A boy told me to listen to Ed Sheeran today and literally all I've been listening to all day is Ed Sheeran and I forgot how good he is. Hence the name of this blog post. Also, happy National Kiss A Ginger Day. Relatable. Good job, boy. Just kidding he had no idea it was National Kiss A Ginger Day, but told me yesterday was National Step In A Puddle Day...

So that is what I did at work today. Well, only part. I actually worked too. And broke a nail. And almost fell on my face. Lots of fun things.

We're going to talk about boys today. And by we I mean me, and by talk about I mean I'm going to vent and then we will get back to life and more important things that matter. So I guess my first question would be how do you feel about work relationships? I have seen them work and I have seen them fail. Both either extraordinary or awful. But never in between. Please share your stories, because I am actually very interested.
Disclosure - no I am not dating someone from my work. But I am crushing on one form what was a far and now not so far. He sang to me today and I kind of lost it but I am put back together now. Then he told me his favorite days were when he had meetings because he got to see me and walk past my desk. Done. And then I said oh yeah when I'm lucky and get to see you, and he counteracted saying he was the lucky one. Done. Again.

So they talk the talk, but can they walk the walk, while keeping up with me? My thing with guys, just from what I have learned from my past relationships is this:

• It shouldn't be work. Yes relationships take effort, but it shouldn't have to feel like work or like you are forcing it. Because once it is forced it is essentially over.
• It should be organic. This stems back to the work thing, but more importantly that is mutual on both sides, and just feels right. This one is difficult because I have been one in the past to not go with the flow, but really, that is the main way to develop a good relationship. Or that's what I think, at least.
• It needs to be mutual. Feelings, effort, everything.
• Communication is everything. Self explanatory.

This all being said, and the reason this is a topic on the blog today, is that someone asked me if I was dating anyone. And I would be lying if I said no, but I would also be lying if I said yes. Does that make sense? I should add a bullet point that "it shouldn't be complicated" but it most likely will be and we don't live in a perfect world. I hate saying I have a few guys in my back pocket, but that's kind of what it is. I don't like it. I like them each for their own special reasons. But I also love being single. Struggle city in the love department here. But it's okay. We're moving forward.

Work today was a catch up day. I caught up on things I needed to do, things I needed to organize, etc. Necessary, tedious, useful, long. But no complaints, as I ended my day with a complimentary DryBar blowout.

Erasable Pens

Hello, it's me.

I was going to do the whole "blog every day like a journal!" thing but clearly... that didn't work. But I'm not mad, and hopefully you aren't either. I want to be realistic with my postings, and posting over the weekend just was not happening. Plus I didn't really do anything too crazy exciting so it's okay. Today was a whirlwind at work, but first let's back track.

This past weekend was quiet. And it was exactly what I needed. I was able to plan, spend time with family and friends, straighten up, and even plan a weekend getaway! Of course, in my book, the most exciting thing about all of that is my weekend getaway with Rachel, but it isn't for two weekends so I need to contain my excitement.

Today at work, I learned all about patience, understanding, mistakes, and new beginnings.

Woah, where do I work? I bet if you thought about your day at work, you would come across some of those same key words.

Patience: I definitely don't have patience. But, I am learning. I had to be patient with my own work, with my coworkers, and even with a boy I started talking to.

Understanding: I had to take multiple steps back at work today and for all different reasons, which leads me to my third lesson...

Mistakes: We're human. They happen. I made a few today, but it's okay because our lives are very often written in pen or even sharpie. Granted, they aren't always written in pencil, either, but for the most part they are written in those weird erasable pens which don't really work but you can get away with it. It might leave a smudge or two, but that's okay because at least you learned from it.

New beginnings: People enter and leave your life. That's just how it works. If your life was one big coffee shop, it would get pretty boring if the same people stayed there all day every day, not to mention they would get sick of the coffee. It's natural for people to grow apart and others to grow closer, and it's even more natural for you to miss an opportunity that could be right in front of your face.

Happy Monday! Also, shoutout to my first two finished coloring pages from my adult coloring book!

Just Keep Swimming

Happy Saturday!

Today I went to the aquarium, which was SO MUCH FUN. No sarcasm. It was really fun. Minus the kids in strollers everywhere, but hey that's just like Disneyland you just have to live with it.

