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. :)

Staying Motivated for the Long Run

I know there is probably a large majority of us who have large life goals that we want to achieve. These life goals are not easy to accomplish and take a lot of hard work. Once these goals are accomplished we feel so accomplished (obviously) and proud of ourselves. But sometimes, and maybe even a lot of the time, there are people who do not make their life goals and quit because they couldn't see it to the very end. The life goals that you set for yourself can be accomplished. The determining factor of your success is how you come about your goal. Like I say in a lot of my post, because it is true, I'm still young and have a lot of learning and wisdom to gain. But, at this point of my life I feel like I have learned two important tips in achieving long term goals that I would like to share. 1) Turn your long term goal into short term goals and 2) Give yourself time to acknowledge your success. These two tips are probably two of many steps that need to be done in order to accomplish goals, but I think these two will lead you in the right direction. These are steps that I have been working on myself. So wish me luck and I hope you enjoy these two steps and possibly even put them to work to benefit yourself.

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee

Turn your long term goals into short term goals
-Working towards a long term goal takes a lot of work, dedication, and patience. A lot of the time our efforts feel like they are getting us no where and as a result some people give up on their goals. The best way to keep yourself motivated is to not focus entirely on the long term goal, but to focus on the completion of milestones that get you to your long term goals. Focusing on the big picture is way more overwhelming than looking at the smaller picture. I'm sure most people, including myself, feel motivated to keep pushing forward when they are seeing quick results. Focusing on the big picture will not result in faster results. But, the smaller pictures that construct the bigger picture will.
For example, my long term goal in school is to go to graduate school and become a certified Nurse Midwife. In order to do that I have to do well in my undergraduate studies, get into a nursing school, graduate, work as a registered nurse in the labor and delivery department of a hospital for at least a year, get accepted into a certified Nurse Midwife graduate program, endure 2-3 years of that program and then finally graduate with the proper education and credentials to practice as a Midwife. From all of that, it is going to take about 7 to 8 years of schooling. That means a lot of sleepless nights studying and having to stay consistent with my grades. As of now, I am only in my first year of college and if I constantly focused on becoming a Midwife now it would be far too overwhelming to think about all of the years of stressful studying I would have to do. I'm starting to stress just from thinking about it. So instead, I focus on the first step first: getting into nursing school. Nursing programs are impacted everywhere and competition is tough. So to keep me motivated to continue down the path towards becoming a Midwife I focus on getting into nursing school. I need to keep my grades up for 3 more semester, including the one I'm in now. So right now my only focus is nursing school. Because it's so much closer in the future than becoming a Nurse midwife it doesn't seem as daunting. After getting into nursing school I'll focus on graduating and getting a job as a registered nurse and so on and so forth. Focusing on the increment of the journey instead of the whole picture makes the extra effort less strenuous because you'll see the results of your progress much faster.

Give yourself time to acknowledge your success
-It's easy for us to complete a task and instantly work on the next one and not acknowledge that we have progressed from where we were at the start. Constant work on one really long task can be daunting, repetitive, and discouraging after awhile. To keep yourself encouraged, take a step back every once in awhile and look at how far you have come. From the time you first started working towards the goal to where you currently are. It's further than where you were in the beginning right? Be proud and take pride in that. Accepting and basking in your progress will make the journey a little easier because your progress will be your own motivation. Don't be afraid to take a day off and reset your focus. A trip to the beach, museum, park, garden, cafe, or restaurant you've been wanting to go to maybe? Give yourself a break every now and then. You deserve it.

Healthy Spontaneous Getaways

Everyday routines can be draining and stressful; wake up, go to work/school, sit in traffic/study for hours, go home to cook/try to be social and interactive, get less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep, and repeat. It can become extremely overwhelming. As crappy as it is, it must be done. But there is a way to make our every day routines a little less stressful and overwhelming.
The best way to do that is to take spontaneous getaways. Whether it's a beach day, going to the city, or going to a coffee shop that you've been wanting to go to. Pick one day or even two days where you can take some time to get away and re-energize yourself. If you think you do not have the time to relax and recharge yourself then you really need to do this. This getaway doesn't have to be a day long, it can be a couple of hours. The constant rush of every day life can definitely wear you down mentally and physically. If you stay in that routine constantly you'll lose sight of yourself and you'll eventually find yourself going through the motions and not living.
So next time you feel like you're losing control or you're about to break down take a step back out of your life and ask yourself, "where do I find peace?" and "where can I relax?" The first place you think of is the place you'll be able to relax and unwind. Plan a day out your week to go to where ever that place is and try to make that your weekly routine so that when you're having a crappy week your getaway day will be your motivation to keep pushing through your week.
When you go to your getaway location leave your busy life for the time that you are there. Leave all of your stress and worries behind you. The only thing you should be thinking about is where you are right then and there and how much your getaway was much needed. From personal experience these private getaways are super efficient. My mind felt so much clearer during my getaway and when I returned back to my reality things weren't as hectic. I was able to think clearly and get things done. I actually got more done after my getaway than I do while under stress during my week. You're getaways should be exclusively customized to you. Go where you want to go and do what you want to do. Go alone or bring a close friend, it's up to you. Just make sure that whatever it is you do you do it only for you. If you happen to plan something on your getaway day, drop it. Or at least push it later into your day. Make sure you take advantage of your getaway, you deserve it.

This was my first week starting this routine and I've been absolutely pleased with the positive effects it has. Before I used to think I didn't have time to relax and "reset", but taking time out to "reset" is what's going to improve my performance during my busy week. My getaway day takes place on Saturday mornings to this beautiful place. It's a reasonable distance away so I jog here. I walk along the beach and let the water rush against my feet. After walking the beach for about half a mile or so I find a place to sit down on a towel and enjoy the view and mediate. I encourage everyone to try this at least once. Find your peaceful place and see the immediate difference it makes on you and how differently you perform during your week. Give it a try and if it works for you spread the word to your friends and family.

Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo 

Looking back on 2013 and feeling hopeful for 2014

Hey lovelies! It looks like we made it through another year! 2013 had a few monumental moments: I turned 18 in April, I graduated high school in June, and I moved away for college at the end of August. I've had a lot of fun in college and I've learned a lot about myself. Even though 2013 had great moments for me there were some hardships here in there throughout the year. I had stumbled, faltered, and lost direction at one point. But through the good and bad I learned a lot, grew from my struggles, and I look forward to the upcoming year.

Now that the year has ended a new one has begun it is time to make some expectations for 2014. It's common for people to have "New Year Resolutions" but to be honest those resolutions only last about 2 or 3 months max. I used to write resolutions and they would only last about two months at the most.

Starting this coming year I won't have an New Year Resolutions. My main focus for this year and many years to come is self improvement. Becoming a better and stronger person is an ongoing process that never ends. I want to work on being a better person than I was in 2013 and years before that. I wouldn't call them New Year Resolutions but this year I want to make sure that I don't repeat last year. I don't want to make the same mistakes I did last year. I want to be more willing to put myself out there and truly strive for whatever it is that I want. I want to continue being humble and staying healthy and becoming healthier. I don't expect to see immediate results from anything that I do because I know it's going to be a never ending process and my results will become visible in the long run.

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo

So what are some of your goals and aspirations for 2014?

