July
summer heat, san francisco fog, travel, repeat.
July’s collage makes me want to be a part of a magazine, summer’s dream. I want to run around in the cool night air in a place where the sun has lingered long enough so I don’t have to wear a jacket. My legs are tanned from days spent outside. I want my hair to fan out around me as I float under a blue sky. And I want my jewelry to clink on my wrists as I sip on a cold crisp glass of white wine. I don’t want to worry about money, I don’t want to think about work.
What do you think? Does that sound doable? Do you see it in my collage?
But as the line in I Would by One Direction (and my instagram bio of many many years) goes, “reality ruined my life”.
A jump to reality
Because anyone who says California is the sunshine state has never lived in San Francisco during the summer. June and July are never really great weather months in the city, the fridge effect is in full swing, but this year is particularly bad. We’re on record this year to have the coldest summer since the 60s.
So while the rest of the northern hemisphere pulls out shorts and throws on sandals, I’ve been wearing my Uggs and a sweater since mid June! So you can see where my collage comes from, what I’m dreaming about.
C’est la vie — that’s what I get for a year round mild climate.
Compression socks on, a suitcase in tow
But as the fog has rolled in, I’ve rolled out. I was gone for a lot of the month. I only spent 1 weekend in San Francisco really, the rest were taken up by trips around California and spent on planes for work and for celebrations.
I flew to Raleigh, NC twice for work in July. While California’s weather is steady, North Carolina’s mood could be described as scorchingly temperamental. I understand now why the plants are all to happy to grow up the sides of buildings and into the streets. The humidity is no joke, thunderstorms roll in like the evening news and somehow it gets hotter once it breaks and rains.
My other trip was to celebrate my friend Hannah’s upcoming nuptials in September. We traveled down to New Orleans for a Bachelorette long weekend trip. The weekend was spent poolside and bar hopping around the French Quarter. We went on a swamp tour and watched in awe (some in horror) as our tour guide fed marshmallows to an alligator he affectionately called Big Yeti. In turn the group of us affectionately named our tour guide Trout. <3
The weekend was full of love and celebrating. New Orleans knows how to have a good time — and so does Hannah. In college, Hannah was the type of friend you know would join you for Wells Wednesday (a UW classic) and still be able to wake up for her 8 am. She continued to be that same woman at her Bachelorette — a menace on the dance floor and making coffees the next morning, ready for a beignet from Cafe Du Monde. An icon living.
So after many dance parties, hand sewn surprises from the bride, teary toasts about how much Hannah means to each of us, karaoke, one too many Kirkland Peach Vodka Seltzers, and a surprise dance, we headed home late Sunday.
Spending time with close college friends is strange. Time has moved, but your friendships haven’t really. The same patterns you developed living in such close proximity to each other emerge naturally, like an unconscious relaxation. I used to share bunkbeds with these women. Brush my teeth and shower in stalls next to one another. Hannah’s curled my hair for countless formals, Astrid did my hair for a night out during the bachelorette (with her Dry Bar Brush she’s influenced half of our friend group to get).
Many things don’t change, but distance does. They now live many (1000s) miles from me. I text them regularly. I know the general goings on. But when you see them physically, it’s like oh! I remember you! You know me. How could I forget?
My brain catches up to my heart. I’m so glad it does.
On the highways of California
July consisted of traveling around California as well. I spent time up in Fort Bragg for the Fourth of July. We went horseback riding and had a water fight in the pool. Ate tinned fish and strawberry shortcake popsicles. Went to the Fort Bragg Salmon BBQ (the world’s largest!). Had a great smash burger and pickle beer at Jumbo’s Win Win. We spent an afternoon in Santa Rosa to celebrate all the June and July birthdays of the extended family (lots of water sign energy I’m realizing).
We traveled up to Sonora, a Sierra foothills town where my grandma is from and still lives, to throw my grandma a 92nd birthday party. We walked through Columbia, a historic gold rush town my great grandma grew up in. The dusty drive up through the Central Valley into the hills of California is one of my favorites. Out past Oakdale there’s a certain part of 120 that feels like a rollercoaster — I never know quite where it is, but it’s always there and it always will be.