I headed over to Rachel's, aka my other half, and we went to Kreation... because we are addicted. After my coffee fix and her wanna-be-acai-bowl fix, we made the trek down to Long Beach and met up with two of her coworkers who are just as sassy and sarcastic as me, so that was great. I pet jellyfish, took a picture with a fake penguin that my mom thought was real from the picture, and I fed birds (I hate birds). Of course, I did all of this and took tons of pictures so here are some of those in case you don't follow me on any other social media platform:

Beautiful photos, I know, I try. Just kidding. Also, yes, I'm wearing workout clothes because why would I wear cute clothes to just walk around. I have done that before and learned my lesson. Plus, my Nike addiction got kind of bad last year and I need to wear them more.

Reality check time: I'm actually the annoying friend who is always like "OMG take my photo!" and my friends get really annoyed but they know the effort I put into my Instagrams and now my blogs so it's okay... I think, I don't know, actually... I don't really ask because I'm afraid to know that they actually hate taking my photos so let's just pretend my friends love taking photos for me. 

After the aquarium, Rachel and I headed to Silver Lake to check out a crystal shop, but we ended up getting hungry so we made a Pad Thai stop first. After Pad Thai, we went to the crystal shop and explored our inner chakra, what different crystals can do for the individual, and got a very brief, like very very brief intro on that area of spirituality/calming/meditation/whatever you want to call it. 

One of my newest things, not just for 2016 but for life, is to be more open to different experiences and views on the world, so why not learn about different things if it's right down the street from my friend's house!

(Plus, they're all like really pretty...)

My only "resolution," per say, for 2016 is "16 in 16": 

16 new things that either challenge me, get me out of my comfort level, or leave me with memories over materials. 16 isn't a lot, and the list definitely isn't done, but I know that I want one of them to be to try new books or podcasts, and at this point in my life, I am just open to positivity, in whichever form that may be. 

What are some of your favorite lifestyle or positivity books or podcasts? 

Hope you had a great first Saturday of the year!

Newsday Tuesday

I would like to apologize in advance for my constant lack of pictures. I have an Instagram and Twitter and Snapchat and then I forget about pictures for blog, I'm learning, I'm getting back into the swing of things. Work with me?

Speaking of work, I totally forgot I had an interview tomorrow, but it's okay. I remembered and now I'm super excited! It is a paid internship but hey, it's paid, and an internship, and I am at the point where I can figure out what I want to do with my life, or at least what I don't want to do with my life. That makes sense, right? It does to me.

As you may or may not know, my morning job deals with kids. I am the only permanent teacher and it's exciting but also sort of stressful. Anyways, one of my kids almost left my class to go to the one down the street because she was the only girl. Luckily we got another girl this week, but regardless, she told her mom she did not want to leave my class because Miss Kathryn wouldn't be there. HOW CUTE IS THAT.

But then I apply for other jobs and feel guilty but I mean they are just interviews and I see interviews as opportunities and lessons to get better at interviewing. It also gives me an insight to if I ever want to go into HR, and different interviewing tactics. Also, I just looked up the guy interviewing me and he is very attractive so that's fun! We all know how I get around attractive men...

Wish me luck!

Job Hunting with Rachel Green

It isn't a normal day if I don't hear about a situation, or have an interesting encounter and then say "like remember, that one time... on Friends?!"
My past two weeks has been a constant episode of Friends. "The One Where Kathryn Doesn't Get The Job" or even an interview.

Just like every summer, I came home and started work at camp. Only this year, it's not like I pack up and leave in the middle of August to go back to school. We finished that part of my life, remember?
So I currently come home from working with kids and parents all day, and sit on my computer and apply to jobs. What I'm calling "Big Girl" jobs.

But you see, searching for jobs on the Internet, is like online shopping. Once you start, you can not stop. And once you see one posting, you look up and realize (20 minutes later...) that you have 15 job tabs open and now need to write 15 different cover letters. 

But wait one second. There is one job, and you read the responsibilities, and qualifications, and location, and you decide "this is it."

But then you realize that your resume probably got lost in the depths of the Internet, never to be seen by anyone. Ever.

And then I wake up, and go to work at camp, and receive my pay check. 

Just replace wiping tables and steaming milk with playing with kids and telling their parents that they punched a kid, which is exactly why I am on the hunt for a Big Girl job.

And so the job hunt continues. A time in life where every job requires experience, but no one will hire me to give me experience. 

I have a degree! Does that mean nothing?

Taco/Tequila-landia

This past Saturday, I went to heaven, well at least I thought it would be heaven. We got in line for the premium tickets which was long, but barely hit the corner, while the general admission line snaked around up and down the block and street. We got to the front of the line and decided to just go down the line for the tacos.

After about 3 or 4 tacos, we decided it was time for a drink... or two. The guy in front of us at the bar thought that, just like the tacos, the drinks were included. This was correct, but only if you had the premium ticket and got the drink card. He did not, so I got a free margarita to accompany my paloma. 