More Than Just Water

I don't know about all of you, but I've always heard that it's important to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. I've gone online to find out how much water we really need to drink a day. From all of my findings it is safe to say that we should all drink at least 8 glasses a day, or a little over a liter of water throughout the day to stay properly hydrated. I don't mind water too much, but after awhile the plainness of water gets tiring and I give in to juice and soda. I've found some ways to make water more enjoyable and naturally tasteful. It's easy to make and you can make an abundant amount of it so that you can take it in a travel cup and store the rest in your refrigerator for later. It's a great way of staying healthy and enjoying great flavors. All of these recipes are natural. The only ingredients you need are water and the fruits and vegetables of your choice. Don't be afraid to experiment and add your own little spins to these recipes. Think of them as a foundation to something healthy and delicious that you can make on your own. Enjoy. :)

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo

With making fruit/vegetable water there are only 3 easy steps:

1) Cut up the fruit/vegetable of your choice and place it in a pitcher

2) Fill the pitcher with water. (ice is optional)
   *I like using ice in my individual servings, I feel like the chill of the ice enhances the flavors*

3) Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let the flavors infuse
 

Here are some fruit/vegetable water ideas and the benefits of drinking them:

Lemon Water: Lemon water is probably the most common known infusion of fruit and water. In restaurants the waiter/waitress usually asks if you want lemon with your water. Well, there are health benefits to this simple and common known combination. Lemon water helps stimulate and regulate the digestive track. It also helps fight infections and promotes the immune system due to it's Vitamin C content.

Cucumber Water: Cucumber water is rich with vitamins and calcium. Cucumbers are 95% water so you're adding more water to your water, if that makes sense, lol. Cucumbers are great for hydrating your skin and helps filter the liver and kidneys. To add even more flavor to your cucumber water, mint is a good complementary flavor. Mint can help with a more effective digestion and help relax cramped up stomach muscles.

Sweet-Tart: Stir 2 cups pineapple chunks, 1 cup pitted and halved fresh cherries, and 3 cored and thinly sliced granny smith apples.

(This recipe makes 2 quarts. Top ingredients with 6 cups ice, fill jar or pitcher with water, stir, and cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors infuse)










Strawberry Basil Blast: Scrunch 8 fresh mint leaves to release their flavors. Combine 3 cups of halved strawberries and gently muddle with a wooden spoon or spatula.

(This recipe makes 2 quarts. Top ingredients with 6 cups ice, fill jar or pitcher with water, stir, and cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors infuse)

Orangeberry: Gently muddle 5 thinly sliced oranges and 2 cups raspberries.

(This recipe makes 2 quarts. Top ingredients with 6 cups ice, fill jar or pitcher with water, stir, and cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors infuse)











The last 3 recipes I got from Prevention.com. Click on the link and it will take you to the page with these recipes along with 23 other delicious fruit water ideas and recipes. Hopefully these recipes help and hopefully these will help us drink more water and enjoy the natural taste of fruit and water.

ChinaTown and JapanTown, San Francisco, California

ChinaTown and JapanTown are definitely their own towns within San Francisco. Once you step into one of these towns it's like you've entered a whole new realm. I've been to ChinaTown a couple of times since I've been in SF and I love going there. Before any shopping or exploring I have to go to a tea shop for free tea tasting. The tea is freshly brewed right in front of you and the guy, Kenny, really knows his stuff about tea. Kenny's shop is the only tea shop I go to for tea tasting. Here's a link to his website, it's worth a look. I'll also have the address to his shop down below.

One day when I explored ChinaTown with a friend we decided to head over to JapanTown since I had never been there. Once we got to JapanTown my heart exploded, haha. I love JapanTown. The mall there has to separate buildings. There's an eastern side and western side. The mall has a lot of anime stores, for those who love anime like I do, and it also has a lot of Japanese restaurants that I would love to try one day. If you're in San Francisco I recommend visiting ChinaTown and JapanTown at least once. Enjoy. :)

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo

Tea tasting in ChinaTown! 

Here is the address to the tea shop: 

Vital TeaLeaf 509 Grant Ave. San Francisco, CA 94108 

The bridge in the JapanTown mall. I forgot what building it is in. It's really cool. You have to walk on the bridge to get to the second floor. :D 

Macaroons in the JapanTown mall at a little stand called Cako. The macaroons are so cute and delicious and cheap too!