How I Like to Travel
With all the time I spent bopping around, I’ve packed and re-packed a lot. Here are some thoughts I have:
Compression socks — Get! A! Pair! 15-30mmHg non medical compression socks are the way to go for a comfortable flight (some articles about their benefit here and here). Any flight over 3 hrs, I’m popping them on to help with circulation. Mine are from amazon, they come in a 2 pack but Bombas makes some great ones as well.
Packing cubes & pouches — If living out of a suitcase has taught me anything, it’s my obsession with grouping trinkets into pouches has paid off. I am a large proponent of packing cubes. You should have seen that coming. Bring an extra empty cube for dirty clothes.
L.L.Bean Boat Tote — I’m a simple girl, my zip top monogrammed green boat tote with long straps is my personal item. I got it a year ago and it has gone on every trip with me since as my travel bag. It fits: 1 Baggu laptop case (with laptop), an iPad, 3 pouches filled with various wares, 1 Sony headphone case, 1 Owala water bottle, random snacks, a hair clip, a jelly cat clipped to the outside for pizazz, and sunglasses.
Kindle/Kindle App — This is self explanatory. I wish I could be whimsical and carry a physical book with me but that means extra weight (and less pouch storage). If you don’t have a kindle, I use the Kindle App. Or use Libby, e-books from your local library card! Bonus: I read The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig and The Ravens Scholar by Antonia Hodgson this month — I cannot recommend either of these enough!!
A balance: Hydration, Aeration & Smelling Good — Planes are fickle, I never know what I’m getting myself into. I also find plane smell can often be… less than desirable. So to keep me relatively comfortable (and clean), I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer, hand cream, & face mist on me at all times when I travel. They’re reachable, they smell good, and I feel a little more at ease once my ritual is complete. My ritual goes: I clean my hands, I use Le Labo Santal handcream as my personal aromatherapy dupe, and top off with a quick facial mist spritz (tbh I use Mario Baduscu but I would recommend Avene).
Stick Season by Noah Kahan — This is prime stare-out-the-window-and-daydream music. I listen to this album at record replay amounts without a care in the world. Bonus: rain noises if you want to sleep!
Eat before your flight — For the love of god please have at least one (1) snack with you at all times that is more sustenance than the complementary pretzels. I have been loving a pre-flight smoothie (read: I am turning into my mother).
Outfit repeater alert! — I have a go to outfit when I’ve been traveling. Salomon XT-6s, Old Navy wide leg yoga pants, t-shirt, and 1 layer: my Whoa Nellie Deli Mobil Gas Station hoodie (iykyk) or my cotton sweater from Everlane. All black except my shoes and oooh so comfyy. I wish I could be one of those people who look chic walking through the airport. I’m not! I’ll save those moments for another time.
Charge your phone — Astrid and I ran into this problem traveling back from New Orleans. Our plane didn’t have in seat chargers. We were fools. Both our phones died getting off the plane and we were stranded (for 10 minutes). Do better than us!
Lastly, the damage I did second hand shopping this month:
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Okay no more gabbing about traveling. I’m getting to the poem now.
A sapling is meant to bend with the rain, the snow, in wind. like spring, it grows again — its branches, the leaves and sprigs. sharpened in image, still a beauty unfinished, the destiny of twigs.
A phrase that often rolls around in my head is “bend, not break”.
I think about what breaks and what bends. What’s different and special about each. Grass, wire, pickles, aluminum, paper, fabric, people, plastic, fish. What’s useful and what is difficult when you choose one over the other.
And I think about how trees, as they grow, become more resolute and strong. They grow into something that doesn’t bend, it’s harder to break. I guess parts of itself shed: twigs, leaves, pine needles, fruit, its seeds. The soft parts, the small things, the things that used to shape it and now are no longer. The destiny of twigs!
Okay bye! Talk soon. Happy August!