And then I ate a smelt fish taco, which just kind of tasted like a taco. But my parents didn't eat it and I did so I felt accomplished.

After some more tacos and taquitos and standing in line in the burning sun, we found the tequila garden. Having purchased the premium ticket, we thought this was included but it was another $20. We shouldn't have done it. But we had fun, regardless. We got some free shot glasses, light up martini glasses, shots of tequila, and a wink from a creepy old guy. Tacolandia had turned into tequilalandia.

And then I befriended the cute guy in front of me in line, and he convinced me to eat a grasshopper taco. It wasn't terrible. Just kind of, crunchy...

I also ate octopus, but that isn't that weird, right?

And then the last and final taco and margarita of the night. (Well, I actually got three because the bar was closing and I still had free drink coupons like hi, obviously I was going to use them.)

To end the night, we went to a part of LA that I had never been before, and got churros and chocolate. And it was perfect. 

Does this make me a "hiker"?

Benefits of going hiking in LA: you might casually walk by the house they film for the intro of Keeping up with The Kardashians. You might not even realize it until your dad points it out to you.
In case you are wondering, this is off of Fryman Canyon and supposedly they don't live here it's just the house they use to protect their safety even though the rest of their lives are already shared with the public, but that's besides the point. There ya go.

Hiking is my "new thing/" I put that in quotes because it's like that one time I wanted to be a YouTuber, or that other time I wanted to be a swimmer, or that other time I wanted to be a check out person at the grocery store. You know what I'm talking about. Life phases. But hopefully this one sticks because I actually like hiking. 

If you ever decide to hike Fryman canyon, right after the top there is an area where you can go up a little hill and then some stairs. DO IT. It will take you over to Coldwater Canyon and theres bathrooms and a pond and a beautiful view. Fun fact: over the bush, past the tree, behind that building, is my house.

Hiking selfie because if I didn't post it no one would know I actually went hiking... That and I wanted evidence of my dad hiking. Also yay for my new hat and no makeup!

After hiking we decided to go get juice because we live in LA and that's the cool thing to do after you hike, right?

Yes, my juice was called "YOLO." I am judging myself.

And then we went home and I made this delicious lunch because again I live in LA and I wanted to take advantage of the weather and my pool and how I don't have either of those things in San Francisco.
BUT THEN! My dad was on a hiking high. And I warned him this would happen. A hiking high is when you go hiking, and then after wards, feel like you can go hiking Mount Everest. I kid you not. It's all those endorphins! And so he looks at me and says, let's go to Runyon. Runyon Canyon is where all the celebrities go and girls wear real clothes because there are cute guys and it's just very weird, but it's a good hike. So we went. And I looked like a person going hiking. And there were cute guys. And I was with my dad.

But look at the view!
AND NO, it wasn't the foggy, that would be my camera. Which has water in it, I think, and makes everything look foggy and gross and underwater. Help.

This all happened on Friday. Like all I did on Friday. Well that and got crepes with my best friend.

But then Sunday, I went hiking again. Because "I am a hiker." And because it was Rachel's birthday and why not. We were originally supposed to go to Runyon but there was no parking and we got annoyed and I still had to go home and pack because I had a flight that night, so we went to Baldwin Hills and did the Baldwin Hills Overlook. I feel like we should've done the stairs, but maybe next time because I did not feel like I got a work out! Then again we were on a time crunch and didn't really have the much time to do a full hike but either way. Here is the view! You can see the ocean, Santa Monica, Culver City, Hollywood, and Downtown! It was really pretty and we asked like 10 people to take pictures of us. THANKS RANDOM PEOPLE!

And again, if we didn't take pictures while hiking, did we even go hiking?

By the time I posted this picture on Instagram, I think people were over my hiking-natureness because it didn't get that many likes. Yeah, I'm look at you.

And then since we live in LA, and it was Rachel's birthday, and I was hungry, we went to a vegan restaurant. I know. I KNOW. I looked at the waitress and said "Hi. I'm not vegan, gluten free, dairy free, nothing. I eat whatever, and I am hungry and want coffee. What is the equivalent to vegan half and half?" And she started laughing and said I'm not vegan either and I love half and half! Cool. My people. So I got iced coffee with like vanilla almond soy milk something who knows. It was kind of bitter, and definitely not half and half, but it was coffee! And then I got chia pudding, because YUM, and Rachel got kale salad because she's vegan and I hate kale. 

So there it is. I am "a hiker." Or I think I am. 

For other hikes in LA from people that are actual hikers, I like to look at modern hiker! http://modernhiker.com/la-hiking/