one is better, what are the pros and cons, and my take on the two. I've been approached about this topic before and I'm excited to share what I think about them and I would love to hear what all of you think about the topic.

First and foremost I don't believe that one is better than the other. It totally depends on the person and what they are comfortable with. Now, there are pros and cons to both that I feel are bound to happen. To start off I'll talk about same race dating. To me, the obvious pro to this would be common understanding of each other's racial experiences. For example, an African American couple will understand each other's experiences with other races and the context that certain interactions are taken in, whether it be good or bad. I feel like that is a huge pro because I feel like it is harder to get that kind of support and understanding from another person who hasn't experienced it because they are not the same race as you. Another pro to same race dating would be the ability to strengthen traditions. Within any race there are traditions that are unique to each. Dating within the same race can strengthen those traditions and can eventually lead to passing down traditions to further generations.

At this point I can only think of one possible con to same race dating and that would be narrow mindedness. I'm not saying it's bound to happen or a completely bad thing. I feel that when dating within the same race there is a chance of being with someone that has the same perspective as you and I just feel that it's great to be able to interact with someone who has a different perspective than you. I feel like that can help build character and just open one's eyes to a whole new perspective that they would have never thought of and vice versa. I find that to be exciting.

Just like same race dating, interracial dating has it's own pros and cons of its own. A major pro I see would be the exposure to different perspectives. Each of you see the world through different lenses and can teach each other what it is that you know and experience. It gives you the ability to blend both of your perspectives together to create a brand new perspective and create new insights that can help each of you grow as a person. Create new traditions for future generations and just learn from each other. It's important to familiarize yourself with different cultures just out of respect for the many different people that live on this Earth and if you can find that in a mate that you can connect with that is a definite plus. It can make you a more well-round citizen of the planet.

The pros to interracial dating are enlightening, but there can be cons to getting into the an interracial relationship. One possible con is miscommunication. The meaning and context of words and interactions can be different among different cultures and may cause tension. But, if both of you want to make the relationship work I feel like that can be an obstacle that the two of you can overcome. Another possible con can be how strict traditions can be. Sometimes there are cultures that would prefer dating and marriage to be within the same nationality and culture. That can be difficult if the parents want their child to date within their race and you're not of the same race. It's possible to get the parents to warm up to you and have a change of heart, but this isn't guaranteed. Another con to different traditions may be that the tradition may be too demanding. But, I honestly feel that if both of you are happy and want to make the relationship work and find a middle ground despite the "guidelines" a culture might have. There may be a few more possible cons in interracial dating than in same race dating, but that doesn't mean that interracial relationships can't be as strong or even stronger than same race relationships. All relationships take dedication and commitment. Interracial relationships just might need a little more dedication, but it isn't anything that can't conqured 

Personally, I do not purposely choose one or the other. It's about the individual and aspects of their personalities that draw me in. I have come across Asian American males that have gotten my attention because of their optimism, perspective, and fun personalities.I have come across African American males that have gotten my attention because of our similarities, and spontaneity. I will admit, most of the men that I have been drawn to were not of my nationality and nationality doesn't rank high in what I look for in a guy. They just so happen to be whatever it is that they are. I'll talk more about dating in general in another post. But, with interracial dating being the focus of this post my stance on this is that race shouldn't be a huge factor in terms of a relationship. Love has no color. It's about the connection you have with that person, a connection that you can't even put into words but in your heart you know it's right.

So with that being said, what do you guys think about this? Do you find race to be an important factor in finding a mate or do you think it's a minimal factor? Are there any pros and cons that you guys can think of that I didn't touch on?

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo

New Year, Fresh Start

Happy New Year my lovelies!,

2014 has been such an amazing and busy year for me. I've grown so much as a person and accomplished so much! I got my first job and was able to juggle school and volunteering along with it. In 2014 I found out that working while being a full time student takes a lot of hard work, determination, and time management! 2014 was definitely the year that I became more independent. I was more responsible for myself by making my own decisions, going out on my own, and trying my best to financially support myself.

I'm very thankful and blessed for the experiences I had during 2014 and I feel like 2015 is going to be even bigger for me. I have so much planned and so far this year is on a great start. This year is going to be full of new experiences and adventures that I'm super excited for.

This year I have so much planned! For one, I turn 20 this year! So I have big plans for that, which I will talk about closer to my actual birthday. I also have some "adventures" planned that I will be talking about and posting pictures of.

I'm far from being a perfect person and there is always room for self improvement. Along with all of my adventures that I have planned for this year, there is a lot of growing I want to do. One thing that I want to really work on this year is time management! Managing my time is something I really struggle with. I feel like once I get that under wraps it will open up more opportunities for me to keep up with my hobbies, like photography and blogging.

What do you have planned for the new year?

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo