Category: travel

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The Great Outdoors travel Who I Am

An Unexpected Trip Through the Mountains

A little trip away from San Francisco is always a welcome break. This past weekend, I went up to Reno, Nevada on a whim with family. It was my first time to go there, and the drive up was a bit spooky since we were driving through the mountains at night. Driving back down the next day, though, I was in awe watching the mountains loom overhead as we coasted down I-80.

Somehow, when I see mountains, I just feel at peace. Every time I go up to Montana (every few years or so), I just feel tranquility within myself as I gaze upon the Rocky Mountains. Perhaps I’m meant to be in the mountains, and perhaps that’s why I feel drawn to relocate next year.

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holiday NaNoWriMo Novel 1 travel

Nearing the End of a Tumultuous Month

Well, November was certainly more than I expected yet also more than I did not expect. I’ve been away on travels for the past ten days, visiting various bookstores in Montana with my sisters and enjoying a classic Thanksgiving in all-American style.

For more of November, though, I’ve been working on various projects for work and little time to focus on NaNoWriMo, sadly. I only began participating in NaNoWriMo in 2007, but somehow this year, November has been a little crazier than in the previous two years.

In the past, I know I would have felt a little more upset over the idea of not winning NaNoWriMo on time. But I understand that, well, life happens. This year’s novel idea has been a little half-baked anyway, and although I do like where the plot is going, I just have not felt inspired enough to work on it every day. Well, it’s okay; nobody’s perfect, and I’ll keep this in mind for next time.

I have been thinking more and more how I need to get back to my first novel and begin rewriting it; out of all the novel drafts I have produced over the past two years, that first one has the best storyline so far. Of course, I’ll go back and fix up the second and third novels after the first one has been rewritten. Now I understand why it takes so long to get novels into presentable form: life just keeps coming around!

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NaNoWriMo reflection travel

Traveling through the year

There’s something about visiting a new place: it truly gives me a sense of adventure and renewed optimism. I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I last traveled until I arrived at SFO this past Wednesday evening and thought, “Well, the last time I was here was in January.” I’d lost track of time and had since only been traveling within San Francisco or to Sacramento to visit relatives.

It explains the restlessness I have felt for quite awhile now; the need to be on-the-move, seeing/hearing/feeling new things all around me.

In other news, it seems like some people are already gearing up for NaNoWriMo this year; it’s a little under two months away now. I can’t believe it’s already September; the end of the year is always something I look forward to. As my brother has said, “It’s when everything ‘falls’ into place.” It’s a horrible pun, but it still makes sense: a lot of things seem to happen at the end of each year, and I always look forward to the travels ahead.

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travel

Plane Tickets Up in Only a Day…

It’s amazing what a difference a day makes when it comes to buying plane tickets. I’ve been scoping out tickets going to Los Angeles in a few weeks, and yesterday, when I checked (on Southwest), the ticket was $69 one way. Today, when I checked, it was up to $96! I know usually ticket prices do fluctuate depending on the day of the week, but they also fluctuate depending on how soon the flight is.

Since the two week mark has passed for the originally scheduled start of the trip, I guess the tickets are going for a higher price due to the fact that the date is just around the corner. How crazy; this little change has made me have to modify my reservations for the next day instead of the original day intended. Sigh. Well, next time I hope to remember to make reservations well in advance.

Categories
feelings My San Francisco Chronicles travel

Leaving the city for a few days.

Today I headed out of San Francisco to go to Sacramento for a few days–my cousins are graduating from high school tomorrow, so I figured I should take the trip in to visit them and the rest of my relatives. I realized recently that I hadn’t left San Francisco since I arrived back from Japan; people say they start to feel restless/a little crazy if they’ve been in San Francisco for too long (with no vacation out of the city/Bay Area).

I could understand that sentiment, but I still could not help but feel a little sad/homesick as I watched the city grow farther and farther away while I crossed the Bay Bridge on the Amtrak bus. The scenery passing by on the train was even more dramatic, changing from bay views to farmland.

Perhaps I can never feel like I can adapt to life outside of San Francisco anymore. Despite the fact that I have only lived here for a year, I find that I can see myself settling down here for good (after I do a little more traveling, though).

Perhaps I have really planted my heart in San Francisco.